Networks Black Out Democrats' "Intelligence Gathering" on Republican Electors - Press Release - November 17, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2000

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katie Wright (703) 683-5004, ext. 132

Networks Black Out Democrats' "Intelligence Gathering" on Republican Electors
Bozell: “If Republicans Were Doing This The Words ‘Blackmail’ And ‘Bribery’ Would Be Heard Immediately”

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Media Research Center Chairman Brent Bozell today blasted the networks for blacking out a huge story – the Democrats’ “intelligence gathering” on Republican electors for the purposes of persuading them to vote for Al Gore instead of George W. Bush to whom they are pledged. Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal carried the remarkable admission by longtime Democratic consultant Bob Beckel – who managed Vice President Walter Mondale’s presidential campaign in 1984 – that he has begun gathering information on Republican electors. According to the Journal, the operation is for the purposes of “persuading a handful of them to vote for Gore.”

“If Republicans were doing this the words ‘blackmail’ and ‘bribery’ would be heard immediately all over network news shows. But, evidently, front page news in the newspaper with the nation’s largest circulation has been blacked out by the networks and the many millions of people who get their information from network news have been left completely in the dark about this startling development,” Bozell said.

Beckel told the Journal: “It’s information gathering on my part, using my own network. I call on mostly Democrats, but some Republicans, too, and ask, ‘Who are these electors, and what do you know about them?’ I just wanted to know who these electors are.”

A likely endgame scenario has Bush winning Florida’s 25 electoral votes and Gore winning New Mexico’s five electoral votes. If three electors were to change their votes – which will be officially cast December 18 to decide the election – from Bush to Gore, Gore would be President.

“It appears the Gore campaign can get away with virtually anything and the networks will black out the story,” Bozell said.

Media Interviews
To schedule an interview with Mr. Bozell, or another MRC spokesperson, contact Katie Wright at (703) 683-5004, ext. 132.