JBS - A recent Associated Press story about Ron Paul carries a headline that was carefully crafted to turn off many American voters. The headline proclaimed: "Paul Endorsed by Nevada Brothel Owner."
The AP story began: "Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, an underdog Texas congressman with a libertarian streak, has picked up an endorsement from a Nevada brothel owner," Dennis Hof.
"Picked up," however, is the wrong phrase, since it implies, incorrectly, that Ron Paul had solicited Hof’s endorsement. In actuality, it was a member of the media, MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson, who had done the soliciting. Carlson not only contacted Hof to ask him to check out Ron Paul while Paul was in Nevada, but he even arrived at Ron Paul’s Reno news conference in the company of Hof and two of Hof’s prostitutes. Hof’s presence, which surprised the Ron Paul campaign, then gave Hof the opportunity to be interviewed by the media.
Tucker Carlson's involvement is acknowledged by AP, though not until the end of the story. The AP story notes that "Hof was accompanied to the Paul news conference by television news personality Tucker Carlson."
It then finally quotes Carlson as admitting that "Dennis Hof is a good friend of mine, so when we got to Nevada, I decided to call him up and see if he wanted to come check this guy [Ron Paul] out." The AP article, though, fails to point out that the Ron Paul campaign was surprised when Carlson emerged from a limousine with Hof and two of Hof’s celebrity prostitutes to attend the news conference. (That part of the story was covered by the Reno Gazette-Journal.)
Regarding Ron Paul’s position on prostitution, the AP article quoted Paul spokesman Jeff Greenspan as saying: "On a personal basis, he doesn't condone those things. At the same time, from his campaign perspective, it’s not the role of federal government and it's not in the Constitution for federal government to regulate these things." That of course is correct, and in Nevada prostitution is legal in 12 of the state’s 17 counties, including the county where Dennis Hof’s brothel is located.
But how many AP readers will gloss over the point that law-enforcement and moral issues such as prostitution should be addressed at the state and not the federal level? How many AP readers will instead be left with the impression that Ron Paul is the candidate of pimps and prostitutes, simply because he recognizes that regulations concerning moral behavior should not be established at the federal level? In fact, establishing such regulations at the federal level would be unconstitutional — and also unwise, since governmental powers that can be effectively handled close to home should be handled close to home.
In the case of legalized prostitution in Nevada, that is something that the citizens of Nevada should address through their elected representatives. But Ron Paul is running for president of the United States, not governor of Nevada.
The AP "Paul Endorsed by Nevada Brothel Owner" story is simply the latest in a growing number of mainstream news articles that attack Ron Paul by attacking his supporters. But that, of course, could be viewed as an admission on the part of the anti-Paul media that Ron Paul does not have the skeletons in his closet that so many other politicians do. Otherwise the anti-Paul media would be targeting those skeletons.
Finally, the AP noted that the two prostitutes who accompanied Hof and Carlson to the news conference have not yet decided who they support for president. But if they come out for (say) Hillary, don’t hold your breath waiting for AP to rush out a story under the gripping headline, “Hillary Endorsed by Nevada Prostitutes”!
Let MSNBC know how you feel about their employees visitng brothels at -
letters@msnbc.com
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Originally Posted by Magicman
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