NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News both ignored Vitter's connection to DC Madam
by MediaMatters.com
10 July 2007
http://mediamatters.org/items/200707110005?f=h_topic
During their July 10 broadcasts, neither NBC's Nightly News nor CBS' Evening News with Katie Couric reported on the disclosure that Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) phone number was among the phone records of alleged "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey. As Media Matters for America has previously noted, Palfrey was indicted on racketeering charges stemming from allegations that she ran a prostitution ring, and is reportedly planning on calling Vitter as a witness to her defense. By contrast, during the July 10 edition of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, ABC News senior political correspondent Jake Tapper reported on the story, noting that Vitter "is a self-proclaimed defender of family values," and was a "conservative rising star, and led a charge against same-sex marriage." Tapper reported that Vitter recently sent a "letter to senators, urging them to support abstinence education, to teach teenagers, quote, 'that saving sex until marriage and remaining faithful afterwards is the best choice for health and happiness.' " Tapper further noted that presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) recently tapped Vitter "to be his campaign's regional Southern chairman."
Palfrey has denied the government's allegation that she was running a prostitution ring. As ABC News reported, she has maintained that "she ran a legal 'sexual fantasy service' and that women who worked for her agreed not to engage in illegal sexual activity with clients, intercourse or oral sex." Palfrey kept a list of her alleged clients' phone numbers, which were released following a July 5 order by U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler. ABC News Investigative Unit producer Justin Rood reported that "[a]ccording to Palfrey's lawyer, Vitter's number appeared on a February 2001 phone record." On July 9, Vitter apologized for "a very serious sin in my past," about which he claimed he had "received forgiveness from God and my wife." Rood added that Hustler magazine "may have prompted" Vitter's apology, reporting that "Vitter's office released its statement" soon after "a Hustler editor contacted Vitter's office to ask his connection to Palfrey's service." According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Palfrey's attorneys have stated that "investigators working for Palfrey plan to contact Vitter and ask him to be a defense witness when she goes to trial."
From the July 10 edition of ABC News' World News with Charles Gibson:
CHARLES GIBSON (anchor): One other piece of political news, one of the most conservative members of Congress has become involved in the D.C. Madam scandal. We have reported that Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the woman accused of running a Washington prostitution ring had a list of client phone numbers. Well, today, Louisiana's junior Senator David Vitter said his number is on it. Here's our senior political correspondent, Jake Tapper.
TAPPER: Republican Senator David Vitter is a self-proclaimed defender of family values as evidenced by this video on this website.
VITTER [video clip]: We focus here in the Senate on nurturing, upholding, preserving, protecting, such a fundamental social institution as traditional marriage.
TAPPER: Last night, Vitter apologized for sinning, after his number appeared on phone records of the alleged D.C. Madam. The married father of four said in a statement, quote, "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling." Vitter's actions got more attention because he's a conservative rising star and led the charge against same-sex marriage.
VITTER [video clip]: It's often said, but it's very, very true, and it is worth repeating: Marriage is truly the most fundamental social institution in human history.
TAPPER: And just days ago, Vitter sent this letter to senators, urging them to support abstinence education, to teach teenagers quote "that saving sex until marriage and remaining faithful afterwards is the best choice for health and happiness." Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani appointed Vitter from Louisiana to be his campaign's regional Southern chairman, to vouch for him with wary conservative voters.
VITTER [video clip]: He's not running for president to advance any liberal social agenda.
TAPPER: Giuliani today kept his comments about Vitter brief.
GIULIANI [video clip]: Some people disappoint you.
JOHN DICKERSON (Slate.com chief political correspondent): Some voters are generous with politicians and their peccadilloes, but what voters hate is hypocrisy.
TAPPER: Tonight, it's unclear how understanding the voters of Louisiana will be, or his wife. Jake Tapper, ABC News, New York.
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