frankenlies.com
#11: Franken Didn't Get the Memo
On pages 144-148 of Truth, Franken harps on a "memo" that was the subject of a lot of media attention during the Terri Schiavo story of March and April of 2005. Among other things, it stated that the Schiavo episode was "a great political issue" that Republicans could use to their advantage. ABC News’ Linda Douglass and the Washington Post’s Mike Allen were the first to report on it. But the memo was the subject of a lot of speculation and controversy because a) it was unsigned and unsourced, b) there were several spelling errors, including one of Ms. Schiavo’s first name, and c) it listed a Senate bill number incorrectly.
It was eventually discovered that the memo was written by a staffer to first-year Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL).
Franken’s claim? On page 144, he asserts that the memo "circulated ... among Republicans on the Senate floor" (emphasis mine).
The truth? There is zero evidence that the memo was ever in the hands of any Republican senator other than Mr. Martinez.
As news and speculation surrounding the source of the memo swirled, the Washington Times surveyed all 100 United States Senators, and only ONE acknowledged receiving the actual memo.1 That senator was a Democrat, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa.
Apparently, Harkin had asked Sen. Martinez for background information on the Senate bill related to Terri Schiavo. Standing on the Senate floor, Martinez gave Harkin what he thought was a routine one-page staff memo on the legislation. "Unbeknownst to me, instead of my one page on the bill, I had given him a copy of the now infamous memo that at some point along the way came into my possession," Martinez said.2
"It was never my intention to in any way politicize this issue," Martinez added.3
After a counsel to Sen. Martinez admitted to being the author of the memo, he also submitted his resignation, and it was immediately accepted by Martinez.
The bottom line: Never in the weeks-long speculation did a media outlet report a single Republican senator by name (except Martinez) of having been in possession of the actual memo.
This entire episode may also be a very revealing tale in liberal media bias. Linda Douglass of ABC News and Mike Allen of the Washington Post may have known very well that Democrat Harkin may have been the only Senator-recipient of the memo from Sen. Martinez. Yet they still reported that the memo came from "Republican officials" and was "distributed to Republican senators."4 Ugh! Liberal media bias? It sure looks like it.
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Notes:
1 Brian DeBose and Stephen Dinan, "Martinez says his staffer produced Schiavo memo," Washington Times, April 6, 2005. http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050406-103018-1572r.htm
2 Mike Allen, "Counsel to GOP Senator Wrote Memo on Schiavo," Washington Post, April 6, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32554-2005Apr6.html
3 Ibid.
4 Cliff Kincaid, "More on Memogate II," April 7, 2005. http://www.aim.org/aim_column/2842_0_3_0_C/