The "Today" show report I mentioned earlier was done by Jamie Gangel, not Katie Couric. However, if this is a complete and accurate account of the Joseph Wilson interview, then I was, once again, correct -- softballs only.
The only semi-challenging question of Wilson was on the charge that he is/was a Democrat partisan.
Gangel: Your critics have said that this is partisan on your part, that you are part of a Democratic attempt to discredit Iraq policy.
Wilson: That's simply not true.
Gangel: You are a Democrat?
Wilson: I exercise my rights as a citizen of this country to participate in the selection of my leaders. And I'm proud to do so. I did so in the election in 2000 by contributing not just to Al Gore's campaign but also to the Bush/Cheney campaign.
While this is the truth, it's not the whole truth. If you look closely at the data contained at OpenSecrets.org, you discover that Wilson, in violation of the federal campaign limits at the time, tried to give Al Gore $2,000 -- twice the limit. Wilson only contributed $1,000 to Bush after the excess was returned to him by the Gore campaign.
As far as Wilson's claim to nonpartisanship goes, during the 2000 election cycle, he contributed three times as much money to Democrats as Republicans in other races.
Not a single issue that I highlighted in my post last night was touched by NBC News. The rehabilitation of Joseph Wilson continues.
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