First it was Dan Rather’s “Bush Guard memos” whose legitimacy quickly disintegrated when they fell under the high-wattage scrutiny of bloggers and cyber-analysts.
Now Sen. John Kerry’s performance at last Thursday’s presidential debate is coming under similar online analysis, resulting in claims the Democratic candidate violated the debate’s rules by bringing a prohibited item to the lectern.
Debate video shot from the back of the stage clearly shows Kerry removing something from his jacket at the start of the debate.
If so, he broke the rules.
According to the 32-page Memorandum of Understanding agreed to by the two campaigns for governing the four debates – including tomorrow’s vice presidential match-up – no notes, charts, or other writings of any kind are allowed, unless placed on each candidates lectern by debate commission staffers.
Specifically, Section 5c says:
No props, notes, charts, diagrams, or other writings or other tangible things may be brought into the debate by any candidate. Neither candidate may reference or cite any specific individual sitting in a debate audience at any time during a debate. If a candidate references or cites any specific individual(s) in a debate audience, or if a candidate uses a prop, note, or other writing or other tangible thing during a debate, the moderator must interrupt and explain that reference or citation to the specific individual(s) or the use of the prop, note, or other writing or thing violates the debate rules agreed to by that candidate.
Moreover, according to Section 5d:
Notwithstanding subparagraph 5(c), the candidates may take notes during the debate on the size, color, and type of paper each prefers and using the type of pen or pencil that each prefers. Each candidate must submit to the staff of the Commission prior to the debate all such paper and any pens or pencils with which a candidate may wish to take notes during the debate, and the staff of the Commission will place such paper, pens, and pencils on the podium, table, or other structure to be used by the candidate in that debate.
However, all weekend, websites like The Daily Recycler – and especially Little Green Footballs, with a stunningly clear close-up video clip from the debate – have played and replayed what looks like Kerry pulling something from his jacket pocket while his back was to the audience, then manipulating it further while at the lectern.
The New York Post reported that after viewing a Fox News Channel video, it appears the object was a pen.
On The Drudge Report, Matt Drudge writes that upon contacting the Kerry campaign about the seeming breach of rules, a “top Kerry campaign source” retorted that Bush supporters were just trying to change the subject.
“Kerry did not cheat,” said the Kerry insider, according to Drudge. “This is more lies from Republicans, who are hoping for a quick change of subject away from the president’s performance, and the new polls.”
Drudge added that upon pointing out that, according to the rules both campaigns agreed to, even taking a pen from jacket pocket would have been a violation, the Kerry staffer laughed and said, “See you at the inauguration, Drudge.”
