I’m not going to say any more about this today after this post (you can’t imagine how exhausting checking my email box has been what with the DU spammers going battier and all). But the consensus this morning seems to be “retract nothing!” A few samples:
Dear Jonah,
It is important to note that Gore told Huffington that he spent a “summer” in France studying the existentialists, NOT a “week” as the supposed correction you post indicates.
This, to me, makes all the difference in the world. Spending a summer in France really does conflict with spending a summer on the farm. However, spending a week in France makes it possible to do all sorts of other things, like “plow with that damned hillside plow.”
Your only fault is taking Gore at his word. Saying you went some place for the summer, in any plain reading of that phrase, clearly means that your stay was an extended period of time, not a few days. Gore didn’t say “during” the summer but “for the summer.” If I told you I went to Colorado “for the winter” to learn how to ski, any sane person would guess that entails more than a weekend with a ski instructor.
Simply comparing the language of Gore’s statement as quoted by Huffington with the clarification you posted actually makes your case. The language used by Gore compared to that of his spokesman definitely changes. You don’t need to retract a thing — you just need to put both statements side-by-side and let any mildly intelligent reader see that they don’t say the same thing at all.
Best,
And:
In his blog, Greg Sargent sarcastically says he discovered “a novel way to settle this question” (of whether Gore misrepresented the truth), “a method that Goldberg probably should have entertained, too: I called Al Gore’s people and asked them what the deal was.”
Well, that isn’t all that surprising is it? Isn’t this how the libs investigated the question of whether or not John Kerry had lied about his Vietnam experiences? (And all of the Clinton scandals?) They would ask Kerry what the truth was, and then accept whatever story he was peddling on that particular day.
And with this novel way of settling arguments, I’m sure if actual evidence comes out (as opposed to mere assertions) that Gore hadn’t spent “an educational week in Cannes” perfecting his French, then I’m sure the Gore people will come up with a new clarification.
And:
Jonah – Gawd. Don’t go wobbly. He spent an “educational week” working on his French to get his grades up, not “a summer studying the existentialists.” I spent an “educational week” when I was 16 at chess camp in upstate New York. Sometimes, we talked about ninjas. Can I now say the last time I was in upstate New York I was 16 and I was there for the summer to master the dark art of ninjitsu?
Me: I’m heading out for the day with the family. Catch ya later.