AP Ignores Party Affiliation of Democrat Who Lied About Sex Under Oath

January 25th, 2008 5:48 PM

Remember ten years ago when staunch defenders of President Bill Clinton conceded that, yes, Bill Clinton lied under oath, but it was a lie about sex, and hence not an impeachable offense?

[Speaking of which, January 27 will be the 10 year anniversary of Hillary Clinton's famous "vast right wing conspiracy" charge.]

Well, now Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) is facing mounting pressure to resign for pretty much the same thing: lying about sex under oath in a legal proceeding. While I'm personally curious whether any Democrats, particularly those supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for president will come forward and defend Kilpatrick -- you know, urging him to stay in office and fight to "work for the people of Detroit" -- the more immediate concern here at NewsBusters is, are the media noting or ignoring Kilpatrick's Democratic Party affiliation?

The answer so far? No, at least not the Associated Press. Reporter Corey Williams failed to mention Kilpatrick's party affiliation, although Williams did note Kilpatrick faces similar legal problems as Clinton:

The trial in question arose from a lawsuit filed by two police officers who alleged they were fired for investigating claims that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.

The lawsuit ended with the jury awarding $6.5 million to the two officers. The payout eventually grew to more than $8.5 million.

The allegations and possible perjury charges have placed Kilpatrick in company that includes President Bill Clinton. Clinton faced impeachment proceedings after repeatedly denying his relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky.

"You have to make a distinction about what's personally embarrassing and what's illegal," Herzik said. "Clinton didn't do anything illegal. The Republicans will disagree, but having sex in the Oval Office, the last time I checked, wasn't against the law."

(See more with NewsBusters report by Warner Todd Huston)