AP's Ron Fournier To Karl Rove: "Keep Up The Fight"

Via Talking Points Memo: the House Oversight Committee has unearthed a key quote from the 50-page report on Pat Tillman - the former Arizona Cardinals star killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan under circumstances that the military labored to conceal from Tillman's family - and Jessica Lynch, who was caught up in some Iraq War mythmaking of her own.

On page 21 of the report, the committee reprints an email exchange between Ron Fournier - then a reporter for the Associated Press, now the head of the AP's Washington bureau - and Bush's chief adviser Karl Rove:

Rove exchanged e-mails about Pat Tillman with Associated Press reporter Ron Fournier, under the subject line "H-E-R-O." In response to Mr. Fournier's e-mail, Mr. Rove asked, "How does our country continue to produce men and women like this," to which Mr. Fournier replied, "The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight."

An email to Fournier, seeking clarification on what "fight" he thought Rove was engaged in at the time, was not returned.

***UPDATE 8:24pm ET, July 14, 2008***

In a story that crossed on the AP wires, Fournier is quoted as saying he was simply interacting with a source in the course of his duties as a political reporter, and regrets the "breezy nature of the correspondence."

From the AP story:

The committee cited one exchange between White House political chief Karl Rove and Ron Fournier, then a political reporter for The Associated Press.

In a chain under the subject line "H-E-R-O," Rove replied to an e-mail from Fournier by saying, "How does our country continue to produce men and women like this?"

Fournier replied, "The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight."

Fournier, now the AP's acting Washington bureau chief, said Monday: "I was an AP political reporter at the time of the 2004 e-mail exchange, and was interacting with a source, a top aide to the president, in the course of following an important and compelling story. I regret the breezy nature of the correspondence."

Comments

[BhunduBoy]

"Keep Up The Fight" in AIPACs name.

[JennyJay]

In this great and free country, where we can flourish - ONLY IF THE MEDIA IS NOT IN BED with
low life government people who are so crooked and dishonest, that their very actions could harm
the country. . . .Fournier should NOT BE WORKING FOR AP, or any other media. He should be a
freaking snake handler in some zoo somewhere. Give him a job HE IS REALLY SUITED FOR.

[Durango]

O don't worry.

The media won't be in bed with Obama when he gets elected.

Like with Clinton they will do their best to destroy his credibility.

They only roll over for Republicans. The more authoritarian (i:Fascist) the better.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

The only regret this guy has was being caught. I used to respect AP but not any more. No wonder people hardly read papers and watch the news with wonder what happen to this great country.

[Bozwellian]

...uh, thanks in large part , AGAIN, due to deregulation and lack of oversighting, the MEDIA is held in but 4 or 5 corporate hands and THEY dictate what the air/print poutput is according to THEIR best payoff/payback interests !! Conglomerated markets, AP is one of the few still in existence in oe form or another that relies on PAST credibility that has little to do with what they put out these days...Ever note how can flick station to station--same story, read with various "inflection" , sometime slightly altered/edited for "effect/affect", same vid clips, photo's, ALL from singular "pooled" source....stories reprinted in the various "news" papers...jsut on different pages for different "effects/a­ffects/inf­luence"...­.The 4th estate gene pool has shrunk and NOT for the better !!!

[SCG]

Here's the new wind.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=27407

[helonias]

Right the breezy nature of the truth

[LITU]

breezy as in blow.

[americanwhocares]

Just another example of how MSM has their lips firmly planted between the Bushco's and his employee's cheeks. No suprise here!

[hope]

Ha!

The song that popped into my head when I looked at these two was

Love Letters 'straight' from your heart.

[SCG]

I 've found Karl's and Ron's theme song.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CtGSE90RycI

[americanwhocares]

Just another example of how MSM his their lips firmly planted between the Bushco's and his employee's cheeks. No suprise here!

[Chavez08]

What kind of world do we live in when the Onion and the Daily Show are more credible news sources than the AP and UPI?

Strauss lives on.

[piquet]

The kind that where lieing, stealing and indignance is so in your face. It seems like an over the top joke that is so ridiculous it "just can't be true".

[djreedps]

Is it any surprise that the "liberal media" is this "breezy" with the neo-cons of the Bush administration?

[solarenergy]

Seriously. The neo-con right wing has infiltrated the mass media?

Shocking.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Breezy (adj)
BREE-zee

1) Something reminiscent of a light, soothing wind.

2) BLOWING SMOKE UP SOMEONE'S ASS WHILST TRYING TO KISS IT.

[Flagal]

I was shocked to read this article!
Never In a million years would I have guessed the press is not completely neutral.

[hope]

Speaking of odd, what's the deal the the alternating disappearing posts?

One fappears, one for purgatory, one appears, one for purgatory.

Maybe if I type only alternate letters of a word.....?

[ThunderclapNewman]

There is no rhyme or reason.
It's like shooting cr aps.