Reply #12: Thanks.

[mattclearing]

This looks promising. I will add more when I have done some reading.

Okay. On edit:

This quote is amazing. I'm still trying to figure out what it means:

"What happened was that reporters were dogging Clark with questions about when he was going to drop out of the race. He didn't quite snap, but Clark got a little frustrated and made some terse comments about why he was staying in. Then he told us that what he had just said was off the record. It's a close call as to whether any of us there have a responsibility to treat his comments as such, but I'm not breaking any rules by reporting that Clark did not spread any rumor about Kerry and a young woman. I've previously checked with other reporters who were there, and they have confirmed this. If I'm wrong, the videotape is out there somewhere."

So he was frustrated, said something about why he was still in the race, then said it was off the record, and the reporter says that based on that, the assertion that Clark did not say what he was alleged to have said was reportworthy?

My limited understanding of journalism makes possible the translation: "Since it was possibly off the record, I can accurately report that he didn't say it."

That's the only thing there I question. There seems to be a great deal of evidence debunking this. Damn Drudge.

Thanks again.