Horton Hears a Boo
Scott Horton spoke in Huntsville Tuesday night (advance details here). Those in attendance are talking about Eddie Curran, on leave from the Press-Register, who was in the audience and had an exchange with Horton that was characterized in email to the Parlor as loud and disruptive - to the point that audience members shouted Curran down.
Don Siegelman and Jill Simpson were also in attendance.
More as info is available.
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I was there. Curran briefly interrupted Horton once when Horton made statements regarding Curran’s reporting that he thought were egregiously absurd (I think he had a point FWIW). There was a Q&A session after the lecture. When Curran was called on to speak he began to defend his reporting at which time he was shouted down by some members of the audience who said “shut up” and “we don’t give a damn about” what you have to say. The audience members seemed to be upset that Curran’s reporting led to their beloved leader spending time in the pen and some masked their anger behind demanding that he immediately ask a question (a request that was not made of numerous subsequent speakers who used their question time as a veritable stump speech). At least two classier individuals later stood up and denounced the harsh treatment heaped on Curran.
Horton’s comments were markedly less inflammatory than what he typically writes. He magnanimously choose not to call any members of the Huntsville Times Editorial Board “kool aid” drinkers like he has before.
Horton lectured the audience about fact checking and other things journalists should do, but Curran said that Horton has never once contacted him about any of his extensive reporting. I thought it really undermined Horton’s claim to the ethical high ground. Why wouldn’t he just call or email Curran and ask for details about his reporting so that he could then independently verify or refute?
Attendees included The Don, Jill “Secret Spy” Simpson, Glynn “The Most Credentialed Journalist in Alabama” Wilson, and Nancy Worley. Alex Latifi, the Iranian born Huntsville businessman who was falsely prosecuted by Alice Martin, was present and spoke at length about his ordeal. Also Deidre Brown (now Deidre Fleming), who leveled an EEO claim against Martin, spoke about her dealings with Martin.
Comment by Brian — April 23, 2008 @ 6:55 am
I find it interesting how all the discussion avoids Horton’s major points. One was that the standards used to identify politically motivated prosecutions by the US State Department clearly flag the prosecution of Siegelman as political. A second is that the call for Congress to investigate this prosecution by 52 former state AG’s, republican and democratic, is unprecedented in the history of this country. And a third point is that while members of the press in states like New Mexico and Oregon are doing a good job actually investigating these suspect prosecutions, the members of the press in Alabama have done nothing.
Comment by Anonymous — April 23, 2008 @ 9:28 am
I saw the piece on Channel 19 last night about that meeting. Greg Privett said he talked to Horton and will show it tonight at 10. This whole thing is pretty entertaining to say the least. I always enjoy listening to some hotshot reporter come down and lecture all us idiotic wal mart loving southerners. But Brian Ill go back to what I said before. The sad thing is most of those people that were there last night shouting down Curran would never in a million years receive the kind of special treatment that “the Don” received. He remained free for a year after his conviction and he went to a minimum security prison. Common people go to max and their hauled off to prison days or weeks after their convicted.
Comment by Dan — April 23, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Dan, Don’s treatment was typical for white collar criminals. There is a distinction.
Comment by Nixon — April 23, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Good to see that Mr Lafiti had a chance to get his case out. For some reason, his case does not seem to be getting much traction
Comment by walt moffett — April 23, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
Siegelman….Yawn…. so yesterday.
Comment by JPLammel — April 23, 2008 @ 12:28 pm
Don,
Hurry back, your fellow inmates want more salmon.
Comment by JD — April 23, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Horton lecturing people about proper journalistic ethics is pretty ironic. His blog pieces have been filled with rank speculation and unsubstantiated rumors masquerading as facts.
Comment by Roy — April 23, 2008 @ 3:46 pm
Typical of the GOP to attack the messenger because they can’t attack the message. Yawn.
Comment by bhmhomeboy — April 23, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
Ummm - the message has been attacked homeboy. It’s freakin’ ridiculous. When you take bribes you go to jail.
Comment by Jharris — April 23, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
Isnt Scott Horton, a brother of Haskell Slaughter’s Bill Horton, former Gen Counsel of Health South?
That is who set up Scrushy and Siegelman to avoid Sarbanes Oxley prosecution.
Comment by PoPo — April 23, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
You’ve tried this before. They’re not brothers, they’re cousins and haven’t spoken since 1997. Curran was raving, obsessed with his image and attacking Horton for calling him into question. Significant that neither BHM News or MPR sent a reporter. Curran has not been on MPR payroll for more than a year. His eyes rolled, his face distorted. He was bizarre and needed to be contained. Horton has no need to ask Eddie about the content of his stories. Real journalists don’t quiz each other. That’s a Rove maneuver. I can see how you Fox watchers might get confused.
Comment by Anonymouse — April 23, 2008 @ 9:55 pm
Folks that think Karl Rove would get involved with Siegelman are nut cases. Rove had much bigger fish to fry that Don. Get a life folks.
Comment by JJ — April 23, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
Obviously, you don’t know about the money laundering
Comment by Anonymouse — April 24, 2008 @ 8:44 am
will lead all democrats and fellow conspiracy practitioners straight to the dead end bill & hillary have set up for him. IF democrats are to survive after November if Obama is the nominee, should Howard Dean contact Ahmedhinejhad and al-assad, or should Howard Dean let Michelle Obama, Farrakhan and the family pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright dictate any general election strategy?
this may sound absurd, but hundreds of rural white churches have decided the question and it is clear Obama and Wright are Marxists. Before 1965 we would call them RACISTS. But Chiggers also have civil rights. Chiggers must now be called “red bugs”
Obama is a manchurian commie. He is the red bug.
Comment by OBAMA — April 24, 2008 @ 11:18 pm