KCTV5 Kline Coverage Fallout

Here's why I'm awesome - TKC can link an opinion he doesn't necessarily agree with, summarize it while still making fun and then post. That's just one of the trade secrets that keeps me on the upper echelon of this thing we call local blogging (heh), like a piggy bank it's just one penny.

Anyway, as Crime Scene KC noted yesterday: The KCTV 5 exposé sent a shock wave through the local blogosphere . . . Here's the best of what I could find on the subject:

I'll start where I always start . . . The Kansas City Blogosphere!

BlogKC links the story and notes that it's YET ANOTHER scandal involving Kline. Money line: "It also looks like Kline does not live in the county, but rather commutes from Topeka while claiming a fleabag apartment in Stillwell as his “residence”. The latter allegation amounts to the D.A. breaking the law and could cost him his job."

JustCara is a little bit more skeptical . . . She sums it up this way: "So how did KCTV5 screw up? They cherry picked from bad data and conducted what looks to be a sloppy - or biased - investigation." Thing is, Cara looks at the case like a lawyer and that would be great if we were talking about the law . . . There are few rules in the court of public opinion and Kline was simply pulverized on one of the most talked about (and highly rated) newscasts I can remember in 3 years of local news blogging.

Jay Bird Keeps it sweet and simple: Phil needs to go!

The X-man also puts it plainly: "There's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a pompous, self-righteous, tight-assed, holier-than-thou, asshole get his comeuppance."

Sassywho comes out swinging as well: "Johnson County ready to abort Kline yet?"

Of the local bloggers I follow . . . Stay Red Kansas probably posted the most passionate arguments deriding the story. I can't really argue with any of the guy's points because he's shutting his eyes, putting his hands over his ears and holding his breath until the story goes away. It's a good strategy and at the very least I admire the guy's commitment.

Obviously, the regional (mostly political) bloggers got into the act.

Blue Tide Rising: Phill Kline caught on Tape

Show-Me Progress: Kansas Anti-Abortion Crusader in Hot Water

But the most linked post by the mainstream media seemed to be from a little known web page that might be out of Salina. The Kansas Meadowlark claims that KCTV5 harassed Kline and his family but doesn't really offer much proof other than a few photos - Hell, THERE WEREN'T EVEN ANY DECLARATIVE STATEMENTS IN ALL CAPS AND RED TYPE!!! So, obviously the dude's story is a bit sketchy. It's strange to think that KCTV5 has helicopter footage, hours of videotape, interviews with at least a half a dozen sources and computer data . . . But a blog post by an anonny dude who has tirelessly defended Kline in one post after the next is being used as an example of reasonable media criticism. I LOVE YOU INTERNETS!!!

That post leads us to mainstream media blog coverage . . .

Probably the most hilarious piece of the local media outcry has to be . . .

THE PITCH POUTING THAT THEY HAVEN'T OBTAINED A DECENT SCOOP IN MONTHS AND COMING TO THE DEFENSE OF KLINE!!!

Laughably, they invoke "journalistic integrity" as part of their argument. Never mind that their rag has taken a swipe at virtually every prominent minority in this town with far less proof, they have regularly smeared Kline with overblown hit pieces of their own and a clearer motive for detracting the story might be because they didn't have the resources to put together a decent article (i.e. - They were scooped). Also, the non-minority-hiring Pitch Punks think they're being cute by posting a lame, backpage glam shot photo of KCTV5 reporter Ash-Har Quraishi . . . When all that image really does is remind readers that The Pitch stopped being relevant with the advent of the local blog and now they are mainly the stomping ground for privileged, white reporters passing through town on a the way to a real writing gig or the downward spiral of substance abuse.

Again, the Pitch uses some weak Kansas web page to back up it's claims and laments that the story slipped through their fingers.

Not so surprisingly, the Scumbag Chris Stigall uses the same un-sourced Kansas Web page to draw some insane conclusions.

Here's the thing . . . ALL OF THESE REPORTS RELY ON UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OF KCTV5 REPORTERS WHEN THE REAL STORY IS THAT NOBODY WITH HALF A BRAIN WOULD BELIEVE THAT KLINE LIVES IN A RINKY-DINK JOCO APARTMENT AND HOURS OF VIDEOTAPE PROVE AS MUCH!!!

Even better, it's obvious that KCTV5 filed a ground breaking report given that their questions garnered the best "oh shit!" face from a Kansas Politico since Bob Dole realized that Viagra really worked:

But the fallout doesn't stop there . . . The story went national.

A popular science blogger gets into the act: Abode not in the truth

Crooks and Liars was the first big time blog to pick up the story

And the blogosphere's biggest liberal blog DailyKos ran the story with a post from the great KOS himself: Kansas über-winger Phil Kline busted

In the end, what stands out to me is that most of the criticism of this story is aimed at the people who reported it. There has been a whole lot of accusations made about Ash-har Quraishi and the alleged political agenda of KCTV 5 with FAR LESS proof than the piece on Kline. So far, the gossip has went mostly unchallenged.

What this says to me is that that blog commentary runs the dangerous risk of becoming so segmented that it's nearly irrelevant. When there's no room for dissenting opinion or any deviation from the norm in any audience that's a clear sign that the readership and reach of the blog is stagnant. That's why I don't mind so much when you d-bags would rather have sex with a fat chick then agree with me that the sky is blue.

Anyway, for my money, Quraishi is this week's KC super reporter and that's rare because breasts are usually a prerequisite for the award. Also, it didn't hurt that KCTV5 gave TKC a brief shout on last night's report. Nevertheless . . . I'm calling him Ash-har-awesome until he decides to do a hit piece on mojados.



In an era when almost nobody votes and even fewer pay attention to politicos and their hypocrisy this report blew the lid off of Kline's choir boy image with a slew of evidence which reveal some undeniable problems with Kline's Administration and a great many questions that need to be asked by JoCo voters.

TKC P.S. - It's nice getting in JoCo's beeswax for a bit considering how they loved to weigh in on the problems of KC proper and the very funny fact that JoCo's top cop has the same kind of residency problems faced by so many of TKC's illegal immigrant cousins. Finally, all of this reminds me of one of my favorite songs by the 80's band Exposé entitled "Let me be the one" since we're on the subject.