So I was at this presser at midday today, at which Lindsey Graham and Joe Wilson and Steve Benjamin and others had gathered to defend the Pentagon’s budget (more on that when I’ve had a chance to write it) and I was aiming my iPhone around doing what I always do at news events these days — looking for interesting, extremely horizontal images that I could use as a new header image. And as you see at the top of this page, I succeeded. At least, it’s extremely horizontal.
At which point Jeff Wilkinson, who still has a job writing for The State, stuck his face in to say, “What are you doing?”
I showed him, and he said, “You have my permission not to use that on your blog.” Or maybe he said, “You have my permission not to publish that.” Whatever. I’m only sure about the first few words.
Which, I want you to attest, is not the same as saying, “You do not have my permission to use that on your blog.”
And I’m a literal kind of guy.
I’m trying to be very careful with this sort of thing. I don’t want to get into the kind of trouble my fellow blogger is in.
Sorry about the focus, Jeff. But I wasn’t aiming at you…
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By the way, in case you had trouble finding what I was talking about when you followed the link above, “trouble my fellow blogger is in” refers to this:
“Lawyers who also represent Gov. Nikki Haley have filed a libel lawsuit against a Columbia blogger for things he wrote online — and it’s not Will Folks of FITSNews. The lawyers are working on behalf of the Sikh Religious Society of South Carolina, a temple run by Haley’s father. The temple is suing Logan Smith and his blog Palmetto Public Record. In March, Smith wrote on his blog: “Two well-placed legal experts have independently told Palmetto Public Record they expect the U.S. Department of Justice to issue an indictment against South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on charges of tax fraud as early as this week.” Smith wrote that any pending indictment was likely related to something at the temple. The item was picked up by national news outlets. Haley has not been indicted. The lawyers are also suing John Doe No. 1 and John Doe 2, Smith’s two unnamed sources. — Corey Hutchins”
I just found a more complete account of this development, also from Corey. Here it is.
“Folks, who also published multiple times on his blog that he’d had an adulterous relationship with Haley, says she has yet to sue him for libel over it. He also says the Sikh temple hasn’t sued him for libel over things he’s published relating to its finances, either.”
and truth is an absolute defense to defamation actions…..
One nice thing that Jeff Wilkinson still has, aside from medical benefits, is an organization still big enough to purchase libel insurance, and/or to pay lawyers to defend him. (Making the assumption, of course, that they didn’t cut that stuff out of the budget after they canned me.)
Near as I can tell, Logan Smith doesn’t have any of that. Hence the chilling effect is exponentially greater.
All of us lone Han Solos of political journalism out here are taking note, as I suspect we’re intended to.
As for truth being an absolute defense… I suspect that either Logan got it wrong, or Haley’s legal team believes he did. As you may recall, that was the big explosive story that didn’t pan out, after his prediction…
But I don’t know any more than you do.
I’m no lawyer, but even I know that that libel suit is baseless, and intended strictly to intimidate. If there is indeed a John Doe 1 and 2 for the Sikhs to sue, then Smith was merely reporting what they told him. I agree that the main point of this lawsuit seems to be to create the “chilling effect.” As for paying lawyers to defend Smith, perhaps some organization interested in defending First Amendment freedoms will get involved, ACLU maybe.
As far as I can tell, Logan Smith didn’t make the allegation. He reported that two sources expected an indictment. It’s not the same thing at all. Is it? That’s why until someone is convicted the media always says things like “the alleged murderer” or “the alleged pedophile”.