Here's the story from the Kansas City Star:
Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison has confirmed having an extramarital affair with a former staffer, but he is disputing allegations that he asked her for information about her new boss, Phill Kline.
Linda Carter, who worked in the Johnson County District Attorney’s office -- first under Morrison and then under Kline -- has filed a sexual harassment complaint alleging that she and Morrison had a two-year sexual relationship.
Ooopsie. For his part, Democrat Morrison is admitting the relationship but denying that he harassed the woman.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Another boring sex scandal story. Big deal, right? Now, here is where our favorite game comes in. Most of the stories out there thus far do not mention that Morrison is a Democrat. The paper that broke the story doesn't and neither did the KC Star. We might be used to that, but there is a twist that might make things more interesting as far as our little game goes. Morrison was a life-long Republican until he switched in 2005 to run for Attorney general as a Democrat. And it is this fact that is going to find the MSM wondering how to spin this one to fit their ideological matrix.
Hard to believe it, but in their short report the AP did mention Morrison's party without attempting spin. So, at least in this case, the AP decided no spin was necessary.
In a signed statement, Carter said the affair started in September 2005 and lasted about two years -- while Morrison, a Democrat, was running for attorney general and after he took office.
So, props to the AP for straight forward reporting for a change.
Curiously enough, it is Fox News channel 4 of Kansas City that might have handed the MSM their spin angle on this one.
Morrison was district attorney for 18 years before switching to the Democratic Party last year to successfully challenge GOP conservative Phill Kline for the attorney general's job. Johnson County Republicans then picked Kline to take over Morrison's old job.
A mention that he used to be a Republican, and very recently at that, will give the MSM their chance to spin this story as an attack on the GOP. Surely they will all begin the refrain that Morrison was a Republican leading the readers to the conclusion that Morisson isn't a real Democrat after all, don't you think? Certainly the denizens of the barnyard at the Daily Koz will be bleating that line.
And, true to form, in their longer story, the AP does, indeed, use that angle.
Carter is the former director of administration for the Johnson County district attorney’s office. Morrison was district attorney for 18 years before switching to the Democratic Party last year to successfully challenge GOP conservative Phill Kline for the attorney general’s job. Johnson County Republicans then picked Kline to take over Morrison’s old job.
The ‘ol “before switching to the Democratic Party” line will likely be repeated over and over after this.
Still, if this does become the spin in subsequent stories, it is striking that only the AP and Fox News Channel 4 mentioned the man's party affiliation to date at all. No other story I've seen mentions it. So, maybe ignoring that he is a Democrat will prevail as always?
This one might be an interesting case to keep our eyes on to see how the subject of party affiliation is treated. Will the he-USED-to-be-a-Republican line reign supreme, or will they just fall back on the tried and true avoidance of party labels altogether?
And the game continues... but there is one other thing. Isn’t it a sad commentary when there is some relief because this story is about a male and female adult and their consensual relationship instead of some perverted, messy tale of woe?
