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Just What Is the Story at WABC?
TalkRadioGate?
The FBI questions right-wing ABC Radio staffers

by Morrie Friendly

Thursday, September 14, 2000 -- NEW YORK -- Shades of Watergate!

Just as cable news outfits were busy reporting on Michael J. Fox's testimony before a Senate committee on stem cell research, the Internet exploded with speculation this morning concerning a report posted to a number of Web sites, including wabcradio.com. Their version of the story stated that "[s]ome WABC radio staffers may be under investigation for what could turn out to be a plot by conservative talk radio hosts to infiltrate the Democratic National Committee headquarters in New York city [sic]."

Yesterday, it was reported that law enforcement agencies were investigating a break-in at the Democratic National Committee's New York finance office at Two Penn Plaza in New York. Three laptop computers and a personal organizer had been stolen early Wednesday, according to a police spokesman, sometime between 4 and 8 AM.

But what was first being characterized as a "crime of opportunity" by NYPD's press office was being investigated by federal authorities. According to the wabcradio.com web article, "FBI agents spent several hours interviewing WABC radio employees -- who work two floors below the DNC and Al Gore campaign headquarters at Two Penn Plaza" -- including the engineer for notorious and non-credible gossipmonger Matt "Blumenthal beats his wife" Drudge.

But the questioning should surprise nobody. ABC's roster of radio loudmouths, including Sean Hannity and Steve Malzberg, have little love for Gore -- and the hard right is desperate for something, anything, to pin to Gore, as Don Van Natta tried to do this morning with his laughable and woefully incomplete report on a litigation attorney's contribution to Democrats in late '95 and its supposed "link" to litigation legislation. Funny, the timing of that story -- especially given that the Buddhist Temple NON-fundraiser has been a nonstarter, and the stolen computers are reported to contain data on contributors to the Dems and Gore.

Campaign finance is NOT resonating with the vast majority of voters. But given history, were the theft of the computers be shown to involve hard-right zealots out to dig dirt on Democrats -- well, that just might bring up memories of a similar situation from just under thirty years ago.