Last Wednesday Eric Crafton spoke at the English
Crafton then tells New York Times reporter Robbie Brown that he “happened to see a state legislature meeting in California where several of the state representatives had interpreters at their desk because they couldn’t speak English.” Not a news report, mind you, but he saw the meeting. The interpreters were not on the phone but at their desks.
Sean Braisted calls the office of the clerk of the California State Assembly and learns that no, all state Assemblymen and women speak English.
Southern Beale calls the office of the Secretary of the state Senate and learns likewise that all California state Senators speak English.
The Nashville Scene’s Caleb talks to Crafton and learns what he meant to say was that
he THINKS he saw something LIKE IT--possibly in a local council meeting rather than on the state legislative level--on a Fox News segment "two or three years ago."
Brilliant! This is why I love blogs.
So what have we learned, children? We’ve learned that Eric Crafton is a serial embellisher, without the good sense to know that if you spin a yarn to a New York Times reporter, someone might call you on it.
We’ve learned that bloggers will do what New York Times reporters will not: namely, make a couple of quick phone calls.
And we’ve learned the city of Nashville is some $300,000 in the hole and our reputation has been tarnished all because of something Eric Crafton might or might not have seen on Fox News, that bastion of journalistic credibility.
Hey, Eric Crafton! I THINK I saw a Bellevue resident at the post office today mailing petitions for your recall! Or maybe it was just something like it.
