NEWSWORTHY PART 1

NEWS WORTHY PART 1

Today is my 80th birthday and I’m sitting here alone, in my home office. As I look about me, my surroundings tell the story of my life. This morning I’ve been reminiscing over all the awards, pictures, souvenirs, autographed keepsakes, and mementos, and even my Pulitzer prize achieved in over thirty years of my professional journalistic career. Yet out of all my accomplishments, one stands out the most vividly in my mind. One single framed and now faded newspaper article has defined my career. Although it was written many years ago, I can remember it, as if it was yesterday. Here is my story:

I Hardly slept at all that night, hundreds of questions kept running thru my mind. I’VE GOT TO BE THE LUCKIEST BASTARD alive. My editor still can’t believe it. I guess being in the right place at the right time is half of success.

My boss sent me down to the federal courthouse yesterday to get some background information on the big Labell trial. So, here I am down there with about 25 other news people, proudly displaying my newly issued press credentials and a total of 3 weeks field experience.

My instructions were to take a few pictures, and gather some background info on the case, maybe interview a few minor players. To be honest I felt a little outclassed in the presence of the top reporters for CNN, Fox, and the network news correspondence. Yet I was pumped up because this was my first real story to cover and it was big news.

The place was a buzz with activity, reporters, journalists, T.V. cameras and high security. This was the first time that a seated congressmen was indicted for treason. And this was no ordinary representative, this was the senior congressmen from New Jersey. He has been re-elected 4 times and is the head of the prestigious armed services committee. Richard Labell was a high profile politician, and had been on the short list for Vice president in the last election. Labell had also just returned from a top secret visit to Iran, where he met with key officials in an effort to defuse a possible U.S. military action against that country.

Of course the congressmen and his press secretary adamantly denied his involvement in any criminal activities, and had already released several memo’s to the press to substantiate this fact. This could be a very hi-profile long drawn out investigation and trail, the kind that sells newspapers.

Nothing specific had been scheduled for today, but we decided to get involved in the case from the very onset. Having called the congressmen’s office ahead of time, I knew they had not planned a press conference following today’s preliminary hearing. That’s probably why my boss decided to send his most junior reporter to cover today’s activities. The assignment may have seemed a waste of time to our long term correspondents, but I considered today’s assignment a privilege and an opportunity.

Judging by the way the police were pushing the crowd back, I figured that the good Congressmen was about to head out of the court house and down the majestic steps. All the reporters and cameramen were lined up on both sides of the stairs, to get the best coverage as he made his way down to street level.

I knew I didn’t have a chance of even asking a question, being that the make shift reception line was three people deep on both sides. I looked down towards the road and noticed a limo creeping towards the cordoned off parking space right in front of the courthouse. I headed down there and set up shop, right outside the passenger curbside door. The sun roof was opening and I could hear someone yelling from inside the limo. I’m sure I heard… “and I’m not about to let the congressman take this kind of heat for you or anyone else. This kind of scandal could cost you the election. Just remember ..Loyalty is a two way street”

As the congressmen approached, I could hear the repeated chant of : “ No comment, No comment”. It wasn’t long before his security team noticed my proximity to the car and started motioning me away. I explained that I was with the media and just wanted to ask a few questions. As I raised my camera to snap a few photos I felt myself being thrown violently against the side of the car, my face mashed against the window.

I’m not sure if it was sympathy, concern, or fear of making a bad matter worse but suddenly the door of the limo was opened and the occupant invited me inside. Almost without thinking I obediently climbed in and sat down, blood still flowing from my nose. Seconds latter the Congressmen, who witnessed the whole thing entered the car right behind me.

“Sorry if my security boys were a little rough on you. Cant’ be too careful these days.” He handed me his handkerchief and went on to tell me his side of the story as the limo raced away. I could tell that the information he was giving me was carefully scripted and rehearsed. I was cautioned not to take any pictures and I honored their request. The meeting was brief but courteous and the limo dropped me off a dozen blocks latter, in the center of town.

Before I called a cab to take me back to work, I stopped at the Starbucks on the corner for a cup of coffee and took some time to gather my thoughts and take careful notes of our short conversation.

P.I.B.

NEWSWORTHY PART 2

NEWSWORTHY PART 2

I honestly didn’t have a lot of information, but I now had more than the rest of the press had, and that would make my boss happy. The congressmen told me that he was innocent of all allegations and that he felt certain the truth would come out at the trial. I pushed for more information and he cited national security interests as the reason he could not answer. He did make a point of saying that he would not allow his, or anyone else’s best interest, to supersede the best interest of our country.

The very next morning, I bought a dozen copies of our paper, my very first article appeared on page 3. I was very complimentary to LaBell and related the information he gave me in a positive way. I tried to call his office, to get a follow up on the article, but they did not return my call.

Several weeks went by and the case wore on. The press, for the most part, had moved on to more current and pressing issues, as they are prone to do. The new headlines included: an affair by a Governor, the continued decline in the economy, and the steady march to war between the U.S. and Iran. The Iranians were posturing for war, and would not back down. The Pentagon was careful to make its case to the American people that the Iranians were ready to use weapons of mass destruction against Israel. U.S. troops were being rushed to the region and war seemed inevitable.

Not to re-live past successes, but my mind kept going back to the events leading up to my big interview. It was like someone threw a light switch. The congressmen was enjoying unprecedented popularity and good press. He had been regularly doing all the top Sunday morning news shows, and was being scouted by several presidential hopefuls as a V.P. pick again at the next election. Most notably, he had just that week returned from an important trip to the middle east.

My journalists instincts were still being developed, but something inside of me, decided to follow a hunch. That afternoon I left a message at the congressmen’s Washington office that I had information regarding his recent trip and that I planned to publish that info. I would give him 24 hours to meet with me again to discuss his side of the story.

Within hours the same black limo was waiting for me down by the front doors of our offices. This time the Congressmen was alone and seemed much less composed, in fact, he was sweating profusely. He told me about his trip to the middle east, where he met with Irainian leaders. They made it clear that they would back down on there demands and move their troops off the border, but they did not want to look weak in the eyes of their neighbors and the world.

He told me that upon returning to the United States he met privately with the president and relayed their message. The president told him that he had already authorized an attack and was not about to change his plans. Besides the presidents poll ratings had been going down and he felt the people wanted him to stand tall. The congressmen told me that he spent over an hour trying to dissuade the president, to no avail. In fact, he was told that if he mentioned anything about his trip, the president would accuse him of breaching national security and turn the justice department pitbulls loose on him.

The country was heading to war and thousands on both sided would die. It was a war that could be easily avoided. The congressmen was torn between his duty to the president and what he knew was the right thing to do. We talked for about 45 minutes before the limo abruptly stopped again and left me off on the other side of the city. I was concerned about the congressmen’s state of mind, but I had my story.

The next morning’s edition proudly displayed my first cover story. “President Marches U.S. to Avoidable War”. Of course, the story caused an avalanche of press and investigations. In the following days, the U.S. posture on the war reversed itself, and the country returned from the brink of war. The pressure and embarrassment caused the president to resign and sadly, my friend the congressmen shot himself, shortly thereafter.

That one article, now a faded memory on my wall, started my career as a newsmen, averted a war, unseated a president, and lead to the untimely death of a very good man.

P.I.B