http://www.pensitoreview.com/2005/08/05/specter-novak-libeled-senate-staffer/-snip-
Perhaps it’s unrelated, but yesterday Novak was also attacked head on by Sen. Arlen Specter, the liberal Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, over a column Novak had written about a Senate staffer. It’s hard to believe that Novak would care what Specter thought about him - except for the fact that Specter, who knows something about the law, characterizes Novak’s written statements about the staffer with the word “libel.”
Here’s the letter, which was written to the rightwing New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper:
The Robert Novak syndicated column dated July 21 libeled Ms. Bettilou Taylor, who is one of the most respected, really revered, staffers after serving 16 years in the United States Senate. During that time, she has been my top aide on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, which I chair. For her superb work in assisting in allocating $146 billion among important social programs, many, including senators, call her Sen. Taylor.
The Novak column falsely and maliciously accuses her of conflict of interest by orchestrating a hearing to grill Kenneth Tomlinson, chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) while her husband consulted for the Association of Public Television Stations.
The hearing was my idea. As chairman of the subcommittee which provides funding for the CPB, I had to decide whether earlier proposed cuts in the House were warranted and whether the Senate should add $35 million for digitalization programs and $40 million for a new satellite system. Had the Novak column taken the time to call me, the defamation could have been avoided; or, at least, the other side given.
-snip-
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come on Specter, go get traitor Novak