DID BILL CLINTON PRAISE KAZAKH HUMAN RIGHTS? -- MediaMatters shows he didn't

[bidenista]

Seems today was the day to misrepresent Bill Clinton:

A January 31 New York Times article by reporters Jo Becker and Don Van Natta Jr. claimed that during a September 2005 visit to Kazakhstan, former President Bill Clinton "commend Mr. Nazarbayev for 'opening up the social and political life of your country.' " Similarly, an article in the February 4 issue of Newsweek by Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball claimed that Clinton "praise ... Nazarbayev, an authoritarian ruler with a poor human-rights record, for 'opening up the social and political life of your country.' " However, both the Times and Newsweek versions of Clinton's quote conflict with an Agence France Presse (AFP) article published at the time of Clinton's visit. According to the September 7, 2005, AFP article, Clinton said: "I applaud this statement you have made about opening up the social and political life of your country and a good point that you made this statement before the election this year" .

More: http://mediamatters.org/items/200801310011?f=h_latest

Interesting that the M$M launched all these - untrue - attacks on Bill today.

[ProSense]

1. What a lame and misleading counter!

It figures!

[bidenista]

2. huh?

Do you not agree that there's a substantial difference between the 2005 AFP quote and today's NYT version? Or does truth not matter?

[ProSense]

3. All of them state his praise for Nazarbayev, a little paraphrasing doesn't change that. Context

here

[bidenista]

4. one is him encouraging the president to make good on his promises re: human rights

The other is him declaring that the president is making good. If you can't see the difference, you have a tin ear for diplomacy.