This is a nifty lead in today’s L.A. Times. Now here is what really happened.
“OROVILLE, Calif. — State Controller Steve Westly, a candidate for governor, was befuddled by a man he met on a recent walk between campaign stops in this Sierra foothills town.
“Convicted of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, the man had stayed out of trouble for years and now was seeking “special approval” to buy a gun, Westly told reporters a moment after the encounter. Asked the obvious question — should California let such a man own a gun — Westly dodged. “We’re going to take a look at this,” said Westly, a Bay Area Democrat opting for caution in a region where hunting is popular.”"
Times reporter Michael Finnegan, a good guy, didn’t actually hear any of what transpired between the dot-com boomer and the Oroville convict he encountered on the street. (Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, i.e., home of the county jail, so it is not a surprise to run into jail types on the street.)
I don’t recall any “moment after” reported here in the Times. That did not happen. What did happen is that Finnegan asked me “what that guy” was talking about with Westly. I told him, as I told reporters for other daily newspapers, that it was a guy who had told the eBay pioneer he’d been convicted of “assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.” As I reported here at the time. Finnegan, like other journos, asked me what the guy wanted. I told Finnegan he wanted “a pardon” so he could do a variety of things, including to get a gun permit. None of which he was likely to get. Mike, who is a good guy, asked me: “Why would he want a party?”
Yes, indeed, why would he want “a party” with Westly? We weren’t on that block. In fact, I don’t think there is such a block in Oroville. You may be gathering that things can be more than a little chaotic at the street level of politics, especially when journos aren’t really paying attention.
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Is this a common practice, Bill? Because what you’re saying is Finnegan fabricated–he didn’t make up the whole thing, but he made up enough to earn the condemnation and reprimand of any honest paper’s ombudsmen.
Well, journalism, as you will see, like politics, is a sausage factory.
Those of us who have followed the decline of the Los Angeles Times know how deeply full of shit it has become. They should slap their hands silly for electing Schwarzeneger.
Ok, ok, ok. I’ve read the Times story. I’ve read your criticism. What exactly is the problem that has you’ll jumping down Finnegan’s throat? Looks like pretty minor stuff to this gal from Kentucky.
The lead didn’t actually happen.
When you can’t believe the first paragraph what can you believe?
Who can we trust?
i think it is really interesting that jon fleishman doesn’t go commentaries on the weekend.
guess that when you are paid by taxpayers one only moonlights on weekdays.
someone ought to look into his activities and seize his taxpayer paid hard drive in o.c. d.a.’s office.
Bill, why don’t you expose John Fleischman? Do you know about him and that clown sheriff he works for in Orange County and sleazy Mike Schroeder their lawyer the ex-state Rep chairman?
I look at his blog. Isn’t John Fleischman really a Republican operative for hire?
Regarding the Times, what really happened is actually much more interesting, revealing, and entertaining.
Bill:
You owe Michael Finnegan a correction for your false report about his story. Michael’s story accurately reported a conversation between himself, Westly and another reporter from a major newspaper. The remarks were taped, and the quotes come directly from the tape. Contrary to your accusation that this moment didn’t happen, it did happen, exactly as reported in the story.
Cathleen Decker
Politics Desk
Los Angeles Times
213 237 4652
Oh, I don’t think so. Everything happened as I reported. Nothing happened “a moment later.”
Incidentally, Cathleen, you were about 600 miles away at the time.
Times editor Decker has not replied to e-mail or phone messages regarding her inaccurate remarks.
What a hoot! Mr. Bradley, Make sure that pretty, witty, hard hitting red headed journalist named Jill Stewart knows about the above exchange…
Well, if there’s a tape. surely Ms. Decker will let Mr. Bradley hear it so he can
correct his report, if necessary.
You say there’s a tape, let’s play it!
Still no word back from Times editor Cathleen Decker about my “false report.” I don’t doubt that Mike Finnegan has a tape. After all, he interviewed Westly for 45 minutes later that afternoon. But none of that occurred a moment after an incident that Finnegan did not observe himself but did make into a character revealing event. What did occur is that he and other reporters asked me what happened. At first, as you know, he thought I was telling him the fellow had asked for a party rather than a pardon. Things then continued down the street in somewhat disorganized fashion.
Things are more interesting and chaotic on the campaign trail than some cookie cutter reports make them out to be. As the person who actually witnessed the encounter, I have a somewhat different take on what it means, which I’ll get into when I’m not running around. Not that Steve Westly is going to like it all that much, incidentally. Actually, the whole chapter is quite revealing and amusing about Democratic politics and campaigns in general.
Shouldn’t they give you a byline on the article?
Hey, Bill: People are dying in Darfur, Iraq and Compton. Why don’t you do something worthwhile with your day tomorrow.
You know what I will do make Valetine’s Day evening worthwhile next year. Post stuff like that on a web site.