Calvan & Media Arrogance Squared: Lima's Beautiful, Baghdad Sucks

by Mondoreb

Time for a True Confession Story: The Bobby Calvan Assclown Show, as told by Little Green Footballs:

An almost unbelievable example of media arrogance, as a reporter for the Sacramento Bee complains about an ID check at the Green Zone, belittles the soldier for not knowing who “Knight Ridder” is, then brags about his bravery at his blog: Simply Simpatico | The GALLIVANT.

When attempting to access this linked post, now one gets a 404 "Not Found" message. So apparently, the whole deal's off. Fortunately, the forces of history have prevailed at LGF.

Since the little weasel has edited his post to remove some of his creepy comments after being mercilessly criticized by commenters, here’s the original; compare to what you now see at the link above:

An excerpt from the LGF post:

That’s when trouble started.

At the first check point, a pair of Ugandan soldiers asked for identification. We showed our military-issued badges. Unbeknownst to us, we were supposed to be carrying an additional form of ID.

He asked for a passport. I told him I didn’t have it on me. (The advice is to lock up your passport once in Baghdad and never take it out until departing.) He asked for another form of ID, and I replied that I didn’t have anything else.

The American soldier assigned by the U.S. military to oversee this particular checkpoint came over to investigate the problem.

He asked if I had a driver’s license on me. I told him I didn’t have one. He looked incredulous. Why would I need a driver’s license in Baghdad; I wouldn’t be driving, I told him.

He took offense at my response.

Then he looked at the second ID of my companion. It was a badge issued by our newspaper. He said it wouldn’t do. Besides, he asked, what is Knight Ridder?

“I never heard of it,” he said. He probably would have never heard of McClatchy, either. (We use Knight Ridder because it already had a bureau in Baghdad before the chain was bought by the McClatchy Co.)

I explained that it’s one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. It owns the Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, the Kansas City Star.

“I know the Miami Herald, he said. I used to live there. But I never heard of Knight Ridder.” He began to chuckle, pronouncing the company as Knight Rider. Perhaps his chuckles stemmed from memories of the 1980s television show “Night Rider.” He then seemed to mock us.

LGF then has this update: "Calvan hasn’t just removed one post — he pulled down his whole site! And it’s no surprise, because what it reveals about the “reporting” he’s been doing from Iraq confirms everyone’s worst suspicions about media corruption."

For a political class as smug, self-assured and all-knowing as the Fourth Estate, they do seem to have an uncanny aim for their feet while shooting these days. Bobby Calvan thought "Lima was beautiful in the spring".

Bet about now he's thinking Baghdad in October sucks.

NOTE: For the complete low-down, from the blog that broke this whole thing open (along with a blow-by-blow of the aftermath that will be familiar to anyone who chugs along with a blog of their own), go see the Doc.

Doc Weasel that is. Office hours at: Doc Weasel.

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