NDY Quoted in AP Coverage of Kevorkian While Others in the Media Drop the Ball

Last night, the Associated Press issued a story on Jack Kevorkian’s formal announcement of his intended candidacy for Congress in Michigan’s 9th District. Right now, the story is on about 25 different news sites. It’s hard to know which link will stay up the longest. I’ll go with ABC for now, anyway:

When asked about his health, Kevorkian said he had recovered fairly well from ailments he had behind bars. But he later said he is dealing with Hepatitis C, temporal arteritis and high-blood pressure.

Disability activists released a statement Monday criticizing Kevorkian, noting that his lawyer had filed appeals for Kevorkian’s release in 2003, 2004 and 2005 claiming he had only a year to live.

“The voters deserve proof that Kevorkian will live long enough to serve out a congressional term,” said Stephen Drake of Not Dead Yet, a disability rights group that opposes legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The quote from Not Dead Yet didn’t happen by accident, but by some quick work and at least one receptive ear.

Over the weekend, news came out that Kevorkian would hold a press conference on Monday announcing his candidacy. Monday morning, we cranked out the following press release and faxed it out to the Associated Press in Detroit, followed by the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News:

Disability Activists Question “Honesty and Sincerity” of “Candidate” Kevorkian

This morning, various news sources report that Jack Kevorkian formally announced his intention to run as an independent candidate for Congress in Michigan’s 9th district. Earlier reports quoted Kevorkian as saying he was running because he would bring “honesty and sincerity” to government.

Predictably, the media didn’t confront Kevorkian with any hard questions they would throw at a legitimate candidate, even though a high-profile maverick run like his could very well tip the balance of the election results, even if he has no hope of winning the seat.

“It was deplorable, but possibly excusable, when the press described Kevorkian as “dying” when he was released from prison. After all, that’s what his lawyer claimed. But then why didn’t anyone ask any questions when he soon presented himself as someone full of vigor and long-range plans?” says Stephen Drake, research analyst for Not Dead Yet, a national disability rights group opposed to legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

That won’t do when it comes to a candidate for public office, says Drake. As the Associated Press reported in December of 2006, Governor Granholm’s office confirmed that Mayer Morgenroth filed appeals for Kevorkian’s release in 2003, 2004, and 2005 claiming Kevokian had “less than a year to live.” Morgenroth, who is Kevorkian’s attorney, repeated the claim in his final appeal in 2006.

“Given the repeated claims of Kevorkian’s impending death over the past few years, the voters deserve proof that Kevorkian will live long enough to serve out a Congressional term,” says Drake. “The public and the press should ask Kevorkian to make his medical records public – including the medical records from the prison’s doctors.”

If these records give Kevorkian a clean bill of health, it won’t end his problems, says Drake. He’ll then have to answer how the repeated – and obviously exaggerated – claims of his impending death match up with his promise of “honesty and sincerity.”

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We followed up with phone calls, talking directly to a reporter at the Detroit Free Press, a staffer at the Associated Press, and had to leave a message on the voice mail of Detroit News reporter covering this story.

The Detroit Free Press reporter seemed kind of bored with the idea that Kevorkian should actually be challenged in the way a real candidate should

Things went better at the Associated Press, though. The staffer allowed the apparent discrepancy between his lawyer saying he was “dying” and his current activities was a legitimate point. To make it stronger, I pointed that this particular district had been singled out by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as part of its “Red to Blue” campaign – Congressional seats held by Republicans regarded as vulnerable. Candidates in this campaign get resources from the national committee.

Kevorkian’s candidacy, I suggested, could work in that district in the same way Ralph Nader’s candidacy did on a national level in 2000, guaranteeing the Rebublican incumbent his seat. That would suggest that Kevorkian be treated more seriously than is usually the case

Apparently, that approach worked, with the AP anyway
That’s about the only place, though. Just this morning, self-proclaimed political “experts” Willy Geist, Mika Brzezinski, Chris Matthews, and Pat Buchanan were all laughing about “candidate” Kevorkian on “Morning Joe.” They all seem to think it’s funny because he has no chance of winning

Seems to me that back in 2000, we all knew that Ralph Nader had no chance of winning his presidential bid. But no one laughed about it. And after the results came in, no could claim his candidacy didn’t make a difference

It’s quite possible that Gary Peters, the Democratic candidate in the 9th District, may get a chance to experience what it’s like to be squeezed out of contention by a fringe candidate. –Stephen Drake