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New York Times Blasts NewsMax for Santorum, U2 Report
The New York Times is not too happy with NewsMax’s coverage of major political candidates using U2 concerts to fund-raise.
On Friday, NewsMax fell in the crosshairs of the "The Gray Lady."
The paper reported that a NewsMax "Inside Cover” story had set off a brouhaha about U2's involvement with U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, a Republican from Pennsylvania.
NewsMax's story first revealed that a $1,000-a-seat fund-raiser was to be held for Sen. Santorum during Sunday night’s U2 concert in Philadelphia.
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Citing a response from Santorum’s office, the Times reported that the NewsMax story was "incorrect” and U2 was, indeed, not holding a fund-raiser for Santorum.
But here's the rub: NewsMax had never claimed that U2 or Bono were holding their concert for Santorum – though several liberal blogs claimed as much. Apparently, the New York Times has bought into the NewsMax-Santorum-Bono conspiracy theory.
But the Philadelphia Inquirer had a somewhat different take in its Web site post Sunday.
Referring to the same NewsMax article, the Inquirer stated that "some readers” had "misread the [NewsMax] report and came away thinking that U2 supported Santorum's campaign.”
The headline for the Times piece read as follows: "U2 Moves to Distance Itself From Concert Fund-Raising.”
The same Times article reported that "it was not clear yesterday if Bono was upset that politicians were raising money at his shows, or if he had spoken about it with either of the Clintons. Requests to interview him, made through intermediaries, were not granted.”
Evidently, a U2 concert is also set to be part of a $2,500-per-person fund-raising effort for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat from New York.
But that candidate’s fund-raising has not sparked as much controversy as NewsMax’s report that conservative Republican Rick Santorum would be feted at a fund-raiser during the U2 concert.
According to the Times, "The original NewsMax article drew attention in part because Mr. Santorum is a conservative Republican facing a tough fight for re-election next year.”
The article noted, "He [Santorum] and the politically progressive singer and advocate might not seem a natural fit at first glance.”
But as was pointed out in the NewsMax report, Bono and Santorum share a similar approach to their religious faith.
Santorum’s campaign spokesman John Brabender confirmed to the Times that Bono and the senator have a "close personal relationship.” (Brabender made it clear that their friendship should not be construed as U2's endorsement of the fund-raiser.)
Brabender also reminded the Times that Bono has worked with many conservatives in the effort to prevent the global spread of HIV, the disease that causes AIDS, with Santorum among them.
Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA), a group co-founded by Bono, previously posted a statement on its Web site which indicated that any political fund-raising events that take place at U2 concerts are without "the involvement or knowledge of DATA, U2, or Bono,” and that the group’s concerts are not intended to benefit politicians, but are "for U2 fans.”
A DATA spokesperson informed NewsMax that "DATA has applauded Santorum’s work with [Democrat Sen. Joe] Biden on debt relief and with [Democrat Sen. Dick] Durbin on AIDS funding and continues to do so.”
A member of Santorum’s inner circle indicated that his staffers "have been very active in opening doors for Bono and DATA to the most influential people in Washington, D.C.”
Unlike scores of other celebrity activists, Bono has demonstrated an open mind about working with conservatives.
Rather than discouraging interaction or encouraging divisiveness, Bono seeks to dialogue with officials who hold divergent viewpoints from his.
Not that long ago Bono traveled to Africa with then-Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill to promote debt relief for poverty-stricken countries. He also on occasion sought the counsel of the former Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, a stalwart conservative who many of Bono’s colleagues looked at as anathema.
It is understandable why Bono would hold a particular fondness for Santorum. Two issues that are dear to the singer-activist’s heart are debt relief for Third World countries and funding for Africa’s AIDS victims.
Santorum has been the most prominent Republican in the Senate to work on these issues and has collaborated with Democrats to make forward progress. He has worked to obtain multilateral funding for AIDS and third-world debt relief and increased funding for the Global Fund, which provides money for malaria and tuberculosis research and treatments in addition to AIDS.
Last month the New York Times called Santorum "one of Bono's key conservative allies.”
The senator has been a consistent advocate for AIDS funding, describing it in a 2003 article in the Washington Times as a "humanitarian mandate.” He pointed out that "the average life expectancy of sub-Saharan Africans is only 47 years of age.” He also wrote that "more than 11 million children are orphaned because of HIV/AIDS, and this number continues to grow.”
When the AIDS funding bill passed the Senate in 2003, Bono praised the event and expressed gratitude in particular to Santorum. "The bill is especially good for recognizing the essential link between the AIDS and debt crises, thanks to Senators Santorum and Biden,” Bono said in a 2003 DATA press release.
Sean Wolfington, organizer of the Santorum U2 fund-raiser, told NewsMax that the event was a complete success with 100 percent of the available seats sold. More than 60 seats were filled at $1,000 apiece.
"Supporters were impressed by the down-to-earth, casually dressed senator,” Wolfington remarked.
Wolfington brought up an additional appealing quality that both Bono and Santorum possess.
He described them as "people who blaze their own trail and are not about winning a popularity contest.”
Editor's note:
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics: Inside Cover Stories
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