TheSmokingGun.com

Sorry for the delay in posting -- I'm trying to straighten out a couple of minor technical issues.

In the meantime, here's something to keep you busy: it's that famous Chris Lyon-authored, self-commissioned oppo research report on Rudy Giuliani, posted by The Smoking Gun. (It's the same report that Wayne Barrett got a hold of and wrote about in his Rudy biography.)

The report was commissioned in 1993 when Giuliani was running for mayor, so some of the stated negatives now seem shockingly out-of-date. Like, for example, the section about Giuliani being insufficiently sensitive to "the concerns and needs of the gay community."

Needless to say, when he finds himself in the middle of a bruising Republican presidential primary next year, that's going to be the least of his problems.

-- Azi Payabarah

The culture of public shame got a nice massage this week with the publication of The Smoking Gun's newest tome, The Dog Dialed 911. How dare the document-driven reporters issue a new book (on shelves in two weeks!). Have they not thought yet to respond to the attack by novelist Rick Moody in the first volume of the journal A Public Space?

The newspapers and cable news networks who have jumped on the Frey story, that is, are not beyond reproach. They are just as hasty as the self-satisfied pirhana at The Smoking Gun. And they're deluding themselves if they imagine that enumerating Frey's ethical lapses will cleanse them of their own.

Mr. Moody did not go on to name The Smoking Gun's uncleansed "ethical lapses." But hey, Yom Kippur is just around the corner!

The Smoking Gun has a document listing John Kerry's travel requrements, which play exactly to the stereotype. Teresa apparently prefers chevre.

On today's live Oprah Winfrey show, Ms. Winfrey apologized to her audience and to readers of her book club.

"I apologize, I was wrong," Ms. Winfrey said, about her support of author James Frey. The Smoking Gun released an investigation of disputed facts in Mr. Frey's memoir, A Million Little Pieces, earlier this month. She also said, "I regret my phone call to Larry King," referring to her live phone call to the talk show host, in which she blamed the publishing industry for not disclaiming the memoir. "The truth matters," Ms. Winfrey said, and: "My judgement was clouded."

Mr. Frey's publisher, Nan Talese, said on the show that she found the whole experience sad. "It's not sad for me," said Ms. Winfrey. "It is embarrassing."

After a number of disclosures, including his inability to recall whether he had actually experienced the infamous root canal without pain medication that he recounted in his memoir, Mr. Frey said that "there were no other major issues." No questions were asked about the title character of Mr. Frey's second memoir, My Friend Leonard.  read more »

--Choire Sicha

A young woman named Lucy Diamonds, a rapper, claims that she's being persecuted by Oprah Winfrey. (The Transom sometimes feels that way as well!) Ms. Diamonds' claim, as reported by Radar, is that Oprah even went so far as to squelch a distribution deal between the rapper and iTunes, because Ms. Winfrey was offended by such lyrics as "Yeah I got drunk and I finger-fucked Oprah."

Now The Transom loves the image of Oprah Winfrey, world's top-earning synergist, stomping on some lil' 20-year-old gal over an allegation of digital manipulation, as it were.  read more »

But according to a published one-sided correspondence between Ms. Diamonds and Bill Bastone, the document-loving honcho of The Smoking Gun, and one of the best reporters in the biz, no such hubbub can be proved. Mr. Bastone wrote to Ms. Diamonds:

the purported letter from winfrey's lawyer is a fabrication from you or "your team." perhaps that's how you think publicity will be generated. however, we spoke today with counsel at oprah's production company and her outside law firm and both said they knew nothing about the letter. also, we spoke with marty singer's office at lavely & singer and they, too, disowned any knowledge of the letter (and, i might add, were not pleased to hear that someone is trying to make it seem that he has authored a threatening cease and desist letter). perhaps this misguided action will eventually result in some real legal letters directed your way.

Oh, tarnation. Nothing like real reporting to mess up a good scandal. —Choire Sicha