JOHN KASS: Jeffrey Epstein and Brett Kavanaugh, for ABC News, a tale of double standards.
Let’s remember what ABC, NBC and other media did to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing just a year ago, destroying his reputation, smearing him without evidence because he wasn’t on their political team.
Oh, you don’t want to go near Kavanaugh? Then just get off the bus, because I’m going there.
There is just no responsible way to discuss ABC’s alleged spiking of the Epstein story — or NBC’s spiking of the Harvey Weinstein story — without dealing with how those news networks, and other media outlets, worked frantically to destroy Kavanaugh.
Many in the media had one standard for Epstein and Weinstein, who had clout with Democrats including Bill and Hillary Clinton.
But Kavanaugh? He’s a Bush Republican nominated by President Donald Trump.
So that other standard was applied, one that allowed unsubstantiated allegations to be reported and repeated, endlessly, in an attempt to ruin him and keep him off the Supreme Court.It seems clear now, from the Ronan Farrow stories and other accounts, and from Robach’s hot mic take, that NBC and ABC showed great deference to Epstein and Weinstein.
Kass isn’t one to mince words, but “deference” is far too kind a descriptor for the act of providing friendly media cover to a serial sexual abuser and a serial child rapist.