Sinclair, and His Criminal Past, Gets MSM Coverage

In advance of his National Press Club appearance later today, Larry Sinclair received a bit of his long-desired msm exposure. Unfortunately, for Sinclair, it isn't sympathetic.

In an article on today's Politico, Ben Smith airs Larry Sinclair's criminal history--one that includes fraud, theft, and disorderly conduct--and incarceration in three states. It seems that Mr. Sinclair was jailed as recently as mid-September, 2007.

I was struck by attorney Montgomery Blair Sibley's nonchalance in his response to a question Sinclair's outstanding warrant in Colorado; it's not really surprizing, as the Colorado warrant is not extraditable. However, as Smith writes, "Sinclair's notoriety, and his scheduled press conference, however, has drawn the interest of the Colorado authorities," as a result, the Colorado authorities says "[w]e've notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they will investigate." This can't bode well for Sinclair, but this is what mainstream media attention brings.

Besides examining official records, it's clear that Smith also took a gander at Sinclair's blog, from which he cites some of Sinclair's more outlandish claims, explanations, and justifications. Smith appears unimpressed, noting that, "Sinclair has, [. . . ] addressed elements of his criminal past on his own blog and in court filings punctuated by unusual spellings and capitalizations." Being familiar with that blog, I wonder about Smith's impressions as he reviewed comments about "teabagging," the ghetto," "Planet of the Apes" (among numerous other monkey references), Obama selling "Kenyan fried chicken," "hilarious" YouTube videos about "watermelons," and hopes that someone puts "the [redacted] in a hole." These are among the less offensive comments left by Sinclair's regular supporters who are funding his journeys between Washington DC and Minnesota. Sinclair does moderate his blog, and he evidently finds such commentary appropriate. You might think that someone craving msm attention--someone who wants his story taken seriously--would be more circumspect in what he includes on his private blog (it's called "audience awareness"). It's highly possible that Sinclair's blog will do more to discredit him than anything else (well, excepting the criminal history).

By the way, Politico did not reveal Sinclair's allegations as they remain "unsubstantiated."

Now aren't all of you petition-signers pleased about Sinclair's appointment at the NPC? You should be.

Update: Fox News's Greta Van Susteran finally responds to numerous requests to cover the Sinclair story:

Many of you email me asking why I don’t interview Larry Sinclair….here is why (click on the link [to Ben Smith's Politico story])

click here…

I assume you now know why I have not interviewed him and no one has…his 27 year criminal record and all sorts of other matters mentioned in the above link tell you why..in short, no credibility.

I urge all of you to look to the issues…and not to the smears. While the internet is a great communication and educational tool, it is also viral when it comes to smearing people. There are good reasons to be skeptical of what politicians promise you.. challenge them about those promises…question their policies…but let’s skip unsubstantiated smears.

Although Sinclair will have the time, space, and publicity to air his claims, he will finally have to supply the proof he's not revealed since January--when he initially aired his story on YouTube.

By the way: The Mitch and Nan Show scooped Ben Smith on Sinclair's criminal past--his Colorado, Florida, and South Carolina problems--months ago.