Innocent Gaffe or Freudian Slip?
Reported by Marie Therese - July 22, 2004 -
Big Story with John Gibson, July 20, 2004. 5:00 PM EDT
John Gibson and Carl Cameron.
Topic: Sandy Berger
GIBSON: "But I gotta ask you about square one. It - what he's accused of taking - I mean, apparently the archive staff saw him putting stuff in his jacket, in his pants - even our people are saying to our own correspondents and reporters - in his socks!"
I found Gibson's statement to be very interesting. If I read it correctly, some generic "archive staff" saw Sandy Berger put "stuff" into his jacket and pants, but "our people" (which would mean "Fox people") told Fox correspondents and reporters that Berger put something into his socks.
(Later on in the show, Chris Lahane, a Democratic strategist, notes the ONLY Fox News Channel reported anything about "socks".)
How then did the concept of "socks" enter into the discussion at all?
Fox telling Fox. Hmmm.
Could this be just an unfortunate gaffe on Gibson's part?
Or is it something more interesting? A Freudian slip, perhaps, one of those unconscious mis-statements that, in fact, tells the truth?
And is the truth that someone - either a Fox "mole" planted at the archives or a Fox employee - spiced up this story to create the illusion that Mr. Berger is a thief rather than an absent-minded professor?
Let's face it. There are several rational explanations for a man to put papers in his jacket pocket or even his pants pocket. On the other hand no one puts "stuff" into their socks unless they're trying to hide something!
I have no answer. I only have questions.
OK, you amateur sleuths out there. The floor is now open for discussion.
