A Tale of two scandals

Flashback to January 24, 1992. The Gennifer Flowers scandals had been around for two weeks before the The New York Times lowered itself to discuss such matters. When it did, it presented the story from Bill Clinton's point of view:

THE 1992 CAMPAIGN; Clinton Denounces New Report of Affair

Published: January 24, 1992

Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas today denounced as "not true" a second wave of accusations of marital infidelity published by the tabloid newspaper Star. ....

Mrs. Clinton, interviewed in Atlanta, said there was no basis to the accusations. "Absolutely, I don't have any doubts," she said.

There was no mention of any associated scandals such how, after the affair stated, she got an Arkansas state job passing over more qualified candidates.

Contrast that to the New York Times treatment of John McCain. While the New York Times was reticent to cover Ms. Flowers even though she was willing to on the record with tape recordings to back her up, the Times is pursuing McCain with nothing on the record but mere innuendo from anonymous sources while omitting evidence supplied by McCain that contradicted the innuendo.

UPDATE: Even the New York Times' "public editor" sees that their story lacks evidence:

The newspaper found itself in the uncomfortable position of being the story as much as publishing the story, in large part because, although it raised one of the most toxic subjects in politics — sex — it offered readers no proof that McCain and Iseman had a romance.

UPDATE II: With regards to this story, Dan Rather praises the New York Times:

Jim Rutenberg, who was the lead reporter on this, Bill Keller who's the editor who made the decision, these are not ordinary journalists. These are outstanding journalists and that probably needs to be said.

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.