Media Monitor
August 10, 1995

SENATE FUMBLES, GINGRICH RECOVERS

The Republicans by excluding all questions relating to the death of Vincent Foster passed up an opportunity to attract a television audience that might have rivaled that of the O.J. Simpson trial. Senator D'Amato, the New York Republican who chairs the committee, has taken pains to make it clear to one and all that he has no doubt that Foster committed suicide and that it would be improper to question that.

But when he appeared on the Evans and Novak show on CNN on July 30, Senator D'Amato was less certain about the cause of Foster's death. Bob Novak told the senator that Speaker Gingrich was not convinced that Foster committed suicide. He asked, "Why have you closed the door on that speculation when there are a lot of indications that it is not a closed case?"

D'Amato replied, "Because it's speculation. And what I have said is that we have not, at this point in time, uncovered information that would lead me to believe that it was not a suicide. Having said that, this investigation, as it relates to his suicide, was botched. The autopsy, the manner in which it was conducted, the fact that the Park Police were not equipped and they should have had the FBI and the best forensic people on the scene immediately--

"So how did you know it was a suicide then?" Novak asked. Senator D'Amato explained that while the investigation showed many shortcomings, it did lead one to believe that Foster committed suicide. He said, "This will be speculated about for years. I understand that. And so when the speaker says, Well, I'm not quite sure; there are questions,' yeah. When you have an investigation that is not handled properly from the beginning--and I think everybody agrees there are many shortcomings--you're always going to have these questions."

Unfortunately, Bob Novak didn't press the senator to explain why it would not be a good idea to try to get those questions answered now rather than to leave them to fester for years to come. But fortunately, Newt Gingrich, according to the London Telegraph, has repeated what he said on the Bob Grant radio talk show on July 7--that he intends to have a proper investigation made of Vince Foster's death.

Gingrich's doubts about the findings of the investigations of the Foster death have not received the media attention they deserve. The New York Times spiked the story and The Washington Post buried it deep inside the paper. CNN was the only major TV network to carry it, very briefly. The same is true of a CNN poll that found that only 35 percent of the public believe that Foster committed suicide. Twenty percent say he was murdered and 45 percent aren't sure. Since the establishment media almost never mention the evidence that challenges the suicide verdict, the doubts expressed by Newt Gingrich and 65 percent of the public reflect the growing influence of the alternative media--programs like this, Paul Harvey, radio talk shows, newsletters and the Internet.