THIMEROSAL

Saturday, June 18, 2005 4:47 PM UPDATE—– Jeffrey Schneider, ABC News Vice President for Media Relations called me yesterday, clearly annoyed about the controversy surrounding Thursday’s sudden pulling of Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s story/interview package about Thimerosal slated for Good Morning America, 20/20, and a 3 minute piece on that evening’s World News Tonight. He said the idea that an executive on the “WEST Coast”- his phrase not mine-had the story yanked was ridiculous. He said that he suspected who the source was that gave the kill-story to The Huffington Post and that it was vendetta-driven. He was amused and a bit surprised , he said, that one web posting had created such a commotion. By mid-afternoon, the original story on The Huffington Post had vanished from Google News and replaced with a strong re-affirmation and claim that their source has “first-hand knowledge” of the situation. This was simply a story’s script that the producer took a look at before airing and said ” I want more” Mr. Schneider explained. I was finally able to get ahold of Mr. Kennedy about 20 minutes ago, just as he was getting off a plane, so I will update here when more details become available. Suffice it to say, after what Don Imus went through with the complete SMEARJOB in The Wall Street Journal, after daring to discuss Thimerosal poisoning, I’m starting to get the creeps…. JT