Convention Watch: AP 'Kills' Ford

Aug. 3 -- The Associated Press “killed” former President Gerald Ford Wednesday night.

Not literally, of course, but in print.

The wire service mistakenly ran a story about the impact of Ford’s death on the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.

“The death of the former President Gerald Ford dampened spirits slightly at an otherwise jubilant GOP celebration, where he had been saluted just a day earlier.”

Twenty-seven minutes later the AP issued an urgent bulletin to kill the story when it realized the errant copy had been sent out to thousands of media subscribers. Although Ford was in serious condition at the time, resulting from at least one minor stroke he suffered Tuesday night, his condition was actually improving when the copy was filed.

“Former President Ford is not dead. A kill is mandatory. A sub will be filed shortly,” read the alert.

The substitute that followed moments later correctly stated, “Former President Gerald Ford’s hospitalization dampened spirits slightly … .”

No word yet on how the feisty former president feels about the AP’s description of spirits only being “slightly” dampened when word of his presumed demise spread.

— ABCNEWS

Team Cheney

Now that it’s official, newly minted vice-presidential nominee Dick Cheney set to the task of naming a staff today. For his closest advisers he chose two people who, like himself, left politics for the lucrative private sector.

Kathleen Shanahan will take over as deputy campaign manager for vice-presidential operations. She comes to the campaign from investment firm Paine Webber, where she has served as the senior vice president for public affairs and government relations since 1996.

Over the next few months, expect to hear the name Dirk J. Vande Beek (not to be confused with James Van Der Beek of Dawson’s Creek fame) often. Cheney has chosen him to serve as his spokesman and press secretary. Most recently, Vande Beek served as spokesman for Halliburton Company, the Houston-based energy services company Cheney has headed since 1995.