Conversion story a lie

Here's the urban legend:

Jeff Benoit, a man in our church who has a friend who served on President Elect Bush's campaign in Austin. She called him to tell this story. Last week, Gov. Bush appeared at the thank-you banquet for his campaign staff, and was going table to table to shake hands with the 1000+ campaign volunteers. He got to one lady, who by a brief comment she made, indicated she was a Christian. She was there with her 16 year old son. Gov. Bush asked him if he was a believer, too. He said he didn't think so. Gov. Bush then asked, "Do you mind if I tell you how I came to know Christ as my Savior?" The boy agreed, and Gov. Bush pulled up a chair and witnessed to him for 30 minutes, and led him in the sinners prayer!! Jeff's friend was so choked up, she could hardly tell the story through tears. Yes, my dear friend, we are living in the in times. How glorious to know that our new president is a man that doesn't feel the political pressure to glad-hand 1000 people, but would take 30 minutes of his precious time to lead a teenager to Christ.

The media was strangely silent on this topic, which was surprising, considering their interest in the President-Elect and his activities. Meanwhile, others in the know about the Bush campaign have confirmed that:

The Bush campaign held no formal "Thank you" banquet for their supporters because the prolonged controversy over the Florida vote kept much of the staff busy.

A reception for volunteers was held at the Governor's mansion in Texas, but Governor Bush himself did not attend.

As Governor of Texas (and then President-Elect), George W. Bush's time is usually rigidly managed, and he simply couldn't blow off a scheduled appearance with thousands of supporters to chat with a teenager for a full half hour. And a reporter for Cox News Service put the question to a colleague who queried "the Bush people" directly:

I went ahead and phoned the information to Ken Herman, the reporter who won the Pulitzer Prize for the Lufkin Daily News and now covers Bush for the Austin American-Statesman. He, in turn, put the question to the Bush people.

Here's his report back to me:

"No banquet, no story, never happened."

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001

Answers

Here's his report back to me:

"No banquet, no story, never happened."

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net)

Tarzan, your credibility as a news organization is 'zilch' unless you have backing from the big boys such as AP, Reuters, UPI, etc. Last I checked, there was no tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net newspaper anywhere.

All you have here is: 'a good friend of mine friend says so'. Beyond that, it means NOTHING!

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

Maybe you can convince your friend to write another Pulitzer Prize winning story. This time on talk of Dubya's conversion. It would give your new story angle some legs..ya know?

Beyond that....well.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

Well, well, well. Looks like Ain't has been taken in by yet another urban legend, and he's pissed off about it.

Ain't screeched, Tarzan, your credibility as a news organization is 'zilch' unless you have backing from the big boys such as AP, Reuters, UPI, etc.

Why, Ain't, I'm surprised at you. You didn't even bother to check for footnoted sources! For your enlightenment, here they are:

Hollenbeck, Gail. "Pastors Ponder Religion's Role in Bush Presidency." St. Petersburg Times. 6 January 2001 (Religion, p. 3).

Lawrence, Jill. "The Evolution of George W. Bush." USA Today. 6 January 2001 28 July 2000 (p. A8).

Murray, Joe. "Jesus and George W: What a Story." [Boulder] Sunday Camera. 14 January 2001 (p. E4).

Man, I just LOVE proving you wrong. You may commence whining like a little girl now.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

Besides the sources you provide, I just got off the phone with a friend of mine that is 'in the know'. He has confirmed this is as an urban legand as well.

I am wrong Tarzan. I'll take my crow well done if you please! :-)

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

LOL! It took less than five minutes for me to post the sources before your mea culpa. I guess you learned your lesson from the Darrell Scott thing.

For anyone who cares, we discussed this topic earlier this year. Here's the original thread.

Original Urban Legend Sighting

The irony is that Stephen Poole claimed to have had the story authenticated. I asked for a citation, but he never responded. If you're out there Stephen, would you like to explain?

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

I guess you learned your lesson from the Darrell Scott thing.

I musta missed the results of the form 990 he returned to you. Can you provide a link to the results?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

I'm still waiting, just like you're apparently still waiting to hear from the IRS about Publication 78. LOL! Isn't it better to admit you're wrong in the first place than lie about making a call to someone "in the know" and get called on it?

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

than lie about making a call to someone "in the know" and get called on it?

No lie. If you would like the contact source, you may call American Freedom News at (817) 579-7557. Ask for Rick.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

I'm still waiting, just like you're apparently still waiting to hear from the IRS about Publication 78.

I am not waiting. I have the info I asked for. Never claimed differently. If I did, that would have been a lie.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

Hmmm... either you're deliberately confusing the issue or you're just a moron. The W conversion has already been debunked, so it's no surprise that you're willing to cough up a source on this topic. However, just last week, you claimed to be waiting for a call from the IRS about Mr. Scott's 501c3 status as documented in Publication 78. Why aren't you willing to be as up front with the name and ID number of the IRS agent who supposedly called you back about this issue, and the results of the call? Hmmmm... I wonder...

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

Whats the problem Tarzan? Bad day for you today?

You keep looking for a fight where there is none to be had.

Relax...B-R-E-A-T-H D-E-E-P-L-Y! :-)

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

Why would I look for a fight when I have already won?

Either you lied about calling the IRS or you didn't. If you didn't, then, as of this weekend, I know exactly what they said to you regarding Mr. Scott's 501c3 status, and I can understand why you'd keep a low profile. It's tough when our heros turn out to have feet of clay, isn't it?

Still waiting for the form 990 though, assuming it comes. If I ever get it, I'll scan and post the results for the world to see. Unlike you, my position does not benefit from hiding the facts.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

That is assuming you actually called the IRS, of course.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

Still waiting for the form 990 though,

I will prefer a digitized web posted copy please.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

That is assuming you actually called the IRS, of course.

What was that you said before?....oh yea...here it is:

You may commence whining like a little girl now.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

LOL! Hey, for the many hours of amusement you've given me, I'll gladly post it in the format you choose, provided Mr. Scott complies with the law, of course. And one more time, for old time's sake:

WHO did you hear from at the IRS?

WHAT was their ID number?

WHAT did they say?

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

I questioned your word alone as to the validity of what you said to be accurate. I said I needed verification from the IRS as to what the forms were for.

There was never nor is there now any need for me to make some sort of report to you or anyone else since the results were for my own satisfaction.

The real issue always has been is Darrell Scott who he claims to be. We all wait for results from your query to him.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), March 05, 2001.

Ain't do you find this whole thing as humorous as I do? You seem to be giving him a purpose in life, so I guess that is a good thing.

-- dudesy (dudesy@37.com), March 05, 2001.

Hate to break-up the Ain’t and Ape show but gentlemen……have you ever heard of the therapeutic effects from sexual activity? No, not with each other.

-- So (cr@t.es), March 05, 2001.

"I questioned your word alone as to the validity of what you said to be accurate."

Liar, liar, soul on fire. You also questioned my word. What I find interesting is that you have studiously AVOIDED saying anything about the IRS, even though your three-day "waiting period" expired last Wednesday. I gave you an extra day simply to be generous. Ain't, if you had anything, you'd be crowing about it at the top of your lungs. Fact is, you've got nothing, liar.

"I said I needed verification from the IRS as to what the forms were for."

You also said (probably to Tarzan, but I can't be certain) "I have called the IRS and they say someone will respond to my question within three business days. Until then, you will forgive me if I don't take your word as 'gospel' until I hear back from the IRS first hand."

So did you get your verification? You never bothered to respond. Seems to me that a seeker of truth and a sharer of "information" would want that particular truth and information out in the open. But maybe you don't, because it makes you look bad.

"There was never nor is there now any need for me to make some sort of report to you or anyone else since the results were for my own satisfaction."

There is a tremendous need for you to report the results of your findings, but of course you can't do that, because you never spoke to the IRS. They don't REQUIRE three days to answer that question. They can do it ON THE SPOT. If you disagree, then prove me wrong, bucko.

At any rate, Ain't, Mr. Scott is NOT LISTED in IRS Pub 78, because he's either NOT a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or because he just recently received that status. You aren't telling us what the IRS told you because you didn't them -- either that, or you really did call them, and they TOLD you that he's not in Pub 78. Dirtbags, the both of you.

"The real issue always has been is Darrell Scott who he claims to be."

No, the issue is whether or not Mr. Scott really is operating a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization within the bounds of the law, as he claims. A related issue is just how much money Mr. Scott is making off his dead daughter.

"We all wait for results from your query to him."

Once again, you fail to recognize that Mr. Scott might not respond to me and/or Tarzan, despite his legal obligation to do so. If he does not, then I shall file an FOIA action and a complaint with the IRS. We may all be waiting for a while, but rest assured, Ain't, we WILL have our answer eventually. Mr. Scott's apparent attempt to delay the dissemination of this information will not succeed.

And I don't think you will like what we find. If Mr. Scott has nothing to hide, why won't he provide the document? In the words of oh, so many special prosecutors, "where there's smoke, there's often fire."

Oh, and Ain't? You can take off the "Dudesy" handle. You have more sock puppets than a Shari Lewis museum.

-- Already Done Happened (oh.yeah@it.did.com), March 05, 2001.

"Ain't, if you had anything, you'd be crowing about it at the top of your lungs."

I couldn't agree more. Ain't would be making multiple posts in all caps if the IRS had told him anything positive. Look at how worked up he gets over Bush.

-- Alice in Wonder Bra (alice@wonder.bra), March 05, 2001.

Hey Alice, I get ‘worked up’ over ‘bush’ too!

-- So (cr@t.es), March 05, 2001.

Tarzan,

As I said over in my forum, I'm satisfied now that this is a hoax. I could have sworn that we aired it on our station and that our noonday host had verified it before doing so, but I was obviously hearing things.

I apologize profusely for adding credence to a false rumor.

-- Stephen M. Poole (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), March 05, 2001.

Stephen-

No need to apologize, I was just curious if you'd heard it from a legit news source. It's easy to get taken in by this stuff; if you're a Christian, this could be a really appealing story, and it's always easier to be taken in by an appealing story. Just read the post about "What Goes Around Comes Around" which is a retelling of the Fleming-Churchill story.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), March 05, 2001.

I know this may be hard to believe, but it's completely true. I know for sure that it happened to somebody who works with my sister. It happened while he was working on a system to track e-mail. Apparently, he woke up in the morning after accepting drinks from a stranger. Before he even knew what happened, he had both kidneys stolen!

Think about that next time you're working on a system to track e- mail.

As with any other information that you receive from questionable sources such as this, it is wise to believe everything that you have read here without questioning it or attempting to verify it in any way. Make sure to pass the story along to everyone you know, too. Imagine how you'd feel if you opened up tomorrow's newspaper and found out that someone you know had both kidneys stolen.

-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), March 05, 2001.

WOW.

Guess the one around here wont be trying email tracking from now on :- )

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), March 06, 2001.

I had my brain removed and stolen once in a similar scam. After a lengthy investigation, it was recovered and re-inserted, but in the meantime I had voted for Jesse Ventura, attended two "Promise Keepers" rallys, and had joined a cult that worships bigfoot.

I haven't got around to quitting that bigfoot cult yet.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), March 06, 2001.