Jonathan Franks, spokesman to talk show host and veteran Montel Williams, may be a terrible flack who can’t spell, but he is a great predictor of events. Today he predicted that I would run his manifesto to The Mirror. And guess what? He’s DAMN RIGHT.
Here’s an email exchange that played out Tuesday morning between me and Franks. To see our previous coverage of Montel, see here, here, here and here.
Enjoy.
THE MIRROR: After receiving word that Franks had written in about me, I wrote him and said, “To the most esteemed publicist in the world: If there’s a request you want to make, you can write me.”
JONATHAN FRANKS: Nope, nothing to request of you, but thanks! [At the bottom of his emails: “Office of Montel Williams”]
THE MIRROR: Good, just wanted to be sure and check. You’re really kind.
JONATHAN FRANKS: I could do without the attitude – you don’t have to like me, and you seem to be under the mistaken impression that you are immune from criticism. I was nothing but nice to you until you called my boss a media whore. Your tone in not needed nor appreciated and I’m sure you were responding to my email to Tucker this morning, you might be suprised to learn that not everything is about you, Betsy.
This has everything to do with you not how we approach the news media generally. He tells me he had a nice conversation with Brendan last night so, again, this is about your being upset at being called out at that first story. You’ve written a dozen since, and that is indicative of a vandetta. You crossed the line, and I understand why Veterans are upset – you were talking about his ear ring during a conversation that is life or death to them and they seem, based on the universe of input I have, to be upset at the media as well.
If you are under the mistaken impression that he have some sort of a business goal in this, I appologize, but that proposition is not intelectually honest and offensive. If you are under the impression he has a problem associating himself with conservatives or being critical of the President are mistaken. He was a registered Republican for years before deciding to become independent and make up his mind on induvidual issues. The point we made was capture the criticism he actually made rather up the drama on it.
I think you owe veterans, not him, an appology – but that’s for you to decide, He has two sacred cows, his work with Veterans and his work with MS. We’re comfortable resting on the inegrity of that work.
You made this personal, and you can’t turn around and be upset at the fact you got pushback and you entirely miss the point – he gets criticized all the time, I can’t remember anyone taking it to this kind of personal level.
He hasn’t called for you to be fired, he hasn’t trashed the Daily Caller on TV.
I am always open to having a productive conversation. Your two emails indicate to me you are not.
I’m sure I’ll see this email in your column this afternoon, and that will just further prove my point.
***
Since Franks had so many errors and inaccuracies in his manifesto, we’ve decided to take the above letter and highlight it with red arrows and explanations.
1. “in” should be “is”
2. This is a nonsensical sentence. Perhaps skip the comma and go for two sentences.
3. The Mirror has not written a dozen stories on Montel. A dozen means 12. More like four as well as an honorable mention in “5 Dumbest Tweets of the Week,” an extremely prestigious award.
4. And “vandetta” would be “vendetta.” I had to fight my spellcheck to even repeat your error.
5. “ear ring” should be “earring”
6. I never insinuated anywhere in my stories or on Twitter that Montel had any business venture going on with his plight to help veterans. So you apologizing that I supposedly think this or wrote this is absurd.
7. “appologize” needs to be “apologize”
8. “intelectually” is really “intellectually”
9. “induvidual” should be “individual”
10. I have no idea in the world what this sentence is trying to say.
11. “appology” should be “apology”
12. I’m glad you like to rest on “inegrity” but it is actually “integrity.”
13. Again, the grammar here is troubling. Perhaps try a semicolon. Or again, two complete separate sentences may work well.
14. I really appreciate that Montel hasn’t called for my firing. But can you please try a semicolon? Or again, two different sentences might be just the thing you need here.
Keep up the great work Jonathan!
Lauren Eissler contributed greatly to this report.