Michael Kelly, the Atlantic Monthly editor-at-large and Washington Post columnist who abandoned the safety of editorial offices to cover the war in Iraq, has been killed while traveling with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.
Kelly, the first American journalist killed in the war, had also served as editor of the New Republic and National Journal. But his decision to join up with U.S. forces marked a return to his reporting roots, since he covered the first Persian Gulf War as a magazine freelancer and turned his observations into a book, “Martyrs’ Day.” While one Australian and two British journalists have been killed covering the war, Kelly’s death is the first among the 600 correspondents participating in the Pentagon’s embedding program.
*** Update ***
Edited to remove a tasteless comment I wrote about another member of the press, which does nothing to honor the memory of Michael Kelly, and was, well, tasteless and wrong.
*** Update #2 ***
From Atrios, a remarkably classy post about Michael Kelly (although still branding people who are in favor of prosecuting this war as ‘war-mongering’).
The sewer trout who comment on Atrios’s comments sections ( I call them Atriettes) are rather disgusting, ranging from muted glee to outright celebration. Losers.
*** Update #3 ***
Atrios’s commenters were so disgusting and over the top that he had to pull the thread out of respect to Kelly’s family. You will just have to trust me- Atrios did the right thing.
Emily
“Atriettes”. That’s really funny.
Phil
Against my better judgement, I clicked over from here when there were about 20 comments. I guess the aphorism that everyone, no matter how horrible, is somebody’s child has never made an impression on them. They body isn’t even cold and they couldn’t resist dancing in the streets and ululating.
Mason
Every blog and forum I’ve seen today has had caustic and hateful remarks about Kelly. Sigh.
Barney Gumble
How about this classy comment from our very own John Cole:
“If One More Jackass Democrat says it is in bad taste for the Coleman campaign to keep campaigning for their candidate until the funeral, I am going to go postal. This from the Democrats, who as early as Friday afternoon, before the bodies were cold, let alone retrieved and identified, were already floating trial balloons about a possible replacement.
This is how Democrats win elections- lie, cheat, steal, and turn off the public so much they don’t want to deal with politics-…”
John Cole
I made the remark, and I stand by it. Since you have never had a clear thought, and since this was six months ago, long surpassing your meager memory, I will remind you why I made the remark. Coleman HAD stopped campaigning. he did not start until after the funeral. While Coleman stopped and was being classy (I think the word you brought up a moment ago), the Democrats (led by Harry Reid), were accusing them of continuing to campagin, even though they were not.
Fortunately, the public saw through the bullshit, saw the Democrats manipulating, polling and campaigning while Coleman paused, and Mondale now has the honor of losing a state-wide election in every state of the nation. Back to your regularly scheduled trolling, Barney.
Barney Gumble
I think I nicked an artery there, John. You’re pulsing.
HH
If your sole response to something is “I touched a nerve,” it’s a very good sign you just had your ass handed to you.
Barney Gumble
Since you’re unclear on the difference between an artery and a nerve, Henry, I doubt you’d would recognize an ass. A mirror would help you with that. ;)
You *still* don’t have commenting at tvh, please correct this so I can help you overcome your delusions via ridicule.
And as good lawyers and orators know, when you’re won, stop talking. Since I’ve won, I’m going to stop talking.
HH
You actually claim there is a substantive difference between “I touched a
nerve” and what you said, and THIS is how you declare victory. Ah.
And for the umpteenth time, comments are not feasible on any blog which posts
more than once per hour, nor am I inclined to add them to satisfy someone who
has to partially steal their blog name from myself. Besides, the purpose of
comments are not for “ridicule” they are for discussion, something you would
know very little about.
HH
You will note the aforementioned other blog does have comments and the position of blog troll has already been filled there.
Ricky
Barney, you should’ve been reminded by the citizens of Minnesota as to whether or not your butt-buddies the donks did the right thing.
Next time, hopefully they’ll rent some class during a memorial ceremony & keep it from turning into a campaign rally.
Ricky
Barney, you should’ve been reminded by the citizens of Minnesota as to whether or not your butt-buddies the donks did the right thing.
Next time, hopefully they’ll rent some class during a memorial ceremony & keep it from turning into a campaign rally.
Ted Barlow
Ricky,
“Butt buddies”?
John Cole
TEd- Why are you not blogging?
Moe Lane
Geez, John, the man just updated; cut him some slack, eh?
Ricky
You’ve never heard that term, Ted?
Ted Barlow
Not since I was about fourteen.
Ricky
LOL!