I’ve always considered E. J. Dionne to be a Vichy liberal, but this is good:
The traditional media are so petrified of being called “liberal” that they are prepared to allow the Breitbarts of the world to become their assignment editors. Mainstream journalists regularly criticize themselves for not jumping fast enough or high enough when the Fox crowd demands coverage of one of their attack lines.
Thus did Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander ask this month why the paper had been slow to report on “the Justice Department’s decision to scale down a voter-intimidation case against members of the New Black Panther Party.” Never mind that this is a story about a tiny group of crackpots who stopped no one from voting. It was aimed at doing what the doctored video Breitbart posted set out to do: convince Americans that the Obama administration favors blacks over whites.
I don’t expect Alexander to answer this; he’ll be too busy to explaining why he thinks it was good that the Post wasn’t given the Wikileaks material that the right considers treasonous.
dmsilev
Speaking of Breitbart, TPM reported this morning that Michael Steele had the *amazing* good sense to cohost a welcome reception at an RNC fundraiser with him , an event scheduled for mid-August.
In Beverly Hills, no less.
dms
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’ve never understood that. Because of his tea dances with David Brooks? I think he’s much better than say, Mark Shields. Not flawless, but to my mind one of the better pundits out there, certainly at Kaplan, INC.
and calling Alexander out by name? A definite breach of vice principal Broder’s rules of civility. Good stuff, Maynard.
John Cole
IF Dionne gets around to reading anything by Howie Kurtz the last ten years, he is going to shit.
DougJ
@John Cole:
As much as I detest Kurtz, I think Alexander’s *two columns* on how the paper should cover Breitbart/Fox is worse than anything Kurtz has done. Remember: he wrote the second one after the ACORN tapes had been discredited.
KG
There’s nothing wrong with covering bullshit stories pushed by hacks as long as you are acknowledging that they are, in fact, bullshit stories being pushed by hacks.
beltane
In a just world, Andrew Alexander would be looking for a new job right now, because if someone like E.J. Dionne is calling him a coward, it means he is really more like the Ragdoll of the Right.
There is something grotesque about this. No matter how ugly and discordant a tune the Wurlitzer plays, the media will still dance to it with great energy and enthusiasm. What passes for a free media in this country is actually a dance macabre.
Mnemosyne
Shorter EJ Dionne: Why doesn’t Obama stop hitting himself?
This is a very slight improvement over the previous column by Dionne, but I still notice a severe lack of actually, you know, criticizing the media for making Breitbart a legitimate journalist who gets interviewed on “Charlie Rose” when he’s actually a raving racist lunatic.
Brick Oven Bill
The New Black Panthers are a militia.
They have a right to carry weapons as given to them by the real 2nd amendment.
As for the voter intimidation…if Republican voters are scared of a black guy with a baton, then they are bigger wussies than I thought. Isn’t this the party that encouraged the Iraqi voters to brave car bombs, drive by shootings, and terrorist attacks to vote for their fledgling democracy.
Sad times have befallen the Republican party and it’s members.
arguingwithsignposts
@Brick Oven Bill:
Okay, I’m calling spoof. This is too coherent to be the *real* BoB.
As for Dionne, he is waaaaayyy down on the list of Kaplan columnists who deserve to be laid off.
Cain
Oh great.. everyone’s favorite pizza maker whose boss is a man with two desks has arrived to weigh in. I need some alcohol.
cain
ps this could be spoof.. he spoke in whole coherent sentences (edit)
KG
@arguingwithsignposts: not only too coherent, but it says bad things about the GOP rather than liberals. Definitely off.
Kryptik
@arguingwithsignposts:
Which is exactly why he’s probably on the short list for a pink slip right now, along with Ezra, Eugene, and Greg.
beltane
@Mnemosyne: Some of the same people complaining that Obama jumped-the-gun are the ones who complained that John Kerry was too slow in responding to the Swiftboat attacks. When will it sink in that our media routinely lines up to dance the can-can every time a sleazy right-wing provocateur buys a drink at the bar? The first Democrat who can figure out a way to crack the code and shatter this dynamic will be a genius of the highest order.
arguingwithsignposts
@Kryptik:
Well, Ezra and Greg, yes. Eugene has a Pulitzer, which would make his firing a big media story. Plus, he’s (shhhhh) black (/shhhh), which would make the Op-Ed page even more like a loaf of Wonder Bread ™
kommrade reproductive vigor
Never mind the circ. numbers, gotta keep those page hits up!
KG
totally off topic, but if anyone is a baseball fan, the Detroit-Tampa game is something to see.
Neither side could get a hit through the first five and a half innings. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Matt Scherzer, the starter for Detroit had the following happen: K, BB, CI, BB, K, GS. 32 pitches. And then he had to come out of the game.
Cacti
Any time there is a story with even vague allegations teh dreaded black racism that’s oppressing “teh r3al americanz”, the white media will chase after it at a full, galloping run.
OTOH, they will dutifully minimize accusations of white racism, even when the evidence is plain as day.
Good thing there’s no white privilege in this country, eh Senator Webb?
Cacti
@Brick Oven Bill:
Republican voters are scared of everything. It’s the raison d’etre of their party for the past 50 years.
bemused
Breitbart’s bitches….awesome. Best description of media lavishing countless hours on smear fabrications ever. This definitely belongs in the lexicon.
El Cid
Every time I see Howard Kurtz, it’s the worst I can recall seeing.
When he had Joan Walsh and the Breitbart kissup on the show, he kept responding to truthful characterizations of Fox ‘coverage’ of the latest Breitbart fraud, against Shirley Sherrod, as the complete racist unresearched unsupported smear it was, Kurtz responded that it didn’t matter because it was after the administration (i.e., USDA) had pressured her to resign.
So, you know, according to Kurtz’ expert media analysis, it’s okay to act like a fraudulent racist smear job is ‘journalism’ if someone’s fired first.
High standards for that guy.
As for Dionne, I’d much rather watch him any day than that smarmy fuck Jonathan Alter. At least ever since Eric Alterman turned the sneering asshole factor down a million notches.
Michael
Let me just chime in with joy at the return of BOB. Whoda thunk two years ago that his weak-sauce trolling would represent the reasonable aspect of conservatism?
El Cid
Can someone please keep repeating that the guy with the night stick was indeed ‘charged’ with the civil infraction he could be charged with, since no voters came forward to claim that they were intimidated therefore no case could be made for voter intimidation?
This is another astounding point that establishmentarian journalists and pundits just do not give a shit about reporting accurately.
Because, fuck it, you know, it was some asshole New Black Panther so why not go ahead and go along with the insane FoxBeck tale of justice department conspiracy?
Just Some Fuckhead
@Michael: I’ll take a dozen BOBs over our new Obot trolls any day.
noncarborundum
@beltane:
Now this makes no sense whatever. Kerry knew whether the charges were true or not. Obama and Vilsack, not so much. By your analogy, you could argue that Kerry should have held off responding and done an investigation to see whether there was any truth in the Swiftboat allegations.
Apples, meet oranges.
Just Some Fuckhead
White people showing up at rallies and polls with guns, freedom. Black guy with stick, worst thing ever.
NickM
OT – but has anyone seen this kind of thing before?
http://voterfactory.com/Athens_AL-Charles–Abare-Marie-Adams-8572.html
You basically can look up anyone’s “likely vote” right next to a place you can buy their phone number and address. It seems a bit too invasive and accessible to me – frightening.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@noncarborundum: Kerry was and is an uber-establishmentarian (and I say that as a Kerry fan). He just assumed his goodfriends–Russert and his ilk, McCain and other reasonable Republicans (can barely type that with a straight face)–in Washington would push back for him. From what I can see, Obama’s relationship with the Beltway press is genuinely hostile on both sides.
Keith G
At his best Tony Blankley is a slimy dilwad. To hear him get a full throated defense of Britefuck (complete with amped indignation) nearly stroked me out.
A vile, vile creature.
gwangung
Another thing–just because a Big Black Guy carries a stick doesn’t mean he’s inherently intimidating? William “the Refrigerator” Perry COULD have been intimidating, but 99% of the time, you KNOW he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
beltane
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The media is genuinely hostile to all Democrats, individually and collectively. John Kerry was foolish to think he had friends in the media. Did he forget their breathless joy during the Clinton impeachment hearings? Did he not notice their moon-eyed, almost erotic adulation of George W. Bush?
There used to be effective ways of dealing with treacherous courtiers. Unfortunately, none of them could be employed today.
WereBear
So Dan Rather is railroaded out for not vetting some documents, but Breitbart is celebrated because he promoted a clearly edited video.
Got it.
Tell me about this “balance” thing again. I do not think the word means what I have been told.
Xanthippas
DougJ, do you start these posts out with the intent of offending some of your liberal readers? What the hell is wrong with E.J. Dionne? He doesn’t write something every single day complaining about something stupid the right-wingers did, like you?
First NPR, now EJ Dionne…jeez.
Kiril
@NickM: It’s got me listed as a Republican. lol
JCT
@KG: Looks to me like the Tigers are just channeling the Mets.
MikeJ
@Xanthippas: I don’t actually know any liberals that like NPR, although most of them do listen anyway. Far too accepting of the right wing storyline, far too much “shape of the Earth: opinions vary.”
danimal
@El Cid:
I like Dionne, he usually makes good points in a way that’s accessible to low information voters and Republicans (but I repeat myself…).
And Alterman turned down the sneering a$$hole factor?? Maybe I should check out his blog again. I found him unreadable a few years ago even though his take on media and politics is second to none.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@beltane:
Yup. Biden, too, I think. Probably still thinks it. All those old guys who have been there forever and a day. The biggest problem with the “liberal media” myth isn’t that the three (or more) professional generations of reporters internalized it, but that Establishment Dems internalized it.
@Keith G: If you were making a political movie and you were casting the part of a sleazy, mean-spirited political weasel, hiring Tony Blankley would seem seem too obvious and heavy-handed.
khead
I’m torn between the urge to give EJ shit for being a Vichy liberal and the urge to say “You go girl”.
Help me out here Doug.
Cain
They really should ignore the press, it’s not like they’re viewpoint is getting heard anyways. They should all hold placards with “DIAF” and then just keep showing that whenever the press shows around.
Or only answer questions from non-beltway types. Fuckers.
cain
gbear
@NickM:
@Kiril:
It had me down as a republican too. I haven’t voted for a republican since Arne Carlson for governor (before Jesse Ventura). When Carlson is on the radio these days, he trashes Pawlenty up and down, left and right. I still like Arne.
NickM
@gbear: @Kiril:
Glad to hear it’s not that accurate! It had me pegged.
SiubhanDuinne
@NickM #26: It says I’m a Republican.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Chad N Freude
@Keith G: I’m listening to the podcast, and I think you flatter Blankley.
Tecumseh
@beltane: If Obama had done what he’s supposed to have done, hindsight being 20/20 and all, he would have had to deal with at least a day’s worth of coverage wondering why he’s letting a racist stay in his administration. Everywhere you go, it’s double jeopardy.
And even if he did hold back until the facts came out and he did what everybody is know saying what he should have done, would he have gotten any credit for it? And considering that most political impressions in these types of things are made in the first couple of hours and days, would the damage have been undone? That’s why everybody plays by the rules that you have to respond to something within the same media cycle or else it sticks. Waiting around and doing due diligence on something like this gets you almost nowhere today.
Cat Lady
@danimal:
This. Eric Alterman was My First Blog when he was at MSNBC’s site, but I couldn’t take it when it became more and more about him and his fee fees about Sully, Joke Line, the Commentary crowd, etc. etc. His more recent firebagger leanings sealed the deal, and I came here to Obot island. Credit where credit is due his media criticism is what first woke me up to media FAIL, and of course The Daily Howler, but Bob Somerby gives me a twitch.
Really, I think even the most establishment of the punditry are starting to grok the Orwellian threat posed by Breitbart/Fox. Milbank is making sense, EJ Dionne is naming names, Tom Friedman is alarmed, even Kathleen Parker is oh so carefully hedging her equivalencies to push back against the Fox nonsense. Breitbart may have been the bridge too far.
kay
@El Cid:
There’s 104 pages of testimony on it already. It’s a fast read because the vast majority of it is political posturing and speeches that are not questions and can’t be answered. Any pundit could read it, because I did. The only witness that knows anything, a career justice department lawyer, gives a timeline and each and every issue is addressed. That’s about 5 pages, so they’d have to actually read five pages of testimony. They don’t even have to read all five pages. There’s a date in his first or second answer and that date is prior to Obama. Done. Now they know it’s bullshit. Nothing else anyone did or didn’t do matters after that first decision, and the Obama DOJ didn’t make that decision, the Bush DOJ did.
None of them have read the testimony, and none of them are going to read it. They’re reading each other, going around in circles.
Keith G
@Chad N Freude: I had to stop for a while.
arguingwithsignposts
I’m posting this pix of lady smudge, which will immediately initiate a new open thread.
She’s taking on Breitfart.
noncarborundum
@SiubhanDuinne:
Me too. To be fair, the last time I was a registered member of either party, I was in fact a Republican. But that was 1992, in a state that at the time had moderate Republicans. Times change.
LGRooney
What makes you think the Post wasn’t given the Wikileaks documents… and just decided it wouldn’t serve their purposes by printing them, or discussing them?
El Cid
I guess for Alterman I meant TV & radio appearances, though I haven’t seen him in forever. I never read his columns or blog any more, because it’s uninteresting.
But it seemed to me for a while there — I don’t know, maybe it was 2003 or 4, every time I saw him he’d be sneering about nearly everyone doing anything respectable as too left or too conspiratorial or some other crap, and not backing anything up, just attitude as evidence.
Seemed to me he got better.
Bill Murray
@Tecumseh: and acting without all the facts got the administration somewhere? Seems to me if you are supposedly screwed either way, you might as well do things that are right
Lev
I’m still waiting for Hannity & Alterman to come to Fox News. For the most excruciating hour of television ever. I’d probably watch it at least once, though.
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal
@gbear:
Goddamn right. I voted for Arne twice, and I would do so again in a heartbeat. I wish he’d get into the race again this year. Maybe Emmer will molest a fourteen year old and they’d have to put Arne on the ballot.
El Cid
@kay: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you trying to bias reporting on the threat of the New Black Panthers’ shooting of old women at polling stations, as one high-placed GOP source claimed, with a bunch of pages of stuff that some law enforcement agency collected?
I think you need to listen to people like Howard Kurtz on how real journalism is to be practiced.
Doctor Science
@NickM:
I’m not sure it isn’t some sort of scam site. I recommend *not* going there until you get more info.
The domain is owned by “Arbor Ventures” of Cheyenne, WY. I wonder if they’re getting info from Facebook .. whoever these people are, I *do* not trust them and I would not use their site for any kind of search.
Lancelot Link
@NickM:
It doesn’t list me, but it has my dad down as a Democrat. He’s been a registered Republican since Eisenhower.
ruemara
I listened to Ted Koppel being interviewed on the whole Breitbart/Sherrod thing on NPR and I don’t think I’ve ever been more annoyed in my life. As I’ve pointed out before, not only is the whole dang thing the WH’s fault, but it’s primarily their fault and secondarily the media’s fault. Breitbart, well, he’s a journalist (?…!), not at fault. And, according to Koppel, it probably won’t change a thing. What also chapped my hide was how partially the problem was partisan newscasting on fox and msnbc because they are so similar, yet no one could bring themselves to acknowledge that the tape wasn’t flawed, it was edited to lie. unbelievable.
maus
@KG:
Mentioning that you’re aware of the fraud going on is acknowledging BIAS and you are no longer IMPARTIAL and there will be an astroturf protest on your property.
Xanthippas
@MikeJ:
Seriously? Any? Do you live in a commune?
You read too much DougJ.