Watch What You Ask For (Beverly Lumpkin Alert---YAWN!)

Earlier this week several reporters were grumbling that we had not seen much of Attorney General John Ashcroft since the new year; or if we saw him, it was at photo ops where there is little or no chance of asking a question.

Suddenly all that changed: on Tuesday, Jan. 15, we had the announcement of charges against American al Qaeda John Walker Lindh; on Wednesday, Jan. 16, the indictment of shoe-bomb suspect Richard Reid; and Thursday, Jan. 17, the release of photos and video of five suspected al Qaeda members.

And of course in the midst of all this we have had to contend with numerous Enron/Andersen-related questions. Not to mention all the usual "normal news." We are now begging for a respite!

Some of you may have wondered why no Beverly Lumpkin alerts in a long time. The answer is simple: Ms Lumpkin has committed the ultimate journalistic sin of all---she has become boring. At least back in the Janet Reno era we were able to get a fascinating insight into DOJ thinking via information that was spoonfed to Ms Lumpkin from her liberal pals, Eric Holder or Marie. Now that Lumpkin has been denied her insider status, her reports have become downright dull.

Yours Truly is also partially responsible for this. At the beginning of the "evil" reign of John Ashcroft, Ms Lumpkin resorted to absurd attacks on the new AG because (GASP! SHOCK!) he prayed in private. When I pointed out the absurdity of such attacks which contrasted with Lumpkin's glowing reports on Reno during her corrupt era, it seemed to be a wakeup call to Lumpkin (and I KNOW she reads my Lumpkin alerts posted on the FR). As a result she actually does stick pretty much to the facts nowadays but the problem is that she has a deadly dull writing style (a rare exception being this brief report) that I don't want to burden my fellow Freepers with.

Beverly, I actually miss our previous frequent forays but I just can't post your stuff on the HOTTEST forum on the Web unless you come up with something INTERESTING. If you want, why don't you pass your material over to ol' PJ here for review and I will punch up your copy for publication. Hey, I'll even keep your liberal bias in the final copy as well. All I ask in return is an occasional steak dinner from you courtesy of your ABC News expense account that you used for dining with Eric & Marie.

She was on a sort of roll when she made her absurd accusations against Ashcroft (for praying in private as if he was a member of some sort of weird cult). Then when I publicized her accusations for the absurdity that they were, Ms Lumpkin became very gun shy. Since then no wild accusations from Ms Lumpkin but also no interesting copy.

Beverly, if you can't write INTERESTING copy then perhaps you should go back to hurling nutty accusations. Yes, it will anger many people but at least I'll get my chuckles from you again. As it is, Bev, you just want to make me YAWN with your current deadly dull reports.

Oh well, not a bad gig, Bev. Write insipid copy and run in place for a few more years to haul in a few hundred thousand per year.

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