Post-Indictment, A Glut of Glee?

The Washington Post ^ | Oct. 31, 2005 | Howard Kurtz

[newbeenew]

The drumbeat of media speculation was so loud last week that at times it sounded as though Karl Rove was on the verge of being thrown in the slammer. "Is the man some call Bush's brain about to be indicted?" CNN anchor Heidi Collins asked Thursday night. MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked whether Rove and Lewis "Scooter" Libby might receive a presidential pardon "if they get indicted."

Now that an indictment has reached the highest level of the White House for the first time since Watergate, journalists face a minefield of potentially explosive questions: Are they enjoying a bit too much the spectacle of Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, having to resign over the charges of perjury and obstruction of justice? What happened to the normal journalistic skepticism toward a single-minded special prosecutor, as was on display when Ken Starr was pursuing Bill Clinton?

A few liberal commentators have cautioned their side against embracing the special prosecutor now that high-level Republicans are the target. Slate Editor Jacob Weisberg wrote: "Rooting for Rove's indictment in this case isn't just unseemly, it's unthinking and ultimately self-destructive. Anyone who cares about civil liberties, freedom of information, or even just fair play should have been skeptical about Fitzgerald's investigation from the start." Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen said Fitzgerald should "return to Chicago and prosecute some real criminals." And New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote: "I find myself repulsed by the glee that some Democrats show at the possibility of Karl Rove and Mr. Libby being dragged off in handcuffs."

[newbeenew]

so very weary of this frustrating topic, yet had to pass along this wee excerpt (didn't see it posted elsewhere, tho coulda missed it ...)

[wvobiwan]

Finally a grain of wisdom from the WaPo. Special prosecutors don't have enough control on their actions and are too often self-serving process whores.

[p[adre29]

To say that MSM has egg on it's face would be an mild.
Matthews especially believed Wilsons "frog walk" talk and
acted like it already happened.

I wonder how many retractions will be printed or will the
Media/Democratic cabal continue their wishful thinking?

[fantom]

Its ok. the secret is out. the oder you detect is the dmsm stuck in low tide.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[Now that an indictment has reached the highest level of the White House for the first time since Watergate...]

Earth to Howie: President BJ Clinton WAS indicted -- this for knowingly providing false testimony (otherwise known as lying) to a grand jury. The enforcement mechanism was impeachment by the US House of Representatives. He was acquitted by a gutless Senate (apparently, there were no the statesmen on duty).

[Billthedrill]

Heckuva thing when Kurtz is repelled by his own side. There are times when the bias is so obvious it even disgusts liberals.

He'll forget it soon enough. I give it 24 hours.

[Enchante]

"Nicholas Kristof wrote: "I find myself repulsed by the glee that some Democrats show at the possibility of Karl Rove and Mr. Libby being dragged off in handcuffs.""

Admirable, Mr. Kristof -- so this means you must be 'repulsed' by the depraved charlatan Joe Wilson, the man whose jihad against the government you helped to launch on May 5, 2003 with a highly inaccurate column in your NY Times space which you have never bothered to correct. So, Mr. Kristof, if you are now so repulsed by the monster you helped to create, maybe you could trouble yourself to thoroughly investigate the charlatans Joe and Valerie Wilson..... you know them, you helped to launch their sordid career in the MSM, now see if you can play detective and let the truth be told!!!

[Zeppo]

Some leaks, of course, are important. In this case, reporters, led by columnist Robert Novak, were the conduits for what the indictment makes clear was an administration smear campaign against Wilson.

Kurtz continues to get it wrong by repeating Wilson's spin. I read the indictment page by page, and do not recall seeing anything that made clear that there was a "smear campaign". Rather, Kurtz continues with his own little smear campaign by falsely reporting "facts" that turn out not to be...

[rushfreedom]

Let the truth be told. - No truer words have ever been said.

I love your tag line. - Joe Wilson: "I don't know anything about uranium, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night!"

[Steve_Seattle]

"Now that an indictment has reached the highest level of the White House for the first time since Watergate,"

Howie seems to have forgotten all about Clinton's impeachment. No bias here, none at all.

[Steve_Seattle]

"What happened to the normal journalistic skepticism toward a single-minded special prosecutor, as was on display when Ken Starr was pursuing Bill Clinton?"

Whatever happened to the journalistic skepticism of politically motivated liars like Joseph Wilson? The press has TOTALLY disregarded known falsehoods that Wilson has been making, falsehoods which form the center of his charges against the White House.