Readers to Washington Post: Constitution Is No Laughing Matter

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/21848

Readers to Washington Post: Constitution Is No Laughing Matter
Submitted by Lisa Moscatiello on Fri, 2007-04-27 19:27. Discussion

WASHINGTON, DC: Hundreds of outraged readers flooded The Washington Post on Wednesday with web comments on Dana Milbank’s dismissive column about Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s resolution to impeach the Vice President. The Post’s decision to place the satirical article, entitled, "Kucinich’s Battle Against Cheney Not So (Im) Peachy Keen," on page A-2 rather than in the Op-Ed pages or in the the Style section exhibits a dramatic departure from the decades-old tradition of journalistic objectivity.

The article reads like an item in an undergraduate campus newspaper. From the first line Milbanks makes no attempt to hide his contempt for the Congressman. It begins with an attempt at irony: “I do not stand alone,” Dennis Kucinich said as he stood, alone, in front of a cluster of microphones yesterday evening.

The column includes no information on the content of the Articles of Impeachment, nor does it even include the resolution’s bill number (H. Res 333) for those readers interested in seeing for themselves what Milbanks finds so hilarious about the bill. Instead, Milbank chooses to disparage the Congressman’s appearance, referring more than once to his small stature, and even making a bizarre conjecture at Kucinich’s hair product of choice.

The Posts editors must have assumed that its readers would pile on to be included in the fraternity prank. Instead, the response to this Imus-esque misreading of public sentiment was over fifteen pages of comments, most of them from readers who were astonished and offended by the tone of the article, many of them calling for Milbanks’ termination from the paper. As rant wrote on April 2:…..as illustrated by the dismissive tone of this article, Reporters seem to think that no treason, even dragging America into a war under false premises, is too large it cant be overlooked if it goes against what the word in the cocktail party circuit is in Washington.

[Lobster Martini]

1. That was on page two?

Oh, my. WaPo presented that as news rather than opinion?

"A reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer encouraged USS Kucinich to contact planet Earth." Just plain embarrassing.

Incidentally, assuming that Lisa Moscatiello is the person by that name whom I met many years ago, she is a terrific singer. She won't remember the encounter.

[Hailtothechimp]

2. Keith Olbermann should ask Milbank to address this.

Kucinich has a base that would not appreciate Keith's jocularity and Milbank's smarminess after this.

If Keith wants to continue his O'Reilly assault, he should not allow Milbank to get a pass on this.

[Doctor_J]

3. While such an article is despicable, in fact the MSM is almost completely irrelevant

WaPo's decision to print such an idiotic piece just confirms what all thinking Americans already know - that 99.9% of print and electronic media is propaganda for the ruling class.

Milbank is a joke to real Americans, but not an embarrassment to the Post - he writes exactly what they and the rest of the beltway chattering class believe.

[loudsue]

9. Man! You hit that nail on the head!

"Milbank is a joke to real Americans, but not an embarrassment to the Post - he writes exactly what they and the rest of the beltway chattering class believe."

:applause: You nailed 'em. And ya know what? I'm so fucking sick of 'em all that I am sending Kucinich & Gravel the maximum allowed contributions for their primary campaigns. I'm ready to help put the voices that MATTER TO US front and center, and any cost. Hell, I'd take a second job to do this!

:kick::kick::kick:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. exactly the same type of demeaning coverage he gave to Conyers

and the "basement hearings". The two articles are so similar in tone it's like he's plagerizing himself. KO should actually give him hell for this. Both Conyers and Kucinich deserve serious coverage and not this fake MoDo snark.

[ShortnFiery]

5. I shudder with disdain each time Keith Oberman has Dana Milbank on ...

Countdown.

He's one smarmy D.C. elitist, political insider ... not unlike Tweety without hyper-drive. :thumbsdown:

[annabanana]

6. The comments are worth a read..... Very telling.

Dana is given quite a bit of leeway because of his Countdown appearances.. When he puts out a snark piece on a courageous guy like Kucinich he deserves the smackdown that he got here.

[Joe Bacon]

7. Skull and Bones Dana defending his brother Bonesman

Milbank has always had a pro-Bush Bias, this is just a more glaring example

[spooky3]

8. Where does someone who looks like Dana Milbank get off dissing

someone else's appearance?

And of what possible relevance is Rep. Kucinich's appearance to the matter of impeachment?

[AnOhioan]

10. Dennis has the support of ordinary Americans...

on this issue. His fellow candidates would do well to take note, especially after their shameful inaction when asked during the recent debate if they supported impeachment.