'The Washington Post': At War With Itself

[dogday]

(April 09, 2006) -- It’s no secret that the Washington Post’s editorial position and its news reporting often are not on the same page--in more ways than one. But rarely has that gulf seemed wider than in the Post’s Sunday edition this week.

The editorial page, a co-producer and then staunch defender of the war in Iraq, declared in a headline on Sunday that the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) info “Scooter” Libby gave to reporters in 2003 was in reality “A Good Leak.” The White House was not out to punish Ambassador Joe Wilson for raising doubts about pre-war intelligence; in fact, Wilson is the bad guy in this story for making false claims. Bush, in a sense, is the hero, for instantly declassifying the key NIE document--he was only out to inform the public. Now the poor guy, the Post complains, is the target of “hyperbolic charges of misconduct and hypocrisy” from the Democrats

The Post editorial concludes, “It’s unfortunate that those who seek to prove” that grounds for the war were bogus “now claim that Mr. Bush did something wrong by releasing for public review some of the intelligence he used in making his most momentous decision.”

As often the case in Post editorials related to Iraq, reporting in the newspaper proves that much of the above is pure hogwash. This reality checking usually doesn’t happen the very same day, however.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002314409

[blm]

1. EXCELLENT article and recommended - hope it hits the DU front page.

,

[Lasher]

7. There's already something about it on the front page.

Here's the link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2561072

[blm]

8. Thanks.

.

[FSogol]

2. Kicked and recommended. n/t

[madinmaryland]

3. I read the WaPo sunday morning,

and after reading their lead editorial, I had to make and have a cup of strong coffee and re-read the entire artical. I could not believe that they were actually criticizing Joe Wilson for making false claims (the first time I had actually heard that). It was one of the poorest editorial I have ever seen.

[Lin]

4. yes, I actually thought it was parody/spoof-who drooled it? Hiatt? (eom)

[dogday]

5. It's a rag paper, I would not let my birdie

crap on....

[madinmaryland]

6. What's really scary, is that the WaPo is one of the

more so called "liberal" main stream media newpapers. Doesn't say much for the state of current media does it!

[chicofaraby]

9. Only the right wing claims that WaPo is liberal

Most of us liberals claim that it's a fishwrap that told it's readers Iraq had nukes.

Just like the NYTimes.