[Peace-discuss] Washington Post on Conyers et al.

[C. G. Estabrook]

From <http://www.wonkette.com/>:

Washington Post omsbudsman Micheal Getler's column this week
took on Dana Milbank's snarky piece on the congressional Dems
holding a "mock impeachment" over the Downing Street Memo.
Getler responded to reader concerns that Milbank's coverage of
this serious topic was flippant and "disparaged the real
concerns of many people." Getler makes it very clear: The
paper was in the wrong and should totally take responsibility
for, uhm, not letting readers know that it's okay for Milbank
to be flippant and to disparage the real concerns of many
people: "Unfortunately, it has never been announced or
explained to Post readers that reporter Milbank is also now
columnist Milbank." So, you know, their bad.

Getler goes on to explain that while reporters wouldn't be
allowed to write so causticly, columnists are. Columnist
Milbank responds with typical grace:

    "While you have been within your rights as ombudsman over
the past five years to attempt to excise any trace of colorful
or provocative writing from the Post, you are out of bounds in
asserting that a columnist cannot identify as 'wingnuts' a
group whose followers have long been harassing this and other
reporters and their families with hateful, obscene and
sometimes anti-Semitic speech." 

You know another difference between reporters and columnists?
A reporter who pulled a diva move like that would probably get
his ass kicked. Or maybe he'd get promoted to columnist. —