Today, in his guise as the Washington Post’s ombudsman, Andrew Alexander posted a discussion about the recent misreporting by the Old Media about the various “incidents” that supposedly occurred between the admittedly raucous tea party protestors and members of Congress in Washington, D.C.,  during the healthcare fight. But while Alexander finally makes some admissions on how the Old Media dropped the ball on these exaggerated reports, he still missed the point of the whole mess.

Alexander starts his report off with an interesting rhetorical style. He writes about incidents as if they actually happened even as he admits later down the page that either they didn’t or might not have. He recounts the supposed incidents in affirmative language instead of using qualifiers. “The Post and other news organizations had reported a series of incidents so ugly,” Alexander says, “they were denounced by congressional leaders of both parties.” Notice how he didn’t use qualifiers like “alleged incidents”? No, he said “reported on incidents” as if they were actual incidents that have been proven. If someone were to stop reading after the first few paragraphs they’d go away thinking those “incidents” were confirmed and true.

In any case, Alexander recounts the supposed “spitting” incident where Rep. Emanuel Cleaver complained that he was spat upon as he entered the capitol. He also recounted the name-calling that Rep. Barney Frank encountered as well as the thus far unproven “N” word incident that black members of Congress claim that they suffered through on the day they signed the bill providing for a government take over of America’s health system. (more…)

As anyone who’s ever lived in our nation’s capital knows, Washington D.C.  – which, as JFK famously remarked, combines northern hospitality with southern efficiency — is abysmal at snow removal.  And with two major blizzards within a week, the city brought its fabled problem-solving ability to bear on what in Buffalo or Rochester is at best a minor inconvenience delaying you in getting to the bowling alley or the pizza parlor.

Besides the fact that the federal government apparently is now completely incapable of dealing with anything — do we really want to entrust our health care to this collection of circus clowns? — what did several feet of snow in the District of Columbia prove?

Why, if you’re the New York Times and MSNBC — indisputable proof of global warming!

Skeptics of global warming are using the record-setting snows to mock those who warn of dangerous human-driven climate change — this looks more like global cooling, they taunt.

Most climate scientists respond that the ferocious storms are consistent with forecasts that a heating planet will produce mores frequent and more intense weather events.

You have to love that “most climate scientists” line, as if the Times actually canvassed them all before issuing its ex cathedra statement. Meanwhile, over at MSNBC, it seems that talking points went out in force on Wednesday, as the usual suspects — Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, et al. — all hopped on the AGW bandwagon and sneered at Sen. Jim DeMint’s tweeted wisecrack that it was “going to keep snowing in D.C. until Al Gore cries uncle.”

But leave it to the Cable Network Nobody Watches’ loopy Contessa Brewer, the pride of Syracuse, to tear into the subject with her usual fetching combination of intellectual confusion, dogged belligerence and invincible ignorance: (more…)

On January 3 the usually non-partisan Food Network had its closest brush with politics, with predictable results. Bait and switch, Washington style.

Food Network aired a two hour Iron Chef: America featuring Michelle Obama. Our choleric FLOTUS was there to provide a message about Childhood Obesity and tell the chefs what the secret ingredient for the competition was.  And the ingredient? Why, produce from the celebrated White House garden:

The chefs included White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and star chefs Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. Mrs. Obama showed up in an orange dress that looked like it would be very fashionable on runways. The kind planes land on. You half expected her to bust out some flags to wave at some passing aircraft. Then she declared they had to harvest the ingredients from the garden in order to create “five ultimate American dishes.” (more…)