The Media Template

Occasionally it is good to remember how the exempt media journalists are (apparently) trained. It is quite simple, really.
IF remark=blatantly racist AND speaker=liberal THEN no harm, no foul. Explain it as a "mistake" and moveon.org.

IF remark=praise of a former racist AND speaker=conservative AND former racist=conservative THEN raise huge stink. Demand head of both speaker and recipient of praise. Any Democrat can praise Robert KKK "Sheets" Byrd. No Republican can praise Strom Thurmond.

IF country has been attacked AND president=Republican THEN war=Vietnam AND quagmire.

IF country has not been attacked AND president=Clinton THEN shooting missiles=great diplomacy.

IF member of White House staff is indicted for something AND charge is "serious" AND president=Republican THEN situation=Watergate OR Iran-Contra.

IF president is actually convicted of perjury and disbarred AND president=Clinton THEN situation=political axe-grinding by right-wing attack machine.

Recent examples of this are the Libby and DeLay indictments where the "seriousness of the charge" raises "grave questions about" the 'culture of corruption". Or the Abramoff fiasco where several prominent Democrats received money, but this is a "Republican" scandal.

And then there is Mayor Nagin who wants New Orleans to be rebuilt as a "chocolate" city. Both Scott Ott and Ann Coulter have a field day with it. But it is just par for the course.