Daily Howler: Hillary wasn't involved, say the feds. On Hardball, they strung her up anyway

HANG HER HIGH! Hillary wasn't involved, say the feds. On Hardball, they strung her up anyway: // link // print // previous // next //

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005

NO HOWLER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY: We’re off on a matter of some importance, travels that take us to the shadows of Roanoke’s famous Smith Mountain Lake! But we may well post a Saturday HOWLER, so eager are we to address these four issues:

Critiques of Matt Miller’s New York Times column—critiques which, in our view, fail to address Miller’s central claim;

The early coverage of the David Rosen trial—especially a disappointing, semi-ominous Hardball colloquy between Chris Matthews and Margaret Carlson (see update below);

This remarkably foolish dispute in the Virginia gubernatorial race—and this remarkably milquetoast response from the Washington Post editorial board;

And the New York Times’ decision (in the words of Dan Kennedy) to “speak out more aggressively when its editors believe the paper has been unfairly attacked.” (No word on what the paper plans to do when it is criticized fairly.)

So many howlers! And so little time! Meanwhile, what’s the matter with southwest Virginia? (Short answer: Nothing.) While we’re gone, read those pieces about the Virginia campaign. See how far some parties will go to treat “red state” voters like victims—and see how hard some press elites will work to avoid confronting such conduct.

UPDATE—HANG HER HIGH: Be sure to read today’s report in the New York Times, in which the prosecutors in the Rosen case explain that Hillary Clinton was not involved. Headline: “Mrs. Clinton Not at Fault, Prosecutor Tells jury.” Compare this with the conversation between Matthews and Carlson, who practically had Clinton in leg irons by the time they were done.

By the way, our inevitable question: Will the fiery young liberals at our liberal publications take on Matthews and Carlson if this sort of thing persists? After all, Matthews is from MSNBC, and Carlson serves with mighty Time. Criticize people like Matthews and Carlson? Darlings! If history serves as any guide, it just isn’t done!