Perhaps Jason Leopold's claim that Karl Rove has been indicted is flat out wrong, but do we really need to have the liberal journalist's personal life examined on the pages of the Washington Post?
To help us evaluate Jason Leopold's claim, Howard Kurtz could have told us about all the times that journalist Jason Leopold got the story wrong, but instead Kurtz chose to tell us about all the times Jason Leopold, the man, made mistakes in his personal life.
Howard Kurtz:
The claim that President Bush's top political strategist had been indicted in the CIA leak investigation was written by a journalist who has battled drug addiction and mental illness and been convicted of grand larceny. That didn't stop more than 35 reporters -- from all the major newspapers, networks and newsmagazines -- from calling Luskin or Rove's spokesman, Mark Corallo, to check it out. . . . Leopold acknowledges in a new book, "News Junkie," that he is a past liar, convicted felon and former alcoholic and cocaine addict."
Gee, Mr. Kurtz, you forgot to say if Leopold has ever had an extra marital affair.
And doesn't this little bio bring to mind the life of pResident George W. Bush?
Can we expect to see Washington Post reporters subjected to the same standards? Perhaps Kurtz and his colleagues have all lived pristine lives. But we need to know! Because if Washington Post reporters have ever made any mistakes or had difficult lives, there is apparently no reason to believe a word they write.
And how are we to ever believe pResident George W. Bush? The man who has, among many other crimes or indiscretions, admitted to being an alcoholic for some 40 years.
Kurtz forgets to examine the personal lives of Rove and his lawyer, other than to tell us that Rove's lawyer has a cat who went to the vet on the day of the alleged indictment.
The cat has an alibi. Jason Leopold has made mistakes. Rove's lawyer denies everything. Case closed.
But wait. Who is Howard Kurtz? Is that his real name? Has he ever had an alcohol or other drug problem? "And what is his connection to the White House beyond being married to Arnold Schwarzenegger's former public relations director, a woman who ran media campaigns for a slew of right wing initiatives in the Golden State?"
And how are we ever to believe a reporter who has a history of trivializing the crime of sexual harassment?
Howard Kurtz Media Politics Bush Karl Rove Indicted Fitzmas Patrick Fitzgerald Jason Leopold Truthout
