Here's how NOT to cover a brewing scandal in the White House. We've linked below to numerous articles from major media outlets who've framed this serious issue fairly and with the proper weight. Heck, even Fox News asked some tough questions at yesterday's press conference.
So with all that to draw on, how does the LA Times cover this breach of national security? Very poorly. It uses this headline:
DEMOCRATS TAKE AIM AT ROVE IN LEAK CASE
(See, it's those mean old Dems playing politics.)
And this is some of the copy:
The ongoing controversy about who might have leaked the name of a covert CIA operative to journalists heated up Monday as reports about the possible involvement of President's Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, dominated the daily White House news briefing and Democrats began to ratchet up their criticism of Rove....Really, leaking national security secrets at a time of war is a "potential embarrassment" rather than a crime that could be punishable by jail? And it's really just an excuse by the Dems to gang up on Bush? Well, if Ken Mehlman said it and every other Republican is too afraid to say anything (and off the record they've been quoted by other newspapers that this is very serious indeed), why I guess it must be true. Nothing to see here, keep moving.
Still, the new information about Rove's role was emerging as a potential embarrassment for a White House that had scrupulously sought to avoid the kinds of investigations that plagued the Clinton administration....
It has also given Democrats a political issue....
The sharpest criticisms came from some of the most partisan Democrats in Congress....
The only Republican to issue a statement on the matter Monday was Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee. "It's disappointing that once again, so many Democrat leaders are taking their political cues from the far-left, MoveOn wing of the party," he said, referring to the online advocacy group MoveOn.org. "The bottom line is the Democrats are engaged in blatant partisan political attacks...."
Let the LA Times know what you think of their coverage. Ask them why every other media outlet seems to think breaking national security is a serious matter, not just an excuse for politics.
Email them at letters@latimes.com
