My e-mail to Washington Post Reporter Michael Shear:
Dear Mr. Shear:
Regarding THIS article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/... entitled (on the Internet) Webb's Icy Exchange Might Diminish Effectiveness.
I think it would have been more HONEST to ALSO note that George Will's account in his column, justifying his assertion of Sen.-elect Webb's boorishness, left out key words and phrases, as I am sure you know.
While I appreciate your restating the reported contact between President Bush and Sen.-elect Webb accurately, you owe it to readers to point out that Will, whom you cite prominently and early in the story, DID NOT DO SO.
More:
E-mail to Michael Shear, Wash Post, continued:
As you also must be aware, that blatant dishonesty by Mr. Will, in a WIDELY distributed column, has caused outrage among many, including me.
As someone reminded me yesterday, http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/... journalists need to call BULLSHIT, when BULLSHIT is the case.
Will acted with intellectual dishonestly. You had an obligation to point it out.
Here is another example:
Yesterday, President Bush, in a press conference seen around the world, said this:
But the reason why terrorists are trying to stop the advance of freedom in Iraq is the very reason why we need to help them,...
Now when is the Washington Post going to run a banner story on Page One: BUSH MAKES ANOTHER ABSURD STATEMENT?
So the story line, that you bought from George Will, is that WEBB is deserving of criticism.
And YOU haven't got the balls to call BULLSHIT!
You cite SEVERAL examples of people criticizing Webb and NOT ONE pundit criticizing Bush for the exchange?
Even Peggy Noonan expressed concerns.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/...
Well, the damage is done.
But the day is early, see if you can at least add the bit about Will's dishonesty before the Metro edition comes out.
Best regards, EZ