I used to like reading the Washington Post. From my location on the far side of the moon [also known as "Kentucky"] it was the one lifeline back to civilization.
I much preferred it to the New York Times because I could always count on the Post to keep me up-to-date on politics around the country. Sure, there was the self-important puffery, but it was worth it.
So I was especially interested in this:
"Angry Congress Lashes Out At Obama"
Growing discontent over the economy and frustration with efforts to speed its recovery boiled over Thursday on Capitol Hill in a wave of criticism and outright anger directed at the Obama administration.
Woah! Did I miss something? I usually follow politics pretty religiously. I mean, I'm more plugged in than the vast majority of people I know. So I was surprised to see this.
I should have known, however . . . .
In the past few years, the Post has really become little more than a political version of the National Enquirer, dredging up stories that slant toward the right, with dubious sources or outright sock puppetry.
This story clinches it. See, what I had apparently missed was that Republicans are now "Congress." I knew that Harry Reid thought that. But I was surprised that the WaPo was going along.
To break the story down a bit, the Post has taken a vote by the Congressional Black Caucus and inflated it into a full-scale revolt by Congress against the President.
President Obama's allies in the Congressional Black Caucus, exasperated by the administration's handling of the economy, unexpectedly blocked one his top priorities, using a legislative maneuver to postpone the approval of financial reform legislation by a key House committee.
There's the story. The whole thing. In fact the Post ran that story yesterday, which they had gotten from Reuters.
OK, so what's the problem? Well, here's a list of the rest of the people who are "lashing out" at President Obama, according to the WaPo:
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.)
Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Tex.)
Everyone else cited in the story is:
Even Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), a friend of the administration, suggested that Geithner had been inconsistent in addressing China's practice of keeping its currency low against the dollar.
Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said Wednesday on MSNBC that he thinks Geithner should step down
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) got a bill passed with bipartisan support "despite the reservations of administration officials."
Also, "Lawmakers sharply criticized [Geithner] for his role in the crisis during the tense Joint Economic Committee meeting."
That's it. Hey, WaPo--that isn't a "congressional backlash." That's the CBC putting some pressure on the President, and Republicans doing their usual hissy-fit screaming. THe minority caucus.
Morons.