This AP headline really needs an edit: "Scott Walker fires aide for racist tweets for embarrassing governor with stupid Christmas fundraising letter."
Another particularly egregious example of press release journalism in which national media miss the real story and give Scott Walker a free ride. And it's not just the headline: The story on Taylor Palmisano's firing makes no mention of what was clearly the real reason she got fired: Her having written the ridiculous holiday fundraising letter suggesting Walker supporters give donations to his reelection campaign rather than buying toys for their kids, which they would just break anyhow.
The selective reporting turns an embarrassment for Walker into a statesmanlike stand against racism.
The newspaper reports that a Walker campaign spokesman says the governor and his campaign "condemn these insulting remarks."
Pathetic -- for nearly 3 years the Walker administration seemed completely unconcerned about the tweets, despite a lot of criticism. Then, after Palmisano puts out the fundraising letter that subjects her boss to national ridicule, the tweets are suddenly a firing offense, enabling Walker to appear to be taking a stand on principle. The fundraising letter isn't mentioned, and he still hasn't answered the question of whether he approved it in the first place. With Scott Walker, it's always somebody else's fault.
The media play along and rarely question why Walker has always surrounded himself with such a disreputable bunch of staffers. Of course, that will change if he gets anywhere national office in 2016, as Sarah Palin found out. They prop him up only to knock him down later.
We may not have to wait that long. With Walker running for reelection against a strong woman candidate, he may self destruct sooner -- at the polls in November, 2014.