Under its new German ownership, Politico is turning out the finest, purest, most distilled both-sides BS on the market, absolutely distinguishing itself for irresponsible, damaging nonsense masquerading as studied neutrality. In a field that includes The New York Times, that’s really saying something.
Jordain Carney and Sarah Ferris put on a masterclass in this single paragraph, the second in their smoking trash heap of an article:
President Joe Biden and his party have spent much of this year vilifying [House Minority Leader Kevin] McCarthy and his GOP counterparts as a threat that would unravel democracy — an attack that is now at the centerpiece of Democratic efforts to hold onto their threadbare congressional majorities. Many of those Republicans, meanwhile, have echoed and amplified unfounded doubts about Biden’s election, all while pledging to use their newfound power to investigate the president’s son and, potentially, impeach members of his Cabinet.
A question, guys. Which came first: a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transition of power coupled with 147 congressional Republicans voting against certifying the results of a fairly contested election, or Biden and Democrats vilifying McCarthy and Republicans as a threat to democracy?
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Answer: The violent attack and opposition to certifying the election—which weren’t even the only prongs in an effort to prevent the results of the 2020 presidential election from being realized, and which have been followed by a sustained effort to delegitimize Biden’s presidency. Republican nominees for important offices continue to deny the legitimacy of that election.
But Democrats daring to point all that out? That came first, in Politico’s telling. It goes on.
The worsening polarization in Washington that, at times, became openly hostile during Trump’s administration, could become downright combustible in January. And, making matters worse, each side is arguing that the other must make the first peace offering.
“At times became openly hostile during Trump’s administration” and “could become downright combustible in January”? Is Politico hiring reporters who were not alive in January 2021? Or journalists who were comatose when the nation learned that Trump had tried to damage Biden’s electoral prospects by extorting a foreign leader into announcing an investigation of his son Hunter?
The piece quotes five Republican members of Congress to one White House spokesperson and one unnamed (and not directly quoted) White House official. The Republicans use the platform Politico is offering to whine about how dang mean the Biden White House has been, and issue veiled threats about how sorry Biden will be when they have their opportunity for revenge.
This is just blatant trash from Politico. Absolutely nothing more than a laundering of Republican talking points and threats into “news.”
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