Monday, April 30, 2007

Compare and Contrast

I didn't have room in the column to include the ledes, but here's how the Washington Post article on the Renzi chief of staff contact with the U.S. Attorney office got translated into the Arizona Republic version:

First, here's the Post:

Renzi Aide Called U.S. Attorney to Ask About Probe

Chief of Staff Inquired About Land Deal Investigation; Prosecutor Among Eight Who Were Fired

The top aide to Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) called the office of Arizona's U.S. attorney about six weeks before the prosecutor was fired, inquiring about a federal probe into the congressman's role in a land deal that benefited a former business partner and political patron.

And here's how it appeared in the Republic:

Renzi aide's call to U.S. attorney inflames Dems

Reports that the top aide to Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., called the office of Arizona's U.S. attorney about six weeks before the prosecutor was forced to resign further fanned the ire Wednesday of Democrats conducting a sprawling investigation into the ousters.

Nothing to see here, folks; we didn't drop the ball on this story, it's nothing but he-said, she-said politics, no way we could have known about this until we were scooped by The Wall Street Journal in our own backyard. Go click on the links, and you'll see a newspaper that's always looking over its right shoulder, worried that what appears in print won't match the viewpoint of some right-wing cranks more than they worry about getting the real story. And it's not the Post, they've got their own problems but not that one.

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