If a journalist ever wanted to exhibit her spectacular ignorance and bias, the Los Angeles Times' Johanna Neuman performed with flying colors. In a recent blog post about the surprise congratulatory phone call from the Bush family to Rush Limbaugh's radio show, Neuman offered,
We imagine the reason the tape has not yet popped up on YouTube is that is was singularly lacking in the biting, mean-spirited, politically pointed invective for which Limbaugh is known and loved by millions.
"Mean-spirited"? "Invective"? Of course Neuman provides zero examples to support her claim. Has Neuman ever even listened to Limbaugh's program?
Amazingly (or maybe not), Neuman isn't just some dim liberal blogger. She's a newswriter for the paper's Washington bureau. Good ... grief.
By the way, if Neuman ever wanted to see some real examples of mean-spirited invective, she should look into her own operation. Just last month, the Times posted a blog on the death of Tony Snow. They then allowed readers, in their moderated comments section, to post some of the most hate-filled, awful filth you could ever imagine. See: "L.A. Times Commenters Joyously Revel in Tony Snow’s Death" and "More Viciousness at the L.A. Times About Tony Snow" at Patterico.com. Absolutely awful.
Neuman could also look in the mirror. When she penned an article last week on the news that Robert Novak was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Neuman spent well more than half of the article revisiting the Valerie Plame affair. (She dug up the names of Rove and Libby and Cheney, but she apparently found no room for the name Richard Armitage, whom Novak actually identified as his primary source.) More importantly, Neuman didn't bother to take the time to find even one person to say some kind things about Mr. Novak and the difficult situation he faces. Go figure.
We here at NewsBusters have also provided several documented examples of true "mean-spirited invective." The names Bill Maher (this, this, and this, for example), Keith Olbermann (countless examples), and Randi Rhodes (this, this, this, this, this, this) stand out. (Add your memorable ones to the comments below.)
I also offer the cruelest words I've ever heard on the radio. It's from July 2005 on Air America. The host was Sam Seder. Click the link at your own risk. Disgusting.
Are you listening, Johanna Neumann?
