**UPDATE** As of this posting, Politico reports that a Democratic official told a local Kentucky radio station that Progress Kentucky was responsible for the secret recording of McConnell's campaign office.
Leave it to the Washington Post to provide a sympathetic puff piece to liberal journalist David Corn’s recent release of secretly-recorded audio attempting to smear a Republican politician.
Corn, you may recall, published an exclusive in Mother Jones featuring a strategy session for Sen. Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign, where opposition research into potential opponent Ashley Judd was discussed.
Post staffer Paul Farhi introduced readers to Corn by reminding them of his role in the now-infamous "47 percent" video of Gov. Romney at a Florida fundraiser, calling that video "one of the most consequential scoops of the presidential campaign." Farhi then hyped Corn's desire to “make trouble” as a journalist, allowing him to defend himself for potentially promoting illegally obtained video:
Despite ample criticism, including from McConnell, that the audio recording is an invasion of privacy, Corn argues that its newsworthiness trumps those concerns. “I think voters and citizens have a tremendous right to know almost as much as possible of the elected officials who come before them and ask for their votes. I think people can decide for themselves how outrageous [McConnell’s] behavior is, but it gives you a glimpse inside his campaign’s thinking.
Corn, who describes himself as someone who "has long been attracted to the advocacy and investigative side of the profession" received no challenges from the Post, as Farhi failed to consider that violation of federal law, not to mention privacy, is of concern in cases like this.
Farhi instead devoted an additional three paragraphs rehashing the Romney tape, providing justification for Corn’s form of journalism, referencing why the bartender who secretly filmed Romney’s comments chose to go to Corn, because he, “felt comfortable with Corn because of his earlier work for Mother Jones, especially his articles about outsourcing.”
All in all, Farhi sought to lend credibility to Corn’s methods, saying that the left-wing scribe, “spent several days authenticating it, ensuring that it wasn’t faked, doctored or out of context.” After spending the majority of the article dissecting the recent controversy surrounding Corn, Farhi devoted the final 6 paragraphs to puffing Corn by citing friends who describe him as, 'passionate, innovative and always at the edge."
It's hard to imagine the Post treating say someone from National Review this way if Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) were the target and the Senate Majority Leader was discussing how to take down Sharron Angle on the basis of loopy things she'd said in public or in print.
Corn, who is a regular contributor to the left-leaning MSNBC, should feel happy at the free advertising the Post has given him. With virtually no opposing quotes provided by Farhi, Corn has received treatment similar to what he receives daily at MSNBC, where his ego is stroked by laudatory left-wing compatriots.
