Lil’ Debbie is up to her old tricks, trying to meander her way out of the ugly ethical mess within which she and others have mired the Post:
Policy vs. Reality in Correcting Errors: Corrections also need to be published sooner. Usually, there’s a backlog of corrections, as many as 20, waiting to get in. My own experience taught me that waiting to correct mistakes is, well, a mistake. I made an error in January. Because my column runs on the editorial page, I could not correct the error on Page A2. A correction ran the following Thursday on The Post’s Web site and my next column acknowledged the mistake. I should have pushed for an A2 or editorial page correction the day after the original column…
Texas tornado that she is, Lil’ Debbie should be familiar with the term "hogwash." As Brad DeLong notes, on January 15 Howell ran a column saying Jack Abramoff "had made substantial campaign contributions to both major parties." He didn’t. Rather than immediately correct the error, Debbie wrote a blog post on January 19 (the comments of which were quickly deleted, and now the entire post itself doesn’t seem to be there any more, nor is it listed in the Ombudsman’s archives). At this point she was still trying to lipstick the pet WaPo pig of tarring Democrats with Abramoff corruption, saying it was correct to state that Abramoff "directed" money to both parties. When readers once again stormed the seemingly perpetual ombudsman’s bastille, she published yet another post the following Sunday, January 22, where she said enough, okay he DIDN’T give money to Democrats, but everybody pointing that out is a foul mouthed motherfucker. Shaking her fist in the air, she also swore she’e never be hungry again.
But as we’ve noted many times, no correction was ever appended to the original January 15 article, until now. The top of the column now reads:
In a Jan. 22 aricle, Deborah Howell wrote that lobbyist Jack Abramoff made substantial campaign contributions to both parties. He did not. Abramoff directed his Indian tribal clients to give campaign contributions to members of Congress from both parties, but donated personal funds only to Republicans.
But it wasn’t the January 22 article in which this claim was made, it was January 15. Thanks once again, Lil’ gal. As I mentioned at the time, I’m glad you decided to stick around. You make our job so easy.
(graphic by Alysheba)
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Fitz!
And, according to Brad DeLong’s blog:
“In the readable parts of the document to which she links, Abramoff appears to “direct” $220,000 of contributions to Republicans, and $4,000 of contributions to Democrats.”
Oops. I intruded on the “sacred space” of content-free comments with a comment that contains substance. My apologies.
Damn you, LeisureGuy! If you wouldn’t have added your substantive comments I could have added a “Turd!” comment.
Just got home. Fitz! Jane you are one day going to owe your entire worldwide fame to Lil Debbie, WaPo, the NYT clownshow, and the entire lameass dying MSM. When god closes a door, as they say…
LeisureGuy!
Billmon has a nice “Walk Like an Egyptian” story to get away from war memories (and our war on the damn media!)
The saddest guy in DC when Nixon resigned was Art Buchwald. He managed to get over it, but he said that life just wasn’t the same without Nixon.
Remember that, Jane, if/when Debbie leaves the WashPo staff.
[Buchwald is fighting kidney failure, for those who didn’t know. After a while, he decided that the daily dialysis was just too much, and so went into hospice where his doctors gave him 3 weeks or so. Oddly, his kidneys began functioning again, much to everyone’s surprise. He’s still around - so send him some love. (Maybe it’s the chance to kick Dubya the way he kicked Nixon that did it!)]
LeisureGuy!
LOL! No photo of Scarlett O’Hara?
Are those Debby’s knees? No wonder she’s mean!
Peterr says: ” Oddly, his kidneys began functioning again, much to everyone’s surprise.”
May 29th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Thank you for posting the good news about Art Buchwald.
OT: and EPU’d from last thread,
Neocons in the Democratic Party
Here’s contingency planning for you, as the republicans lose power, the neo-cons are stacking the deck with democrats who will do their bidding. Interestingly enough, Lieberman gets top billing.
Monday cat-blogging, BTW…
Peterr — I’m not kidding, it would be a sad day in my life if Lil’ Debbie were to disappear from the scene. I’ve devoted a great deal of column inches to establishing her as a presence in the blogospheric cast of stock characters, it would be a shame to bid her farewell right now.
Got her some hairy legs, too!
I think we are the ombudsman for the ombudsman. They should pay fdl instead of her.
Although, if truth be told, WaPo readers have still not been treated to the proof of this statement: “Abramoff directed his Indian tribal clients to give campaign contributions to members of Congress from both parties…” We ask and we ask for the proof of this statement, supposedly backed up by documents in the possession of Post reporters (stenographers) but the WaPo has learned from their BushCo masters: say it enough, catapult the propaganda, and it shall be taken as true.
Thanks for the Debbie post, Jane, I’d been missing your commentary on my favorite Post employee. And to think she’s got about 15 months left on her unbreakable contract: good times!
Abramoff directed his Indian tribal clients to give campaign contributions to members of Congress from both parties…
Still can’t get it right, can she. Yeah, “directed them to give money to Dems”–technically correct and highly misleading. “Directed them to give less money to Dems than they’d previously given” would be correct. But we must at all costs maintain the Both Sides Are Equal story arc.
So what exactly does Howell think her game is? Being in journalism for so many years she’s too experienced to just be sloppy. She must really have contempt for the WaPo readers to distort and lie the way she does. And disappearing whole posts, what a way to uphold journalistic ethics.
I’m pretty sure there’s a whole universe of truth that neither the Washington Post, nor numerous other mainstream publications, are going to treat the masses to anytime soon.
Just wish the Post would call Howell something other than an ombudsman, for that she surely isn’t, unless the meaning of ombudsman has – like so many other things – been turned completely on its head, and now means “an advocate for the corporate point of view.” In other words, her job title should more appropriately be, “Chief Media Whore.” At least then, what she writes would make more sense.
Further to Pach’s inspiring thread on the fallacy of the war on Terror, Paul Craig Robert’s The Evil is in Our Government” is a good read also.
I especially love these 3 short paragraphs…
The criminal Bush Regime has now murdered more Iraqis than Saddam Hussein. The Bush Regime is also responsible for 20,000 US casualties (dead, maimed for life, and wounded).
Bush damns the “axis of evil.” But who has the “axis of evil” attacked? Iran has attacked no one. North Korea has attacked no country for more than a half-century. Iraq attacked Kuwait a decade and a half ago, apparently after securing permission from the US ambassador.
Isn’t the real axis of evil Bush-Blair-Olmert? Bush and Blair have attacked two countries, slaughtering their citizens. Olmert is urging them on to attack a third country – Iran.
italics mine *wince*
lil’ deb’s mission is accomplished.
Froomkin is the real ombudsperson at the Post, although he limits his attention to only those stories that deal with the White House.
Now there’s someone I’d really miss.
I’m kinda confused. That article by Debbie is almost a month old.
Damn! I KNEW if I kept posting OT, it’d become ON Topic, sooner or later!
Another “Heckuva Job, Debbie!” moment, from last night’s Late Night FDL:
LeisureGuy 3 – substance can break out anywhere. It’s all good. This is nothing if not a forgiving & tolerant place.
LeisureGuy, I checked out the Monday Cat. That little pile of fur in the pile of snow was good to see. Almost cooled me down in my oven-like apartment. Almost. Thanks.
lil’ deb …… the ombudsbitch
Many thanks, Sophist, for the pointer to Paul Craig Robert’s article. The three paragraphs are stunning. I had not realized that we have been more destructive of the Iraqi populace than Saddam Hussein. (I wonder if he’ll bring that up at his trial.)
Debbie’s a lot closer to Belle Watling than Scarlett O’Hara.
Teddy — somtimes it takes a while for Lil’ Debbie to cycle around again, but she is who she is and she always does.
Jane is my MSM smackdown Elvis. And there are so many others – Woolcott, Digby, you all know the list, plus seemingly a new brilliant Kos diarist by the day.
Speed-slapping these sheep at their cocktail-weenie troughs is extremely necessary. However, in blazing a fresh trail to truly replace and bury their bullshit, I’m struck the most by what Glenn Greenwald is doing. His book, and every word on his blog, reads to me like MLK’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail for our times. I am totally inspired by and want to emulate something of his utter freshness, simplicity and sincerity. Glenn doesn’t bother with the propaganda machine at all, he completely bypasses it in favor of establishing his own absolutely simple moral voice, over and over. This guy is not only a beautiful thinker and writer, he truly is a beacon for all of us and our true patriotic energies.
She’s not neat.
It seems like it would be sort of hard to flub up in print. You write something and put it in the hopper and the editor looks it over–maybe even legal gets involved. For obvious errors to make it through all that gives it the whiff of intentional propoganda. The faux indignation displayed only masks the embarassment of being caught coloring the news. BTW lil Debbie has a head on her like a mountain boomer.
Anne, “Chief Media Whore” is wonderful. Can’t you just see the brass plate on the door, or Gwen Ifill introducing her on Washington Week in Review as chief media whore for the Washington Post. Other, less savory images also intrude at this point, so I’ll just say thanks — I needed a good laugh.
DrBB @ 2:29 pm (#19) – This also begs the question “If you direct someone to do something he was determined to do anyway, have you really directed him to do it, or just gone along with his actions?”
David Ehrenstein @ 30
No No No . . .
Len Downey is Mrs. Mead. Jim Brady is Aunt Pitty Pat, and Lil Deb is Mrs Dolly Merriwether (Jane Darwell)
sheez, when I fuck and mothafucka I’m fine, when I got somethin to actually say I’m in moderation cop purgatory.
Jane — now that’s a good one, right there at (34). A very nice start.
So we each of us chip in a buck or two and get our chapped little girlfriend a lovely brass name plate replete with her title, and some custom-made kneepads with her initials on them.
Oh, and a bunch of Chapstick and a case of K-Y, all wrapped up with a bow, with a lovely card signed, Your ever-lovin’ friends at FDL.
both wapo & nyt lionized the neocons & took their line till it became clear to all but knuckledraggers that our iraq adventure [so enthralling at first] was going wrong — now both papers are scrambling to make it seem they’ve been right all along: in a way they’re telling the truth because our government has always wanted to foment chaos in that region in order that halliburton et al might cash in on the heightened profit margins that chaos brings
See the resemblance between L’il Debbie and a Mountain boomer?
Oilfieldguy 3:32 pm
I thinks she looks more like Don Knotts as the fish. And my God, how did anybody with a hairdo like that get a job at the WaPo? This reaching out to the heartland stuff is getting a bit overwrought, doncha think?
OT,
Out of jail (was in for phonejammin’ last election cycle) and back on the Repub payroll teachin’ at the “GOP campaign school” for candidates. Takes a crook to teach a crook.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..00881.html
Oops, that was the 2002 elections, not the most recent.
William Timberman @ 3:44 pm (#41) – And my God, how did anybody with a hairdo like that get a job at the WaPo?
Perhaps it’s her fondness for lemon yellow pantsuits?
Sharkbabe @ 3:29 pm (#37) – What I’ve learned is that discussing sex is OK (as long as you don’t also discuss making things larger), and discussing how to process nuclear fuel is not.
Back from a busy weekend of zennursing and what do I find? Debbie’s hairy knees and a whole lotta snarkin’ goin on! Good on you, Jane, I wondered what Mrs. Howell was up to, missed all reading this busy weekend. I wonder of they have edotorial obfuscation meetings just to make these little bits no non-information muddier for the fever swamp? Oh, ye of little faith…..you don’t know our Jane like we do!!
Re: newspapers, I am having a little trouble feeling charitable and positive about the Matt Bai article on YearlyKos. The cover of the Magazine says,”Are Web Democrats Real Democrats?” and I just feel like the whole article was saying “look at these ‘little people’, thinking they know how the real world works. They’ll turn out to be like all the rest when they grow up.”
Am I misreading? Overly sensitive?(no, never, not me *g*)
Is my browser broken again?
No new comments for 10 minutes?
Was my comment that offensive, or did everyone simultaneously fall asleep?
zennurse,
It ain’t you, it’s Memorial Day, I suspect. They’s a few of us not out barbecuing ribs somewhere, but apparently not that many.
is this Blondie actually Deborah Hairy?
(it’s on a kneed to know basis)
zennurse says: “Is my browser broken again?”
May 29th, 2006 at 4:18 pm
It isn’t your browser. Although some server hiccups have been occurring from time to time today, a lot of progress has been made toward eliminating those hiccups.
Thankyou, William, I can be more patient now.
punaise, I sit here trying so hard to think of a witty rejoinder, but you’ll have to wait for the others for a little competition. I’m always brain dead on Mondays, and I have no joke/pun/riddle gene. Even snark is hard because I’m worried about hurt feelings. I don’t think I even got angry till I was 30. I’m the serious type, maybe you noticed.
I long for the Michael Getler days at the WaPoo-he would always answer emails promptly and professionally – I sent an email to L’il Debbie re: her correction missive and her need to adjust her Abramoff column she replied with the words “I already have”.
OT, but have you seen this?
“On the spot: ‘Crowd wanted to skin us alive’
Tim Albone, correspondent for The [London] Times in Kabul, was caught in today’s riots which he believes could mark a turning point in the Afghan[s’] relations with coalition forces”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/a…..46,00.html
Jeezus, how different the whole picture could be now if Colin Powell had had the gumption to resign loudly when Bush tipped his pivot from Afghanistan to Saddam before making good on his promises to the Afghanis. I’ll never, NEVER understand why even the WH/DoD doofi didn’t know better, or why Powell acquiesed so quietly.
But “Monumental Stupidity Rules” does seem to be the New World Order . . .
poor Barbara Starr (faithful stenographer for Rumsfeld) of CNN happened to be in Kabul to this “insurgency” and she is having to report actual news for a change. She is just sooo embarrassed! CNN has had to supplement her feeble coverage with reporters from other news services.
Hi Zenn …
I read the Bai article quite differently – but I may be biased ;-> Given that the media stereotypes are that we (the blogospehere?) are crazed janehamshersoftheleft and all, Bai’s focus on us actively changing the democratic party – and eventually running it (hmmm?) are refreshing. He does not see us as stereotypes – and he did a great job of capturing Gina who is an astonishing leader. Shifting the discourse from wacky whiners to memphis teacher wanting to better the country is a big move and one that I’m mighty glad to see just before *all* the msm descend on YKOS – it sets a tone. And to readers who first get exposure to the whole liberal blog thing through this article, we look good.
I’ve been pointing out to folks other places that when we are covered by the media, we cannot ask or expect them to agree with our own vision of ourselves or for all the reporters who cover us to share all of our stances, but we can demand that they treat us fairly and give us a chance to speak for ourselves. Matt Bai did that quite nicely I think.
Seems to be international relations day at the White House.
The Iraqis are in a sour mood as they learn that American Marines apparently murdered 24 Iraqis in cold blood cause they were in a real bad mood.
In Afghanistan-there are riots and deaths because of americans bombed a bunch of babies and then maybe killed some Afghans in a vehicle collison.
The brits are pissed on account of our president ordered the Poodle to change a speech- and the poodle DID it. Poodle now denies the whole thing.
Yer doin a heckofajob there Clusterfuck!
At least CNN has reported *though sorta in passing) that the US troops shot into a civilian crowd which appears to have launched today’s demonstrations – and they have also reported tht the demonstrations were not al quaeda but Kabul citizens upset with Karzai and the US.
RWCole at 59…
And this: (From rawstory)
http://apnews.myway.com/articl…..K2CO1.html
Simple short version. Never trust your government. It’s likely to lie it’s ass off to cover what it doesn’t want you to see.
Truly, I’m sickened by what our government has done in our names, with our votes and our money.
-Greg
zennurse 54 – no worries. I don’t do the gravitas thing very well, so we’re even….
siun, I’m still trying to find a moment for the Bai-line.
Gawd, I found another one…
=============================================
I hate blogs, and yet now I find myself doing one.
For the most part, blogs are written by half-wits with half-opinions who bitch about the failures of media and yet don’t understand that they, in fact, are media.
Media create reality, and my problem with most blogs (and most newscasts and some major newspapers) is that they don’t create it responsibly. Media proliferation confuses the populace. Media proliferation also allows anyone to find someone saying anything he or she wants to hear.
Big fan of guns? Someone’s got a Web publication promoting the type of propaganda you want to hear.
Not a fan of guns? It’s the same story.
Which is why I believe responsible media have an obligation to separate themselves from blog-by-night, sell-insurance-by-day “citizen journalists.”
This is not a blog. This is journalism.
============================================
I think he’s a sanctimonious prick. Sorry gang, I haven’t figured out how to put these cut/paste deals in the kewl shaded box yet…
What is WITH all the religion/oval office talk on Tweety today?
Did the mention of his frequent visits to that pre-op Tranny Bar in SF put the fear of GAWD in him?
rwcole – you have a point but the Iraqi’s have known since it happened about Haditha – and there are many other such reports … they’re just not popular with american media.
I followed some links at markfromireland’s to the following sites which are very worth following for more unfiltered news from Iraq:
http://dailywarnews.blogspot.c…..3065636400
and a very important voice from Iraq:
http://baghdadtreasure.blogspot.com/
also:
http://truth-about-iraqis.blogspot.com/
Sophist – thank you for the pointer to the Dem NeoCon story. We had all better be very wary of this development and ready to counter it or a Dem victory may not be what we want it to be.
Oh, siun, I was hoping you might be around and respond, I was interested in your POV. I understand what you say about media not always agreeing, and I realize coverage will probably be all over the place, but there was just an undertone to this piece that didn’t sit well with me, particulary at the end regarding how in a few voting cycles, our voices will be the ones in Congress. It felt to me he was saying the hoopla will die down and we will become politicians in the traditional stripe. It seemed to me there might have been a greater focus on the unique nature of the conference and the difference in the message coming from the blogosphere, rather than lumping the netroots into the just-another-constituency-to-be-exploited category. I loved the profile of Gina who sounds fabulous, and clearly must be. I’ll reread and try to see it through your eyes.
Zenn … one thing that’s been interesting to me is to see how uncomfortable we are with “good press” … Matt Bai says we’ll be in Congress which I take as saying, from his viewpoint, that we will have the influence we are aiming at. Will we create a new model? that’s up to us … and remains to be seen
but will be have the power to shape what happens in DC, Bai says yes and I’ll happily take that as a starting place.
Oilfield — to use the feature called “blockquote”, try this:
[blockquote]Text you want to quote inside here[/blockquote]
Replace the brackets with the right/left carets “” = ]
Check your work in Preview first. With HTML, you need to do manually tell a browser to begin a format and end a format, with a forward slash indicating end.
lord, my typos are totally out of control today… the last should read “but will we have the power …”
I was amazed that the NYT Mag tried at all, and I haven’t quite digested Bai’s take on YKos yet, but I’ll re-read it. Also, somewhere I heard that the Young Dems are gonna be across the strip from YKos, with lots of opportunities for cross-talk and such I hope. The Old/Young meet the New/Old, so to speak….
Nuts, this comment system hides carets and plus signs when they appear by themselves. Oh well…
RE: Dem PNAC folks — this is no surprise to many of us. These names you’ve seen mentioned as “hawkish Dems” or “PNAC supporters” (although not signors to the original PNAC mission) are virtually one-for-one the roll call of the DLC.
F*ck the DLC. And watch your backs because they are as deceptive and treacherous as their RNC-PNAC counterparts.
Rayne … agreed but notice the several of these are also working on being stars of the netroots (Warner, Vilsak) – neocon, it’s not just for joe anymore!
Rayne says
cool – thanks!
Okay, I’ll try:
Good weekend. I had a great time today with my goats and with my ex at the crab house. I got to know the bunny who lives under my house. And the yapdogs from hell who live 10 feet away are still gone with their mom & dad. It’s been like a zen retreat.
Zenn – when do you get to Vegas? I’ll be in by Tues afternoon and will be pretty busy but I’m determined to grab time with FDL friends so let’s plan something!
Sharkbabe- re: the yapdogs- have you thought of buying one of those ultrasonic zappers for yipping control? At least, that’s how they are advertised. I have some yapdogs living near me, and I am considering trying it out. Maybe someone else has used this method and can report?
Oilfieldguy,
Excellent first effort in html formatting. I found the following sites very helpful when I wanted to learn some very basic html code:
http://www.ranchoweb.com/help/html.php
http://www.practiceboard.com/
The first link provides some of the basic codes and the second is a practice page where you can actually see your work.
The most important thing to remember is to use the slash to close your code or lots of people will be very irritated with you.
Wouldn’t you know…it looks like I’ve just EPU’d myself.
As I suspected, Jane’s got Lamont Rocks Steady upstairs for us all.
VG – do tell on the ultrasound?
our pup has discovered he now has this big scary voice and he’s using it too much – I wouldn’t zap him though – we’re trying to do the good dog training bit of taking his barking as a serious warning, showing him that we’re checking out whatever he alerts to and so he can relax … so far, he doesn’t think we’re anywhere near cautious enough though! Today, I clearly was slacking when I didn’t take out our neighbor who walked by the door with a stack of scary chairs for his porch! Poor Omar was really disappointed with my protective abilities!
siun, this is EPU, but I’ll email you.
ok, i’ve pledged to stop writing comments on other blogs that are merely blogwhoring for my own.
um…..
well, ok, i guess i have nothing to say.
VG 78 – that’s a thought indeed. I don’t know why these perfectly nice people across from me think it’s the normalest, unremarkablest thing in the world to have their new neighbor be assaulted by constant violent noise and physical lurching at my every approach to my home such that me and their owners can’t even exchange pleasantries over the din and I can’t even move about my own kitchen without these ridiculous creatures seeing into my house and screaming at my existence. If these were my dogs I would be mortified and would do something to stop it. People think dog assaults/destruction of peace/making relating impossible is something cute or normal, I just don’t get it. What if it was their freakin kid doing such antics. I’m the biggest animal lover in the world but some people should not be allowed them.
Siun- this is a device I’ve seen advertised in one of those many catalogs I get that I don’t want. Alas, I’ve just been doing some housecleaning and tossed the info (recycled paper). General idea is that dogs can hear frequencies we can’t and this device gives such, at a range unpleasant for the dog (push button, ultrasound bleep). I’ve assumed it’s not necessarily painful, but more like talking to them at a level they can understand. Maybe ask at your local pet store?
Sharkbabe- okay!!! there may even be some devices that can be set to be triggered by barking- I kinda remember that. If I were you I would be totally upset. It really is an intrusion.
http://www.comforthouse.com/barfredogtra.html
My quickest of googling does show that there are physical limitations to the device. So, I would check the idea out with some one who really knows what they’re doing (not me)- a vet, the local SPCA, etc. etc.
“My name is Ombudsmandias!”
My Turn
looks like it works
editor&publisher
Does Doug Duncan count? He’s not in the House, but he is the Dem county executive in MoCo. I have a frightening feeling that the money going to Duncan’s campaign in 1999 was the only thing that the WaPo resporters had as an “Ambramoff tainted” contribution to a democrat in their quiver.
It doesn’t really absolve Little Debbie of her idiocy, but when you live within a stone’s throw of 495, it might count.
This is all part of the Safavian trial.
Lord love ‘ Luvvie*’ – because I surely don’t
( *Mrs Thurston Howell the turd )
Thank fuck for Froomkin and frootz!
Jane,
A few years ago, I managed to register bobleveyisafuckingidiot.com. Levey was the WaPo’s metro columnist, and he was indeed a fucking idiot (although more amusing and not as dangerous as Debbie).
I had thought about registering debbiehowellisafuckingidiot.com after her first two columns but didn’t. If nothing else it would make a great email address for sending in letters to the editor.
What was the rest of that comment…? “When God closes a door…” He opens a window and somebody jumps..yeah I think thats it.