Coulter, Corn, Rosen, etc.

Last night I ALMOST posted a lengthy piece responding to Ann Coulter's absurd column on Gannongate. I stopped myself because ... well, something told me to wait.

In the final analysis, I felt that much of what I had to say was weak -- certainly more relevant than Coulter's propaganda, but not the kind of real reportage that the situation requires. Besides, this isn't a partisan blog. It's a media blog. So I sat down and shut up.

This morning I found two excellent pieces on the subject, and I'm glad my intuition was in form last night. David Corn and Jay Rosen have written excellent articles on the subject, and Rosen's piece is probably the best thing I've read on the larger story of what's happening to the press in Washington, period.

Corn's "Problems with Gannongate" explains why sometimes it's best to look a gift horse in the mouth. He fails to frame the story in the larger context, at least for my tastes, but this kind of critical review is absolutely essential.

Rosen's "In the Press Room of the White House that is Post Press" is just an amazing summary of the current situation. It puts Gannon/Guckert in that context I crave, and actually expands it.

Do yourself a favor. If you read nothing else today, read the Rosen piece.