The American Spectator

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 5:32PM

I love it when somebody tells me who is a good reporter and who is not. Somehow I think the Republican and conservatives will survive without immature, unprofessional "journalists" covering the conservative movement or politics in general.

Of course, he's a personal friend, and this post is cronyism, defined. Hell, why don't we run Weigel against Obama in 2012? Rally around the Weigel, conservatives. His job prospects is what matters.

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 5:36PM

If conservatives don't expect more than Weigel types, the liberal press will be more happy to meet that low expectation. :)

thirteen28| 6.29.10 @ 5:52PM

... and Antle shows that the Beltway inbreeding continues.

W. James Antle III| 6.29.10 @ 6:02PM

I hope not. Weigel and I would have some ugly children.

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:25PM

A blogger at HotAir or Free Republic (I forget now) said Weigel looked like an obese Charlie Sheen.

That cracked me up.

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 5:59PM

I wouldn't call Antle "Beltway". He writes for the American Conservative too, it appears, which is for redneck Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul "conservatives. Teh heh.

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 6:03PM

I think Nordlinger over at the Corner has the pulse of "the conservative people". The American Spectator regarding Weigel.......not so much, outside of Jeffrey Lord, so far.

‘Cheering in the Pressbox’ [Jay Nordlinger]

This afternoon, I wrote a long, rather huffy post on liberal media bias. It was prompted by 1) those reporters who were caught on tape trashing Sarah Palin, and 2) the David Weigel affair. I have deep-sixed the post, however — spiked it. I can huff about media bias again, as I have in the past. (And I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll — not budge the house an inch.)

Let me instead say this: I think many of my conservative colleagues are far too gingerly when it comes to liberal media bias. Far too timid, delicate, and forgiving. For a long time, complaining about media bias has been seen as uncouth. It’s something we all need to learn to live with, like death, taxes, and mosquitoes. Don’t be uncool by bitching about it, man.

I wish I could find an Abe Rosenthal column, written many years ago. It was about the reluctance of Jews to call anti-Semitism anti-Semitism, when anti-Semitism presented itself. They were eternally worried about “crying anti-Semitism” — so they stayed mute, when they should have been crying.

So unusual was this column, it was thrilling.

It’s hard to know just when to pull the trigger — entirely a matter of judgment. Some people are too quick on the anti-Semitism trigger (or the racism trigger), and some people are too slow. It takes real judgment — real knowing — to pull it at exactly the right moment.

Every now and then, the curtain is pulled back on the mainstream media — and we see how these guys talk and act when they’re at their most authentic. This is important. Liberal media bias is maybe something we all have to live with, but that doesn’t mean it’s something to ignore, be blasé about, or excuse.

I’m grateful to both Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters for something: They admitted, yes, the media are liberal, and a good thing, too. It has to be that way, they said. For — and this is Walters talking — journalism involves the “human condition,” and liberals care about the human condition. Unlike conservatives, who of course couldn’t give a rat’s a** about the human condition.

Anyway . . . Conservatives should be frank and bold when it comes to the media, as to everything else. And if others say you’re tiresome or whiny or uncool . . . well, so be it. Did you sign up for conservatism to be cool?

One more thing, before I go: I have a friend who’s an old-school political reporter, practically a dinosaur. He stresses the principle, “No cheering in the pressbox” — a statement taken from sports journalism, obviously. No cheering in the pressbox? The guys I have in mind — mainstream-media reporters all — don’t so much cheer as turn cartwheels while blowing on vuvuzelas. And they are cartwheeling and blowing for the Democratic party.

Matt Heath| 6.29.10 @ 6:23PM

It's my understanding from Bob Tyrell in his recent book that he went to law school with Bill Clinton. I didn't get the sense Mr. Tyrell disliked Clinton on a personal level when they were in college....they could have even been friends, or at least friendly to each other. But that did not stop Mr. Tyrell from being one of Mr. Clinton's harshest critics.

I think some of you younger conservatives on American Spectator need to think about that. :)

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 6:32PM

Oops, that's Mr. Tyrrell with two r's. I always misspell his name.

Mr. Tyrrell, if you need a badass conservative to blog for you, call me. These Weigel cheerleaders can edit my poor sentence structure. I'll provide the logic. :)

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 6:40PM

Mr. Tyrrell with two r's is probably going to come out for Team Weigel now. This kind of thing always happens to a certain anonymous smartass conservative. Oh yeah.

Teflon93| 6.29.10 @ 6:51PM

What is it with you guys?

Get out of the Beltway---you and the NROniks are gutting your magazines because you've gone native, forgotten your principles and carry water for liberals.

For God's sake, where did all the conservative leaders with balls go who would've cracked your heads together like Moe Howard used to do back in the day?

Didn't you guys learn your lesson when you gave us David Brock?

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:23PM

Leave it to Teflon93 to tell it like it is--go for it, Teflon! Haha.

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 7:03PM

Teflon, perhaps a little harsh and broadbrush? Most the guys at National Review and American Spec have not talked about Weigel, despite his long storied journalistic career of 4 months at WaPo. Teh heh.

In general, people tell defend their friends in public even if it involves telling some white lies, and are more critical of their friends in private. We should forgive these guys, perhaps?

It does make me giggle when some conservative acts like Weigel was this great journalist. He expresses himself like Meghan McCain, and if you look at the things he says on Twitter, he seems like a male bimbo. He's said stuff like "f--- Delaware" and "feels like my life is soundtracked to The Eye of The Tiger" on Twitter. This doesn't exactly inspire confidence he's the sharpest tool in the shed. Can't criticize the Weigel though....obligatory.

Teflon93| 6.30.10 @ 8:21AM

It certainly doesn't feel too broad brush now that Antle, McCain, and Klein have come out slobbering all over good buddy Dave Weigel.

We are judged to some extent by the company we keep. All the moreso when we manifest a willingness to utterly abandon principles we've claimed to hew to in print on behalf of a backstabbing "buddy" like Weigel.

We either stand for something or we don't. I thought that something was conservatism; it apparently is Beltway cocktail circuit comity.

This is why the Leviathan state marches on unopposed---because to stop the gravy train would piss off the cool kids who let us belly up to their bar for a beer on occasion.

SoCon| 6.30.10 @ 11:54AM

I already knew that Antle and Klein were squishes--RSM surprised me, though.

"Cool kids" are usually weak (usually liberal) and need the security of the 'group' to feel secure. Thanks but no thanks. Not my style.

Teflon93| 6.30.10 @ 12:13PM

Didn't RSM write an hysterical article at some point about heading into hick country after that hoax involving the person who killed himself and tried to blame it on anti-government people?

At first I'd thought it was intended to be tongue-in-cheek.....

SoCon| 6.30.10 @ 3:45PM

Yes, RSM wrote that article--and it was a little hysterical.
McCain's article made me laugh, but not as much as the responses--I think one of them was yours, Teflon. :)

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 8:12PM

I thought he was a liberal. He had no sense of humor. Yet he did his job diligently. When I saw him attack my book a week or so ago, I thought he had his job assured him for life. It just show that no good deed is left unpunished.

-R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., Editor in Chief,The American Spectator

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 8:18PM

Weigel has revealed himself to be a juvenile, petty hack of questionable character, positioned to do more damage to the cause of conservatism, than most. So, I’m glad he resigned. And when I see more establishment types like Josh Trevino, Liz Mair and Ed Morrisey defending him on Twitter, it strikes me as the same thing that works against conservative politicians when they go to DC. It becomes more about being popular, well-liked and connected, than it is about fighting with one’s full measure for political principles. If nothing else, it demonstrates how the useful idiot category is expanding on the Right in New Media, perhaps particularly due to consultants and bloggers who want themselves, or their clients mentioned favorably in the Post, or wherever, more than they want to actually win. As I told Stacy McCain in an email, if you want friends and links, join a book club and stay out of ideological politics.”

- Dan Riehl, blogger at Riehl World View

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 8:21PM

Hiring a guy like Weigel to write something with “Inside the conservative movement and Republican Party” in the title confirmed every stereotype conservatives have about the paper. I’d also note that if they’re in the mood to get rid of phony conservatives, Kathleen Parker still has a job…hint, hint.”

- John Hawkins, blogger with Right Wing News

bert| 6.29.10 @ 10:08PM

Everyone is ignoring the Elephant in the room.
Weigel wanted to be invited toloved by the DNC media party crowd. Sally Quinn would only invite to her party clan ,a snide leftist snake that is promoting himself as a conservative while he trashes them non stop.
Just ask Fellow phony conservative / turncoat
Kathleen ( I hate palin) Parker. I bet she is invited to water gun fights with Biden and 4th of July parties with the head Marxist just like Mikey Allen and the rest of the Politico staff ! Now Weigal is a MSDNC where he belongs , I bet he will be asked to join the WH cocktail party Conga lines along with the Andrea Mitchell and the gang at NBC ( National Barack Channel).

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:20PM

I agree; some wimpy conservative writers/pundits want to be included with the liberal DC "in" crowd. What surprised me is that RSM is now one of the wimpy conservative writers.

So high school--yuck!

Teflon93| 6.30.10 @ 8:22AM

Weigel wanted to be loved by the liberal movers and shakers, while Antle, McCain, and Klein want to be loved by WEIGEL.

How pathetic is that?

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:24PM

SoCon,

I wouldn't doubt if one of the Weigel apologists is playing "bert". No offense to bert, if it's not true. :)

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:28PM

I did not write the 10:24 post. What's up with that?

I really do try NOT to talk to myself too much!

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 10:29PM

I disagree with your assement that RSM is a wimpy conservative writer. It takes a lot of courage to show your support for a childish unprofessional liberal journalist who's admitted he's an asshole, and to use this guy to attack conservatives as being "anti-journalist". I don't see Weigel giving McCain any support on his racist comments though. Teh heh.

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:45PM

What was in it for RSM? I still can't figure that out.

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 10:30PM

SoCon

I typed in your name by mistake.

SoCon| 6.29.10 @ 10:46PM

Thought so, but I wasn't sure if it was some troll's weird head-fake.

Matt X| 6.29.10 @ 10:55PM

RSM seems to suffer from self important journalist syndrome. He sees any criticism on any "journalists" as a criticism of all journalists. I think that by criticizing Weigel, I'm more pro-journalism than those that want to give Weigel a free pass. I know a lot of engineers out of work right now, and not because they were unprofessional morons like WEigel, so I have little sympathy for the guy when he whines about thinking his comments were off the record. Every company that I've worked for has told us never to email out anything that you wouldn't want to see on the front of the Wall Street Journal or another newspaper....there is no expectation of privacy in the corporate world. Weigel was in the newspaper business, so he should have know this, if I did, as a mechanical engineer.

Truthyness| 6.30.10 @ 3:38AM

I don't have much use for someone whose favorite word is ratf*cker, however much he may have cosied up to certain conservative bloggers. Maybe he'll have grown up in ten years.

Teflon93| 6.30.10 @ 8:25AM

I think the only thing we can conclude from the Weigel unrequited lovefest on the Right is that our generation of conservative pundits is far weaker than the men who came before them.

Pathetic and depressing.

Man up!

WendyG| 6.30.10 @ 10:40AM

I think Nordlinger nails it in the piece Matt posted above.

And in the meantime, Andrew Breitbart has offered 100K to any enterprising member of the JournoList who will provide him with the entire archive. What interesting reading THAT would be. Brietbart, it seems to me, offers some cover to Weigal in a way, though not as much as I have seen from others here and elsewhere. He believes Weigel was outed for not toeing the liberal line consistantly enough. And that entry into the elite 400 (whether on the JournoList or in general in the DC fishbowl) demands that one toe the liberal line unequivocally. If you want be DC journalist, you just have no choice. You are either in or you are out - way out. Resistance is futile.

Breitbart is certainly right that the whole concept of JournoList is the story - as much or more than Weigel is. The whole notion of it was preposterous, and the opposite of what journalists should do in order to maintin their intergrity and objectivity. http://bigjournalism.com/abrei.....protected/

The other story here is Tucker Carlson, He didn't hesitate to run with this story at Daily Caller. Now that's journalism. I wonder if the fact that he was denied entry to the list a few weeks before he broke the story means anything. Did he have the story then?

An interesting aspect of this is how much the attitude of many conservative bloggers does not mirror what the rank and file feel about this story. It seems terribly obvious to many that Weigel, who at times may have said some things in defense of the right, looks bad in the emails that were leaked. Really bad. And it doesn't bolster the notion that he was Conservative-friendly when he ends up at MSNBC.

I get that he was a friend to many bloggers on the right. But we in the rank and file depend on the writers we respect to give us the unvarnished truth.

Bert | 6.30.10 @ 1:31PM

No I am not astroturfing for Weigal here.
I think its a compliment that I
somone thinks that I am
that devious.
Sadly , I am not. In DC, you are only loved and hanging out with the IN crowd if you trash Republican while pretending to be one.
Just ask Joey S of MSDNC ' The morning Joe "!