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Caveat lector
Archives 1999
ONE DAY ONLY! MILLENNIUM’S END! We close out the year-in-spin:
Our current howler (12/31/99)
Jackie Mason throws off the year’s final spin. But, given the history of the human race, we don’t expect too much to change in the thousand years soon to be dawning.
BAH HUMBUG! IT’S AN AL KAMEN CHRISTMAS! Yes, Virginia, there's something bad wrong with Al and the rest of the crew:
A holiday howler (12/24/99)
Yes, Virginia, there’s something bad wrong with Al Kamen and the rest of this press corps.
TELL US A STORY! Gore attacks, and Bradley won't. It’s a story the pundits love telling:
A Howler epilogue (12/23/99)
After Meet the Press, the Manners Police were out in full force. But the Times’ Robert Pear short-changed substance.Our current howler (part IV) (12/22/99)
The press attacked Gore—and said Bill won’t fight. Then we learned where attacks really come from. (An incomparable DOUBLE EDITION)Our current howler (part III) (12/21/99)
Blankley said Gore was playing real dirty. But he didn’t give any examples.Our current howler (part II) (12/20/99)
Eric Pooley slammed Gore for "attacking" Bradley. He didn’t seem to care whether Gore’s claims were right.Our current howler (part I) (12/17/99)
What’s happenin’ out there in Gore-Bradley land? On Meet the Press, viewers heard a stale story.
A HOWLER EXTRA! THERE SHE GOES AGAIN! Ceci Connolly gives another strange account of something her favorite guy never said:
A Howler EXTRA (12/18/99)
There she goes again, dear readers! Ceci Connolly is now inventing whole phrases that Vice President Gore never said.
SPLIT SCREEN! Scribes have experienced a “swoon” for McCain. In the process, some standards may have suffered:
Our current howler (part III) (12/16/99)
Scribes have experienced a “swoon” for McCain. In the process, some standards may have suffered.Our current howler (part II) (12/15/99)
Can the press corps determine what McCain is really like? Forgive us if we lack total confidence.Our current howler (part I) (12/14/99)
Slate’s Jake Tapper made it three about what went on at that Dem town hall forum.
ONE DAY ONLY! New York City’s test scores may not be what they seem. But the same thing is true of some "experts":
Our current howler (12/13/99)
Bill O’Reilly wanted to know about cheating on tests. Alas! His show called in an expert.
ONE DAY ONLY! PASSAGE AGGRESSIVE! We curl up with a puzzling new book:
Our current howler (12/10/99)
Gene Lyons read a passage from Gail Sheehy’s book. For us, it recalled other problems. (PLUS: Gail Collins, on who don’t reed books.)
HOWLER OVERVIEW! Did Gore embellish? We know the Post did. We draw our incomparable conclusions:
Our current howler (part I) (12/09/99)
Bill Turque—a straight shooter—says Gore embellished. We pose some incomparable questions. (ALSO: Kurtz on McCain coverage)Our current howler (part II) (12/09/99)
Where did Connolly get that quote? The Post owes its readers some answers.
ANATOMY OF A PSEUDO-SCANDAL! Love Canal islike Love Story! They both have been all gimmicked up:
A Howler EXTRA (12/08/99)
Have we ever used the word "liar" before? Today we do, of the Washington Times.Our current howler (part IV) (12/08/99)
Inventive scribes paraphrase freely, telling us what hopefuls "said."A Howler EXTRA (12/07/99)
The grumbling Post finally made a correction. Predictably, the correction is wrong. (Plus: Brian Williams does "margin of error.")Our current howler (part III) (12/07/99)
Low bridge! Every standard down! Carefully parsing pundits were troubled by Gore’s recent statement on Love Canal.A Howler EXTRA (12/06/99)
We don’t think we’ve ever run an EXTRA before. That’s how bad This Week was this Sunday.Our current howler (part II) (12/06/99)
The press corps loves the Love Story tale. There’s only one problem—it’s wrong.Our current howler (part I) (12/03/99)
It’s hard to be less concerned with the truth than Chris Matthews is. But the Post and the Times have both done it.
TOTALLY BY THE BOOK! A strange book review in the New York Times shows the power of conventional wisdom:
Our current howler (part IV) (12/02/99)
As literature, Kakutani’s review of Earth in the Balance reads like something from oppo research.Our current howler (part III) (12/01/99)
Are you curious to know what Gore’s book says? Kakutani’s review never tells you.Our current howler (part II) (11/30/99)
Some pundits couldn’t think of a thing when asked to explain Gore’s tough coverage.Our current howler (part I) (11/29/99)
A strange review of five hopefuls’ books showed the power of conventional wisdom.
PROCESS SERVERS! Scribes seem to love those "process" stories. We start to sketch out why they shouldn’t:
Our current howler (part IV) (11/26/99)
Margaret Carlson just couldn’t believe that Ol’ Authentic would spend time planning ads.Our current howler (part III) (11/24/99)
A process story about a Bradley fund-raiser starts to show where the genre can lead.Our current howler (part II) (11/23/99)
The press corps cares about who’s in and out. They don’t always seem to care who is right.Our current howler (part I) (11/22/99)
Howard Fineman says hopefuls just hate "process" stories. Sally Quinn’s recent piece shows us why..
ONE DAY ONLY! TALKER TWOFER! A tabloid talker shows why Hardball is the most inventive hour of talk on the air:
Our current howler (part I) (11/19/99)
Let's play airball! A tabloid talker’s powerful new alliance threw up a brick Wednesday night.Our current howler (part II) (11/19/99)
A tabloid talker helps show why we spent so much time on the Dem town hall forum.
ONE DAY ONLY! HOTSEAT EPILOG! Naughty pundits say THE HOWLER is biased:
The Howler epilog (11/18/99)
Some in the press have accused us of bias. We suggest they just deal with the things that we’ve said.
HOWLER ON THE HOTSEAT! Why so much coverage of Dems? Why so much coverage of Gore? We respond to two recent letters:
Our current howler (part IV) (11/17/99)
That press corps loves to run in a pack. Their next target could be George Bush.Our current howler (part III) (11/16/99)
Gore has gone back ahead in New Hampshire state polls. There’s a good chance that you haven’t heard it.Our current howler (part II) (11/15/99)
Are hopefuls other than Gore getting trashed? Our analysts have looked—but in vain.Our current howler (part I) (11/12/99)
We waited for more silly columns on Bush. Six months later, THE HOWLER’s still waiting.
A DAILY HOWLER CONTROLLED-SUBSTANCE WATCH! Reaction to the Dem town hall forum shows the press corps’ aversion to substance:
Our current howler (part IV) (11/11/99)
Good-bye, Hanover! Whistle-blowin’ Eric Pooley coolly supported what our phone caller said.Our current howler (part III) (11/10/99)
After the forum, Margaret Carlson explained why the pundits weren’t talking about substance.Our current howler (part II) (11/09/99)
How can voters bone up on substance? Tucker Carlson had a novel idea.Our current howler (part I) (11/07/99)
Eleven days after the Dem town hall forum, still no word on that Emory health study.
A DAILY HOWLER SPINDRIFT CYCLE! Where does spin come from? We don't know. But we got clues from the Dem town hall forum:
Our current howler (part IV) (11/05/99)
Al Hunt, the press corps’ final straggler, finally agreed with the crew.Our current howler (part III) (11/04/99)
Jacob Weisberg said some silly things. So the other kids decided to ape him.Our current howler (part II) (11/03/99)
A phone call from the Dem town hall forum shed some light on CelebCorps’ strange conduct.Our current howler (part I) (11/02/99)
Where does spin come from? We’re not sure. But Jeff Greenfield managed to call the shot on press coverage of the Dem town hall forum.
HOWLER SPECIAL! LET THE GAMES BEGIN! Coverage of the Dem town hall meeting showed the press corps' great love for high style:
Our current howler (part IV) (11/01/99)
By Friday, the pundits all said the same thing about Gore. It was different right after the forum.Our current howler (part III) (11/01/99)
How did the hopefuls "come across" and "connect?" The press corps just loves the subjective.Our current howler (part II) (10/29/99)
Gore said Bradley would spend too much on health. On three follow-up shows, nobody noticed.Our current howler (part I) (10/28/99)
Debate preview! When CNN brought on Carlson and Carlson, it sounded more like Cheech and Chong.
ONE DAY ONLY! Pundits pretend:
Our current howler (10/27/99)
A pair of talkers had some big fun, pretending a shutdown was coming.
ONE DAY ONLY! A HOWLER EPILOG! An op-ed on the Post's "biographical story" showed the power of conventional wisdom.
Our current howler (10/26/99)
A column on the Post’s "biographical story" was another tribute to conventional wisdom.
FROM THE HOWLER’S WORLD-FAMOUS BIO-WATCH LABS! Did Gore grow up rich? Was the little guy stiff? A Washington Post "biographical story" shows the power of conventional wisdom:
Our current howler (part IV) (10/21/99)
Charles Krauthammer says scribes should stop acting like shrinks. We say: Back to basics.Our current howler (part III) (10/20/99)
The writers insist that young Gore was stiff. Their reporting seems to say something different.Our current howler (part II) (10/19/99)
Did young Al Gore grow up in a "suite?" A letter to the New York Times helped show why such foolishness matters..Our current howler (part I) (10/18/99)
When Gore was a kid, were his parents rich? You’d likely think so from the Maraniss bio.
ONE DAY ONLY! When the analysts interrupted our Saturday slumber, we just knew it had to be Ol’ Reliable:
Our current howler (10/15/99)
Ceci Connolly lambasted poor Bradley and Gore—for something The Dub does too.
A HOWLER BIG PICTURE REPORT! It’s time to ask an awkward question. Is the press corps sand-bagging Gore?
Our current howler (part IV) (10/14/99)
Fred Barnes described how the press corps works. It sounded like Lord of the Flies.Our current howler (part III) (10/13/99)
According to a talker, Gore is danged if he do. And oh yes--Gore is danged if he don’t.Our current howler (part II) (10/12/99)
The press corps’ vacuous coverage of Gore insults the public interest.Our current howler (part I) (10/11/99)
It’s time to ask an awkward question. Is the press corps sand-bagging Gore?
CHERCHEZ LA TEXTE! The press corps railed against Pat Buchanan. They frequently by-passed his text:
Our current howler (part III) (10/08/99)
Buchanan attempted to raise a point. The chattering press corps ignored it.Our current howler (part II) (10/06/99)
Pundits slammed Buchanan’s message. But they rarely got around to his text.Our current howler (part I) (10/05/99)
Michael Kelly’s recent columns on Pat Buchanan are a study in press corps banality.
THURSDAY, 10/7/99: Direct from THE HOWLER Overview File! "The 21-year-old intern (and other urban legends). How the press corps improves on the news." [See discussion tonight on The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel, 8 & 11 P.M.]
OUR MARGIN-OF-ERROR WEEK-LONG GALA! Reporting polls, the press plays the margin—and keeps one Big Fact to itself:
Our current howler (part IV) (10/01/99)
If pollsters give the public a chance, they’ll admit they don’t have an opinion.Our current howler (part III) (09/30/99)
When the public doesn’t have a clue, the press finds a way to explain it.Our current howler (part II) (09/29/99)
A recent Pew survey revealed a fact the press corps rarely mentions.Our current howler (part I) (09/28/99)
Gore led Bradley in all three polls. At the Post, that meant they were even.
ONE DAY ONLY! Another tale of the mainstream press corps' aversion to self-critique:
Our current howler (09/27/99)
The New York Times’ newest columnist--an editorial board member--hasn't heard of Fools for Scandal.
ONE DAY ONLY! Urban ed! We followed Mike Wallace to school one day:
Our current howler (09/24/99)
When 60 Minutes reported on a middle school program, it recycled a tired old tale. (More to come.)
DON'T FENCE THEM IN! As the press discussed Waco and the FALN, they sketched out two New Rules for public discourse:
Our current howler (part IV) (09/23/99)
The press corps still hasn’t reported the simplest facts about the clemency matter.Our current howler (part III) (09/22/99)
Coverage of FALN clemency has showcased another New Rule--today’s pundit should focus on motive.Our current howler (part II) (09/21/99)
When Spence and Donaldson discussed the Waco disaster, a new rule held sway: "evidence optional."Our current howler (part I) (09/20/99)
When Hardball’s gang discussed Waco and the FALN, they revealed a new concept of evidence.
A HOWLER SEQUEL! Again we see how bad it can get when the press corps starts clowning around:
Our current howler (09/17/99)
Dana Milbank is making a powerful bid to win a Silver Sewer.
OUR BELATED BACK-TO-SCHOOL REPORT! Pundits demand that our school kids get back to the basics. We're suggesting the press corps should too.
Our current howler (part IV) (09/15/99)
Five papers explained Social Security’s future problem. Uh oh--they explained it in five different ways.Extra! (09/14/99)
In today’s Post, Eric Pianin shows us how silly it gets when we pretend that we have a real surplus.Our current howler (part III) (09/13/99)
No fiscal argument, no matter how bogus, gets challenged by the mainstream press.Our current howler (part II) (09/10/99)
Dick Armey avoided the basics on Meet the Press. A guest host showed no sign of knowing.Our current howler (part I) (09/09/99)
A caller wanted the lockbox explained. Jeff Birnbaum fell down on his basics.
TWO DAYS ONLY! A tabloid talker told the story he liked about that clemency offer:
Our current howler (part II) (09/08/99)
Lock up the children! Tape and view later! A singing professor helped continue Hardball’s FALN-flam.Our current howler (part I) (09/07/99)
Why did Carter and O’Connor support FALN commutation? We don’t know--we’ve been reading the press corps.
SPECIAL EDITION! Waco madness and Ceci Connolly! We give you a Labor Day twofer:
Our current howler (09/03/99)
The crackpots and crazies aren’t all in militias. They’re on cable, overstating on Waco.Smile-a-while (09/03/99)
The tomfoolery simply never stops with the Washington Post’s puzzling Ceci Connolly.
HOWLER HERMENEUTICS! Scribes don't squeal on other scribes! Four reports on the corps' Code of Silence:
Our current howler (part IV) (09/02/99)
CNN's Reliable Sources sometimes seems to offer PR for the press corps.Our current howler (part III) (09/01/99)
This press corps doesn’t do self-critique. Fools for Scandal—and Whitewater—proved it.Our current howler (part II) (08/31/99)
A Carl Cannon piece revealed the odd thinking behind the press corps’ Code of Silence.Our current howler (part I) (08/30/99)
Kenneth Walsh knew the farm chores flap was a hoax. In best press corps style, he didn’t say so.
ONE DAY ONLY! As we predicted, the press corps' back-sliding has begun on that bogus surplus:
Our current howler (08/27/99)
In July, William Welch explained that the surplus was bogus. As of yesterday, it seems he’s forgotten.
Should we judge the hopefuls on personal conduct? The Clinton years show where it goes:
Our current howler (part IV) (08/27/99)
Why should we avoid judging hopefuls on drugs? It keeps us from topics that matter.Our current howler (part III) (08/26/99)
Did Daschle direct the press to trash Bush? As usual, there’s no way to tell.Our current howler (part II) (08/25/99)
What’s wrong with exploring public figures’ private lives? Gennifer Flowers showed where it all leads.Our current howler (part I) (08/24/99)
The burst of excitement about Bush and drugs got the better of sensible Paul Gigot.
ONE MORE DAY! For future rederence, we put three surplus-critiques on the record:
Our current howler (08/23/99)
Morton Kondracke’s words convinced us. We need to create a basic record about the projected surplus.
MORE HOWLER HISTORY! Links to the past:
More HOWLER history (08/20/99)
Three position papers on Medicare madness, composed when the DAILY HOWLER was young.
HOWLER HISTORY! The press corps got the surplus right, and Medicare wrong. It’s instructive to understand why:
Our current howler (part IV) (08/20/99)
The press corps knows the surplus ain’t real. But often, they can’t bear to say it.Our current howler (part III) (08/19/99)
Last month, the press corps clarified the surplus debate. Where were they in ’95-96?Our current howler (part II) (08/18/99)
In 1996, the Medicare debate was a tale of three numbers. The press corps kept giving you two.Our current howler (part I) (08/17/99)
In June, both parties said there would be a big surplus. The Post said, “Not so fast.”
ONE DAY ONLY! Minor mishap! Trying to read that straw poll:
Minor mishaps (08/16/99)
Someone slipped Russert some terrible data as the scribes asked what Ames really meant.
ONE DAY ONLY! Our epilogia! The most striking remark of the week:
The Howler epilog (08/13/99)
The New Republic, in an editorial, made the most striking remark of the week.
Talk magazine helped showcase our favorite dysfunction—that of the Washington press:
Our current howler (part IV) (08/12/99)
The pundits finally read the Talk piece. It didn’t seem to help.Our current howler (part III) (08/11/99)
Does Mrs. Clinton think the president has an “addiction?” Several pundits made it seem that she did.Our current howler (part II) (08/10/99)
It’s hard to know what Hillary thinks. But don’t bet on the press corps to say so.Our current howler (part I) (08/09/99)
The Talk magazine article showed us one thing—our press corps don’t read all that good.
EXTRA! Even with the analysts off at the beach, we respond to Jim Nickolson's latest:
Our current howler (08/06/99)
Does it matter if party chairmen lie? Jim Nicholson keeps testing CelebCorps.
ONE DAY ONLY! Howler history! As the analysts headed off for a summer weekend, they asked us to file this report:
Howler history (08/05/99)
Howler history! When Melinda Henneberger researched Love Story, a great urban legend was born.
ONE DAY ONLY! The Howler perspective! Why the press corps needs to respond to hopelessly gimmicked-up stories:
A Howler prescription (08/04/99)
Sammon’s latest shows why the press should speak up when Big Spin appears in the discourse.Smile-a-while (08/04/99)
Just how silly can Bill Sammon get? Pretty silly—and Melinda made two.
The Washington Times ginned up the Gore canoe story. The rest of the major press didn't care:
Our current howler (part IV) (08/03/99)
When the major press looked the other way, the lying got started in earnest.Our current howler (part III) (08/02/99)
While regional papers examined the facts, the New York Times played along with Bill Sammon.Our current howler (part II) (07/30/99)
Bill Sammon says Gore didn’t know from the water. So why was this even a story?Our current howler (part I) (07/29/99)
As the Washington Post cranked out RNC spin, the mighty Rutland Herald got workin’.
Hay-yo! Attitude check! Many scribes now seem to believe that the news is really all about them:
The Howler postscript (07/28/99)
Hay-yo! Times reporters enjoy making like Jay, cracking wise on the veep’s wooden nature.Our current howler (part IV) (07/27/99)
Melinda Henneberger seems to believe we’re electing a federal dance instructor.Our current howler (part III) (07/26/99)
Today’s reporter likes nothing better than recording his or her matchless insights.Our current howler (part II) (07/23/99)
A pair of pundits seem to believe that the news is really all about them.Our current howler (part I) (07/22/99)
Melinda Henneberger found an amusing new way to showcase her masterful wit.
ONE DAY ONLY! Michael Kelly was up to old tricks, "quoting" George Stephanopoulos:
Our current howler (07/22/99)
Michael Kelly doctored a quote to prove that you just can’t trust Bill.
How much has the Gore campaign spent? Connolly and Glasser won't tell you:
The Howler postscript (07/20/99)
It didn’t take long for the Post team’s spin to get echoed elsewhere in the media.Our current howler (part II) (07/19/99)
On Saturday, Connolly and Glasser’s follow-up piece was a work of outright deception.Our current howler (part I) (07/16/99)
Connolly and Glasser continue along with gruesome campaign finance spinning.
The Los Angeles Times studied Bush-in-war. Our analysts spied spin and distortion:
Our current howler (part IV) (07/15/99)
Examining candidates’ bios makes sense--until the press corps starts doing it.Our current howler (part III) (07/14/99)
Two papers, examining Bush-in-war, seemed to be talking about two different people.Our current howler (part II) (07/13/99)
Throughout Serrano’s profile of Bush-in-war, irrelevant data fail to prove implied points.Our current howler (part I) (07/12/99)
An L.A. Times study of Bush-in-war is a textbook of spin and insinuation.
ONE DAY ONLY! CelebCorps showed no spin is too dim when it broadcast that Gore got no bounce:
Our current howler (07/07/99)
Is there any spin the press won’t repeat? Here’s one that we thought took the cake.
ONE DAY ONLY! Has anyone here seen Fred (Wertheimer)? Big Money took on a whole new look when Bush took the lead in fund-raising:
Our current howler (07/06/99)
The Post and the Times changed some numbers around when Bush took the lead in fund-raising.The Howler footnote (07/06/99)
A Rick Berke piece on Bush fund-raising made Big Money seem like a sweet dream.
Margaret Carlson said, “Everyone gets his announcement day.” Along came Diane Sawyer:
Our current howler (part IV) (07/02/99)
If we thought our public discourse mattered, we wouldn’t hand it over to a guy like Jim Nicholson.Our current howler (part III) (07/01/99)
ONE DAY ONLY! The analysts told us to drop ancient history and report on that Money Man Bush.Our current howler (part II) (06/30/99)
The farm chore hoohah had gone away until Diane Sawyer revived it.Our current howler (part I) (06/29/99)
Diane Sawyer grilled Gore on the night of his speech. Incredibly, those farm chores were back.
TWO DAYS ONLY! A major inquiry! How much do we know about Bush?
Our current howler (part II) (06/28/99)
Ten-year-olds love to search for the truth. Why can’t the press corps do likewise?Our current howler (part I) (06/25/99)
Selective reporting by the press has kept The Dub’s secret from view.
ONE DAY ONLY! Money matters! Fund-raising again rears ugly head!
Our current howler (06/24/99)
The celebrity press corps keeps playing games with reports on the hopefuls’ fund-raising.
The pundits swore they'd tear into Bush. We saw something else going on:
Epilogue (06/23/99)
The New York Times had page one fun with another unloved White House hopeful.Our current howler (part IV) (06/22/99)
We think the press should avoid double standards--and should try to say things that are true.Our current howler (part III) (06/21/99)
It was the best of coverage, it was the worst of coverage, as the press corps got tough on Love Story.Our current howler (part II) (06/18/99)
Bush blew hot and cold on warming. The press didn't utter a word.Our current howler (part I) (06/17/99)
The pundits swore they’d “dissect every word.” So far, we haven’t quite seen it.
ONE DAY ONLY! Gaffers unite!
Our current howler (06/16/99)
Gore misspoke about teens and guns. But then, so did Brokaw and Rather.
ONE DAY ONLY! New York Times on Wen Ho Lee:
Our current howler (06/15/99)
The New York Times has finally acknowledged the weakness of the case against Lee.
Press critique stops at the water's edge. But we will take a quick look at Kosovo:
Our current howler (part III) (06/14/99)
After being wrong about everything else, the pundits remained sure about ground troops.A Howler follow-up (06/12/99)
Mara Liasson scolded folks who wouldn’t give Clinton credit. She neglected to mention the press.Our current howler (part II) (06/11/99)
Pundits now found themselves under big pressure to explain why Vile Bill hadn’t “won.”A Howler follow-up (06/10/99)
Pundits continued assuring the public that Wild Bill had just gotten lucky.Our current howler (part I) (06/09/99)
How did Clinton escape a disaster in Kosovo? Grumbling pundits agreed: it was luck.
Did Clinton fib on March 19? We analyze the press corps' favorite question:
Our current howler (part IV) (06/08/99)
Michael Kelly parsed hard for some slick “weasel talk.” Meanwhile, we thought that we saw some ourselves.Our current howler (part III) (06/07/99)
Did Clinton fib on March 19? We present our incomparable critique.Our current howler (part II) (06/04/99)
Did Clinton fib on March 19? The press corps keeps crossing its fingers.Our current howler (part I) (06/03/99)
On the day the Cox Report was released, Deborah Orin thought only of Bill.
Thrilled with the blame game surrounding "Cox," major pundits ignore major issues:
A Howler prelude (06/02/99)
William Safire bungled the downloading story the day after the Times first revealed it..Our current howler (06/02/99)
Fox pundits said no one gets fired any more. In our view, a few of them should be glad.
The press corps continues its D- work in covering the Gore pre-campaign:
Our current howler (part III) (06/03/99)
In a knock-off of a deeply-flawed fund-raising piece, Jill Abramson closely tracked Ceci Connolly.Our current howler (part II) (05/25/99)
Ceci Connolly keeps milking those Gore farm chores--for quite a bit more than they’re worth.Our current howler (part I) (05/24/99)
Our favorite, Bill Press, sat mutely by while Bob Novak engaged in some car talk.
The press corps embraces the Cox Report--as a chance to claim Clinton has lied:
Our current howler (06/01/99)
CelebCorps GroupThink was never so plain as in the case of Janet Reno and Wen Ho Lee.Our current howler (part II) (05/28/99)
When NBC lets Chris Matthews disinform and dissemble, they too undermine our precious system.Our current howler (part I) (05/27/99)
When Chris Matthews disinforms about Reno and Lee, he too undermines our precious system.Postscript (05/26/99)
You won’t believe the other thing that made them suspect Wen Ho Lee.Our current howler (05/26/99)
Monday night was grisly on the nation’s news channels--especially for Reno and Lee.Our current howler (05/25/99)
Safire and Russert think they know Clinton lied. But they haven’t been able to show it.
Kathleen Willey did three hour-long interviews. Journalism doesn't get too much worse:
Minor mishaps (05/21/99)
The New York Times didn’t seem too concerned when Cody Shearer was falsely accused.Our current howler (part IV) (05/20/99)
Hardball’s gong show hit rock bottom when Chris Matthews accused Cody Shearer.Our current howler (part III) (05/19/99)
Howard Kurtz saw nothing much wrong with the way Kathleen Willey was interviewed.Our current howler (part II) (05/18/99)
Kathleen Willey did interviews with Chris, John and Larry. It’s amazing how little they asked.The Howler profile (part I) (05/17/99)
Chris Matthews baldly misled his viewers about Faire Willey’s polygraph test.
Our overwrought analysts finally persuade us to conduct a critique of Maureen Dowd:
The Howler postscript (05/18/99)
Maureen Dowd took liberties with a few basic facts to show what a mess Gore is in.The Howler profile (part III) (05/14/99)
A piece in Brill’s Content helped explain the caliber of Dowd’s recent gunplay.The Howler profile (part II) (05/13/99)
It was disarming to think that Dowd-on-guns was the best that the press corps could muster.The Howler profile (part I) (05/12/99)
Our overwrought analysts critique Maureen Dowd. We begin to consider their outlook.
Ommigod! We can't believe it! The Nation critiques Kathleen Willey!
Our current howler (05/10/99)
In the end, the Steele trial showed one thing--how wrong the press was about Willey.Our current howler (05/05/99)
Apparently, at the Washington Post, half a story is better than none.The Howler review (05/04/99)
Finally! Someone else has written the story we first brought you seven months back.
College kids, don't try this at home! Pundits spin Earth in the Balance:
The Howler epilogue (05/03/99)
We checked with the expert Ben Wattenberg cited. You can probably guess what came next.Smile-a-while (04/30/99)
Tucker Carlson couldn’t find a quote that was silly enough. So he made one a little bit better.Our current howler (part III) (04/29/99)
At the very least, the press corps could muffle the hoo-hah on internal combustion.Our current howler (part II) (04/28/99)
Zelnick’s critique of Earth had us boiling mad--until we took a look at Gore’s text.Our current howler (part I) (04/27/99)
College kids, don’t try this at home! Ben Wattenberg reads Earth in the Balance.
One day only! Clarity rules! Chris clears up the “farm chores” hoo-hah:
The Howler retrospective (04/26/99)
Bob Zelnick showed up to play some hardball. And sure enough, we were right from the start!
Bush and Gore are in the dough. We review the early coverage:
Our current howler (part IV) (04/23/99)Man! Those farm chores just never get old! We revisit:
If pundits think Gore did wrong in the past, they shouldn’t say it by spinning the present.Our current howler (part III) (04/22/99)
Ceci Connolly said Gore was stretching the rules. She seemed to be stretching the language.Our current howler (part II) (04/21/99)
Ceci Connolly was simply amazed by the VP’s vast fund-raising prowess.Our current howler (part I) (04/20/99)
Ceci Connolly described a candidate’s “relentless hunt for cash.” It was the candidate who is raising less money!
The Howler follow-up report (04/19/99)Neutron bombs over Broadway! Jeff Gerth's major story on N-bomb data left most of our questions intact:
A movie man’s piece in USA Today showed THE HOWLER had it right on those chores.
The Howler epilogue (04/19/99)Here at the Howler, did we get fooled! (When we read “Farmer Al,” by Michael Kelly):
Some honchos at the New York Times apparently misread Gerth and Risen.Our current howler (part IV) (04/16/99)
When Gene Lyons raised questions about Jeff Gerth’s work, the press corps pretty much just ignored it.Our current howler (part III) (04/15/99)
Gerth nowhere asserts that Clinton, once informed, dragged his feet or failed to act.Our current howler (part II) (04/14/99)
Jeff Gerth doesn’t quote a single official who says the alleged theft took place.Our current howler (part I) (04/13/99)
Jeff Gerth’s major story on neutron bomb data left most of our questions intact.
A Daily Howler rumination (04/12/99)
That “Scrapbook” gang had its feelings hurt when we sent off a recent letter. (Also: Dowd on Bush.)Life in this celebrity press corps (04/08/99)
Ignoring the hoo-hah about farm chores and movies, the New York Times (pretty much) got it right.Smile-a-while (04/07/99)
Michael Kelly just can’t get over the size of those six great big rooms.The Howler profile (part III) (04/06/99)
Every big profile in the past twelve years had discussed Gore’s life on the farm.A Howler postscript (04/05/99)
The Post came up with a third strange word to describe the vice president’s comments.The Howler profile (part II) (04/05/99)
Kelly and Kristol knew something important: no one looks anything up.The Howler profile (part I) (04/03/99)
Michael Kelly suggested Gore didn’t do all those chores. In ’87, he knew all about them.
Cameras! Action! Big stars! Thrilling drama! The press corps recalled the Love Story flap. As a scandal, it's completely made up:
Our current howler (part IV) (04/02/99)The press began flogging a set of Gore scandals. Too bad that they're wholly made up:
The Love Story hoo-hah was back in the news. Great stories just always seem current.Our current howler (part III) (04/01/99)
A week after Henneberger described what had happened, This Week’s gang didn’t seem to have heard.Our current howler (part II) (03/31/99)
The New York Times learned Gore had been misquoted. They buried it deep in their story.Our current howler (part I) (03/30/99)
Time barely mentioned Gore’s Love Story comment. But Maureen Dowd somehow spied a dark motive.
The Howler review (part III) (03/29/99)From our "Sunday, muddy Sunday" file, an Oscar for Sam and Cokie:
Bill Kristol said Gore had a character flaw. His staff seems to have the same problem.The Howler review (part II) (03/29/99)
We looked up the Standard’s “New Yorker” cite. It turned that out the Standard was fibbing.Our current howler (part IV) (03/29/99)
What Gore had said wasn’t silly enough. So Dick Armey--and the press corps--reinvented it.Our current howler (part III) (03/26/99)
Dick Armey faxed out some Internet spin. The press corps typed it up.The Howler review (03/25/99)
The Weekly Standard was at it again, with a howler from down on the farm.Our current howler (part II) (03/25/99)
Gore’s life on the farm didn’t fit the corps’ story. So they pretended it just never happened.Our current howler (part I) (03/24/99)
The corps began flogging a set of Gore scandals. Too bad that they’re wholly made up.
Life in this celebrity press corps (03/22/99)
On This Week, Sam and Cokie and the rest of the crew won the Oscar for ensemble acting.
Phew! The “Weekly” threw basic standards away in a remarkable issue on Broaddrick:
Our current howler (part V) (03/23/99)
Noemie Emery does a good imitation of the things that she hates in Bill Clinton.Our current howler (part IV) (03/22/99)
When Lanny Davis suggested an obvious possibility, the Standard became Lord of the Flies.Our current howler (part III) (03/19/99)
Bill Kristol’s wishful thinking about Mrs. Broaddrick helps define journalism down.Our current howler (part II) (03/18/99)
We should have seen it coming in the March 8 Standard, when Fred Barnes penned a strange “Love Child II.”Our current howler (part I) (03/17/99)
The “Weekly” threw basic standards away in a remarkable issue on Broaddrick.
Ruminations from the ex-files (Stephanopolous, Gergen and Myers):
Life in this celebrity press corps (03/16/99)
Those crafty pundits are playing it dumb in the matter of Juanita Broaddrick.Our current howler (03/15/99)
Something Stephanopolous couldn’t have heard crept into the Newsweek excerpts.
Appalled by Barbara Walters' interview, we continue to pursue other topics:
Our current howler (03/13/99)
In Friday's Post, Richard Cohen displays the intellectual sloth that typifies the celebrity press.Minor mishaps (03/11/99)
Tom Squitieri’s been chasing Wild Bill’s former girl friends. It’s begun to show up in his work.Our current howler (03/10/99)
When The Nation decided to stick with Hitch, they showed that the truth doesn’t matter.Life in this celebrity press corps (03/09/99)
Tim Russert failed to ask Lindsey Graham about those trips to the Ford Building “sex vault.”
We continue to blush and avert our gaze as the press corps reviews Broaddrick's charges:
Smile-a-while (03/05/99)
Tony Blankley changed his tune when he appeared for an evening of Hardball.Minor mishaps (03/04/99)
Richard Cohen joined yesterday’s pair of scribes in throwing off an historical howler.Our current howler (03/03/99)
Jonathan Alter and Dorothy Rabinowitz have recently become theater critics.The Howler review (03/02/99)
Monday night, Chris Matthews led the Hardball gang through an evening of spin and mayhem.From the Daily Howler assignment desk (03/01/99)
Two story lines which the press corps has missed in working the Broaddrick story.
Gimme a B! Perpetually-furious Michael Kelly led the cheer for Mrs. Broaddrich's allegations:
Life in this celebrity press corps (02/28/99)
It never occurred to the cheerleading press: some tales are part true and part false.Life in this celebrity press corps (02/27/99)
The press corps couldn’t imagine a reason why Broaddrick might be fibbingOur current howler (02/26/99)
The press corps thought it saw a pattern, comparing Juanita Broaddrick with Willey.A Howler question (02/25/99)
The press corps was rushing to judgment last night. They did the same thing back in March.
The Nation becomes the latest journal to misrepresent what Sid said:
A Howler question (02/24/99)
The celebrity press corps needs to explain how it published the Blumenthal story.Life in this celebrity press corps (02/23/99)
It begins to look like the Ken Starr Gang may have been spreading those Blumenthal howlers.Our current howler (02/22/99)
Christopher Hitchens “told all” about Sid--and The Nation spilled over with howlers.
Again: the press corps must stop suppressing the truth about their beloved Kathleen Willey:
Smile-a-while (02/19/99)
The Hardball gang got its shorts in a wad when someone piped up about Linda.A Daily Howler big picture report (02/18/99)
Does it matter if Willey is telling the truth? Only if you think the truth matters.Our current howler (02/17/99)
Linda Tripp changed her story on Larry King Live. Surprise--her host didn’t notice.
Acquittal week dawned bright and unclear. Our review of the sad public discourse:
Smile-a-while (part II) (02/16/99)
If lazy pundits just did their job, they’d understand what the public is thinking.Smile-a-while (part I) (02/15/99)
Monica’s tape convinced us again. The press corps just loves getting spun.Howler postscript (02/14/99)
Another top pundit showcased her skill at ignoring the world’s simplest concept.Our current howler (part II) (02/13/99)
Anyone ever read any transcripts around here? KBH and her Hardball host were unaware of some basic facts.Our current howler (part I) (02/12/99)
Eighth graders understand the idea of high crimes. Michael Kelly still just doesn’t get it.
The Blumenthal flap now makes it clear. CelebCorps must stop suppressing the truth about their beloved Kathleen Willey:
Life in this celebrity press corps (02/11/99)
Time said Starr doesn’t trust Kathleen Willey. The press didn’t notice or care.Life in this celebrity press corps (02/10/99)
Why won’t the press corps report what Tripp said? They’ve got a whole new idea of a “smear.”Life in this celebrity press corps (02/09/99)
The Blumenthal flap drives home the point--CelebCorps must stop suppressing the truth about their beloved Kathleen Willey.
Oops! Reporting on testimony from Sid, Mo, and Vernon, Fox News staged an evening of howlers:
The Daily Howler happy ending (02/08/99)
Fox News had a very bad night Wednesday night. But on Sunday, Brit Hume got it right!Life in this celebrity press corps (02/08/99)
Is it too much too ask that our cable news channels bring clarity to the endless debate?Smile-a-while (02/06/99)
Wednesday night, Sean Hannity promoted the (shaky) claim that Clinton sicced Morris on Monica.Our current howler (part II) (02/05/99)
Overwrought Bill O’Reilly was howlingly wrong about testimony by Vernon Jordan.Our current howler (part I) (02/05/99)
The comely host of the new show Watch It! was in the middle of a day filled with howlers.
We attempt to lighten The Howler's mood with a week of Smile-a-while features:
Smile-a-while (02/04/99)
A pundit, watching the Senate trial, finally picked up on Monica’s age.Smile-a-while (02/03/99)
Backwoods congressman Lindsey Graham led Tony Snow on a romp through the swamp.Smile-a-while (02/02/99)
The press corps seemed to think as one in responding to n-word lite.Smile-a-while (02/01/99)
A pair of scribes at USA Today were struggling with a new bit of math.
We continue our search for a search for the truth:
The Daily Howler retrospective (part II) (01/31/99)
The press corps discreetly directed its gaze away from David Schippers’ misconduct.The Daily Howler retrospective (part I) (01/29/99)
The press fell in love with the folksy David Schippers. It’s covered up for his blunders ever since.Our current howler (01/27/99)
Bob Novak said Kendall was just “splitting hairs” when he refuted Asa Hutchinson’s howler.Life in this celebrity press corps (01/26/99)
The White House called the managers liars. The press took the whole thing in stride.
Hear ye! Hear ye! An open letter:
The Daily Howler open forum (01/28/99)
An open letter to Hardball’s Chris Matthews. We ask Chris to correct his howling misstatements about Linda Tripp’s grand jury testimony.
We continue our work on the age-of-Mo question:
Life in this celebrity press corps (01/21/99)
White House counsel Greg Craig broke the news. Miss Monica was not 21.Smile-a-while (01/16/99)
A misinformed manager made it legal--Mo’s forever young.
Removal week dawned bright and unclear:
Life in this celebrity press corps (01/19/99)
Marching in lockstep, the press spoke as one in its praise for those brilliant House managers.Our current howler (01/18/99)
The world’s simplest issues can create High Confusion on our underfed Sunday talk programs.
CelebCorps reports on love children:
The Howler wrap-up (01/19/99)
In talking about the “love child” debacle, Bill Sammon kept peddling old howlers.Life in this celebrity press corps (01/15/99)
Unrepentant Wes Pruden helped readers see who’s really in charge of the discourse.A Daily Howler journalist profile (01/14/99)
Woody West of the Washington Times wins the grand prize for sleazy “reporting.”Life in this celebrity press corps (01/13/99)
The press corps is pretty much OK with lies--as long as they’re told by accusers.
Truth begins to emerge on our favorite story. Tripp-on-Willey is back:
A Daily Howler retrospective (01/12/99)
When Stuart Taylor spilled most of the beans, it didn’t stimulate Chris Matthews’ curiosity.Our current howler (01/11/99)
Today’s Post editorial shows the price we pay when scribes choose to leave out the truth.A Daily Howler outreach report (01/10/99)
Margaret Carlson got the “outrage” wrong when she complained about Tripp-on-Willey.The Daily Howler exegesis (01/09/99)
Susan Schmidt and the Post deserve credit. But the public has a right to know exactly what Linda Tripp said.Our current howler (01/08/99)
Chris Matthews sharply “corrected” a guest when she reported what Tripp said on Willey.
Ringing in a New Year filled with howlers:
Smile-a-while (01/07/99)
A TV talker kicked off the New Year with one of his trademark howlers.