Today’s paragraph comes to us from New York Times Op-Ed columnist Frank Bruni.
Mr. Bruni’s latest piece is an excellent review of yesterday’s Hillary Clinton “press conference” – the one she disdainfully showed up an hour late to, and abruptly ended when two tough questions in a row were asked. He is analytical, introspective and tries – mostly succeeding – to present both sides of the Clinton story. (In other words, not the usual doctrinaire upper-west-side-left farina we usually get from Times Op-Ed writers).
But one paragraph in particular hit me as being off kilter. Here it is:
And behind her forced smile, which was practically cemented in place, she seemed put out by all the skepticism and all the questions. She shouldn’t be. This latest Clinton controversy is not the work or fault of Republican enemies or a ruthless, unappeasable press corps. It’s her doing.
Did Frank Bruni write anything that is overtly wrong? No he did not. However, the tone of this paragraph – without saying it in so many words – is that the other controversies were the work or fault of Republican enemies or a ruthless, unappeasable press corps.
I don’t know whether you meant it this way, Mr. Bruni. But, if you did, let me assure you that the other controversies – e.g. the ones that Clinton lackey James Carville went on TV to sneeringly list out and trivialize (with all the freshness of the latest doo-wop revival concert) were her doing too. Every one of them.
The fact is, Republicans never got anywhere attacking Hillary Clinton for her decades-long history of mistakes and deceits. And the key reason they did not was that media, far from being ruthless and unappeasable, were her main defenders during those decades.
Frank Bruni wins paragraph of the day honors for writing something that allows me to make the above points about Hillary Clinton. I might have – well, would have – found another way without it, but this eased the path so well that it deserves recognition.
Do yourself a favor and use the link I’ve provided to read Mr. Bruni’s entire commentary. You won’t regret doing so.
