Media critic calls Dana Milbank "the worst pseudo-journalist in the entire world"

[WyvernBaby]

Over at the Daily Howler, progressive media critic Bob Somerby reminds us that Milbank has always been a Democrat-hater.
Last year, he complained that Bill Richardson used "big words" during a debate:

MILBANK (6/28/07): Leading a detailed, hour-long discussion about Iran in which words such as "fissionable" and "Abrahamic dialogue" were invoked, Richardson demonstrated why he is running a distant fifth for the Democratic presidential nomination, and why, in a CNN poll released this week, 54 percent of respondents had either never heard of him or had no opinion of him.

Here's the link to Milbank's piece from 2007: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062702576.html

Somerby rips Milbank for calling Obama "prom king" today:

Truly, Milbank is the worst pseudo-journalist in the entire world. And today, he seems to be disturbed because the Prom King has been dissing his cohort.

See more here:

http://dailyhowler.com/dh073008.shtml

[opihimoimoi]

1. Dana is a Traitor to Humanity...400 lashes...he needs a flogging

[AllieB]

2. Keith Olbermann has him on Countdown far too often.

Milbank is definitely an Inside-the-Beltway kind of journalist.

[rusty_parts2001]

8. He's on the payroll at MSNBC so they have to use him

[rusty_parts2001]

9. He and Howard Fineman have the worst dye jobs on TV

[jkshaw]

23. Have to disagree, rusty

Their's are second and third after Krauthammer's.

[mcctatas]

27. I think you may lose on a technicality....

since Krauthammers is actually black shoe polish, it is not really a dye job;)

[enough]

3. Welcome to DU.

[WyvernBaby]

7. ok

Thank you.

[babylonsister]

4. I have been waiting for criticism like this about DM. It's so deserving! nt

[grasswire]

5. thank you Bob Somerby

Milbank ruined Somerby's college roommate, Al Gore.

[grasswire]

6. oh, and never forget that Milbank is Skull & Bones

That in itself explains a lot.

[Gabi Hayes]

11. dig this, from DH via Howie Kurtz' show in 2002:

MILBANK: I think deep down most reporters just have contempt for Al Gore. I don't even think it's dislike. It's more like a disdain and contempt.


.....You know what it is, Howie, I—and I think that Gore is sanctimonious and that's sort of the worst thing you can be in the eyes of the press. And he has been disliked all along and it was because he gives a sense that he's better than us—he's better than everybody, for that matter, but the sense that he's better than us as reporters. Whereas President Bush probably is sure that he's better than us—he's probably right, but he does not convey that sense.

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh010708.shtml

[grasswire]

14. I remember that.

We've despised Milbank for a long time.

[Gabi Hayes]

16. amen...and it seems the original bad "quote" comes from none other than

Adam Nagourney!

what a surprise

Kit Seelye, Ceci Connolly, and the woman from the AP are the three people Somerby cites in another column as being the three people most responsible from turning the american public against Gore, enabling Bush to steal the election. he quotes from some book, but I can't remember the author

[CTyankee]

31. I remember a while back MIlbank visited Yale campus for a "Master's Tea"

which are informal meetings with students to talk about topics relevant to the old grads (Meryl Streep did one a few years ago and just packed the room).

After this stunt, Milbank would probably not be invited back, but if he was invited, he would have to answer LOTS of questions from some really smart current Yalies...he may not want to do that...

[ErinBerin84]

10. he's another one of those "they should just let McCain be McCain!" guys

Yeah...why don't his meanie advisors just let the media's favorite little caged fawn run free? It's his campaign's fault! McCain is just a victim in this...a swell guy and a straight talker! Let his Trollopy cunt flag fly high with the rapes jokes, I'm all FOR more of that "straight talk".

[democrattotheend]

12. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Gabi Hayes]

17. great thread, btw. somerby is usually on top of things. he's had some

wayward moments (he went crazy on some topic during the 04 election, but I can't remember now), but he holds media's feet to the fire as well as anyone, including Eric Boehlert or Glenn Greenwald

[democrattotheend]

29. Why did the OP get tombstoned after 13 posts?

Anyone know? Probably a zombie...

[WyvernBaby]

13. Clarification

In today's post, Somerby meant to type "Bill Richardson" but erroneously typed "Al Gore", when referring to the 2007 speech Milbank thought contained "big words".

Here's Somerby's column following Milbank's criticism of Richardson immediately after the debate in question:

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh062807.shtml

[Gabi Hayes]

15. this DH is even better than advertised here, because it also goes into

the WashPost article from today that goes after McCain's character, which, as Somerby notes, is a HUGE change from the way they've treated him in the past

let's hope it continues

[Graybeard]

18. The way he reported the Downing St. Memo hearings. Grrr.

The Repuke leadership in the House did not allow the ranking Dem (John Conyers) the use of any of the hearing rooms for his probe into the scathing Downing Street Memo. The hearing was held in a small storage room with committee members and witnesses seated at folding tables. It was covered by c-span and important testimony was heard. Did Milbank report the importance of all of this? I remember his snotty comment was to the effect that the Democrats were "playing House in the basement".:grr:

[stevedeshazer]

19. It's pretty obvious that Olbermann and Milbank dislike one another

Just watch the snark between them. The body language makes it quite obvious.

[ellacott]

30. Keith had Craig Crawford back yesterday

He hadn't been on Keith's show for some time.

[Gabi Hayes]

20. what got this new poster tombstoned?

any idea?

[grantcart]

21. none

I was going to welcome him/her to lol

[Cha]

22. No but I got a poster

removed for wanting to debate Obama's Berlin speech by calling him "barry dunham"!

I alerted and just went back to check and it's been removed..but this is the fisrt I've seen of this poster and it was a good one:shrug:

[madfloridian]

24. I just emailed someone about it. No answer yet.

Seems like a good post to me. :shrug:

[DFLforever]

25. Probably a banned poster coming back with a new name.

[JackORoses]

26. 'A Boy Named Dana' could have been a Johnny Cash Song

One way or another, every Repuke has their shoulder chip.

[Skidmore]

28. pseudo-journalist....I like that.

And there are so many of them. People who were told they could write well and never wanted to get their hands dirty in life doing anything, including real journalism.

[glitch]

32. No, it's too generous. Propagandist works just fine for Milbank. nt

[chill_wind]

33. Wonkette rips on Dana M, "local color reporter". Funny stuff!!

Loved this comment in the comment section:

I just had an image of Irish monks drinking in a pub lamenting the demise of “scribe integrity”, when someone asks them if they’ve read the Gutenberg Bible.

“What is it yer abite with that printin’ devil machine over by the tavern door?”

Gotta read the story/see the video for context.

http://wonkette.com/400837/and-we-dont-read-dana-milbank-either#comments

He might not rise above the ranks much of local color reporter, but Jeff Gannon's never forgiven him:

http://www.jeffgannon.com/archives/2007/11/dana_milbank_in.html

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/events/milbank_in_drag_70225.asp

(Milbank provides a little local color at Halloween...)