In a news report, New York Times calls liberal hero Alan Grayson a "wing nut"

[majamay]

Um, shouldn't this type of personal attack be left to opinion columnists of the right? New York Times' news reporter David M. Herszenhorn, said today:

NYT today: "Mr. Grayson could be the latest incarnation of what in the American political idiom is known as a wing nut — a loud darling of cable television and talk radio whose remarks are outrageous but often serious enough not to be dismissed entirely. Mr. Grayson is the more notable because he hurls his nuts from the left in a winger world long associated with the right."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/weekinreview/01herszenhorn.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

[Captain Hilts]

1. Good call. Leave that crap to the op-ed page. nt

[Chulanowa]

2. No, the editorial is for tomorrow

This article will be cited in someone's "Some people say..." editorial.

[ProleNoMore]

3. Definition Of "Wing Nut"

From Merriam Webster:

Main Entry: wing nut
Function: noun
Date: circa 1900

1 : a nut with wings that provide a grip for the thumb and finger
2 slang : a mentally deranged person
3 slang : one who advocates extreme measures or changes : radical

Let's see - not a nut with wings, not mentally deranged, not an advocate of extreme measures and change.

Seems that the NYT may be losing it's grip on the English language.

[toocoolforschool]

6. maybe one ;)

[Cha]

4. Stupid forgot to write that Grayson

hurls the facts and the rightwingers make up shit 'cause they have Nothing.

[Raineyb]

5. Oh good Lord!

This crap does belong on the op ed page.

But then when opinion is passed of as fact as is the case with politics in America I'm not all that surprised. But I do expect a bit more from someone with whom I went to high school.

[bluestateguy]

7. The NYT has always been geared toward the upper middle class cocktail party set

and prissy Lexus liberals who think that politics is all about being genteel and polite.

It's a nice ideal, but has no basis in reality.

[OHdem10]

9. The Times elitist character is really showing.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Oddly enough the Wash Post's op-ed page is chock full of Harvard folks and much more elitist. nt

[bluestateguy]

12. I don't disagree

Nothing I said about the NYT should be taken as a statement that other papers are somehow not elitist.

[majamay]

8. I wonder if this guy has called Sarah Palin or Betsy McCaughey a wingnut

Something tells me he hasn't.

[Nikki Stone1]

11. Time to write the NYTimes: learn how to separate news from opinion

Like Fox! LOL!!!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

[kstewart33]

13. Welcome to DU! nt

[daleanime]

14. Wish I could...

cancel my subscription:grr:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

15. CNN's Howard Kurtz this morning was suggesting that Grayson was the left's version of Joe Wilson

He kept referencing the fact that Grayson called someone a "whore" and said that it was as bad as Wilson calling the President a liar during his speech.

[nashville_brook]

21. this is what the cable harpies do -- watch for more of the same: "Grayson=Joe Wilson"

Wilson was incredibly damaging to the mainstream Repug mythos -- now they're casting about to paint Dems with the same brush. Lets not let this stick. Grayson's the real deal. Fuck the right wing talking points.

[Justitia]

23. Exactly why we need to nip this in the bud. Please complain to the Times. link inside

Public editor - Clark Hoyt

[e-mail] or Phone: [phone]

[2Design]

16. they are all trying their damdest to malignent a progressive like they did DEAN

wing nuts are only on the right and believe bullshit - grayson is spouting fact

[Smarmie Doofus]

17. NYT just endorsed conservative Republican Bloomberg,,,,

... for mayor. The "news" coverage of that race has been laughably one-sided in favor of the candidate of the NYC economic elite.

Dumb move... journalistically; it ( NYT) is losing whatever credibility it once had.

There was a rumor that Murdoch was going to try to buy it about a year ago. Prompting howls of outrage from progressives... including me.

Murdoch did not buy it, as it turns out. But frankly at this point it really doesn't seem to make any difference.

[Sebastian Doyle]

18. Herzenhorn has a history of spewing right wing talking points

As I pointed out a few months back when he was bashing Health Care Reform....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6116760

[nashville_brook]

20. whoa! awesome work -- this is a must see for folks checking in to this thread!

[HughMoran]

19. It's a fair enough analysis

The writer notes that most of the more inflammatory commentary is associated with the right.

[Justitia]

22. This was a gratuitous hit piece. I was surprised it wasn't classified as opinion. Complain.

We don't need the Times turning into the AP or worse.

Please complain to the public editor Clark Hoyt:

[e-mail] or Phone: [phone]

[starroute]

24. Wingnuts are characterized by their out-of-the-mainstream beliefs

Abrasiveness alone does not a wingnut make -- nor reluctance to observe the pretty people's ideas of gentility.

What we need to do is challenge the Times to name one opinion Grayson holds that is not mainstream liberal.

This is an attempt to destroy Grayson before he can become a genuine threat to the ruling consensus -- presumably by following the standard MO of making more well-behaved liberals embarrassed to be seen in his company -- and as such, we need to fight back against it with everything we've got.

[SOS]

25. The New York Neoliberal Times

has no patience for anyone who challenges the system in economic terms.

They've been Wall Street sycophants for a very long time.

[niyad]

26. hey, gray lady, some of us have not forgotten your part in lying us into the iraq war with your bs

columns and lies.

print one thing grayson has said that is a lie, dare you.

[varelse]

27. Can vote on his "credibility rating" at this link, but you'd have to register first

http://www.newscred.com/author/show/name/david-m-herszenhorn

[jmondine]

28. I see him more as a button head cap screw

Or maybe a nylon spacer.

Perhaps I'm taking this analogy a bit far?

[Malikshah]

29. Always check the byline-- :)

Look up in the thread -- lets all the light in.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

30. There are plenty of "wing nuts" on the right

And the NYT doesn't have the balls to call them for what they are.....