Ugh. Partisan hack politicizes condolences...

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021196.php

EVEN CONDOLENCES CAN BE POLITICIZED.... A Russian train derailed, en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg last night, killing at least 26 people and injuring nearly 100 more. Some of the early reports indicate that Russian officials believe a bomb on the tracks may have been the cause of the crash, which, if true, would make it Russia's deadliest terrorist attack in years.

The White House, which has been cultivating closer ties to Russia, issued a statement with some fairly routine language -- saying that U.S. officials are "deeply saddened by the terrible loss of life," "our hearts go out," etc.

Andrew Malcolm, the LA Times' political blogger and former Laura Bush press secretary, has decided that he disapproves of the White House's condolences.

Perhaps it's just to show the world that, even on a slow-news U.S. post-holiday day, the Obama crowd is on the job. <...>

We'll have to watch and see what criteria the 10-month-old Obama administration uses to issue such regular comments -- what type disaster merits comment, how many dead to warrant a White House message, and in what country.

If it's every multiple-death incident in every country, they're going to be pretty busy in the press office. But at least they have jobs.

Malcolm added that the White House's statement extending condolences was "not presidential."

Now, there may be a kernel of an interesting point in there somewhere. The White House probably isn't going to issue a press statement in response to every deadly incident around the world.

But it's Malcolm's larger observation that reinforces questions about his reflexive partisanship. Russia may have just seen its deadliest terrorist incident in years; the White House issues a statement; and the LA Times' blogger whines that it's "not presidential"? C'mon.

—Steve Benen

[Arkana]

1. Obama takes morning shit, RW claims "It's not Presidential to empty one's bowels!"

[deadmessengers]

2. To paraphrase Alan Grayson

If President Obama ate a BLT, they'd say that bacon was un-American. The point is that if President Obama had NOT released a statement, this same tool would have written about how he doesn't care about terror.

[Cha]

6. You got that right..they have two sets of reactionary

releases at the ready.

[johnaries]

12. As for the BLT, they basically already did. Remember the

"elitist Grey Poupon" flak? They are so pathetic.

[Democrats_win]

3. "We will serve no wine before its time." Guess it was time to serve that whine.

If they didn't whine, the conservatives would be squealing like pigs.

[onenote]

4. someone want to send Malcolm this statement issued by chimpy in Oct 2001?

"I was deeply saddened to learn today of the crash of a Siberian
Airlines passenger aircraft, flying from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk. My
heartfelt sympathies and those of the American people are with the
people of Israel and Russia, and the families of the many victims of
this tragedy.

[Cha]

7. Too bad we don't have his

email addy to send that by express.

[LynnTheDem]

11. It's ok though when an (R) does it.

nb: "it" = anything & everything.

It's only "evil" when anyone with (D) does it.

nb: "it" = anything & everything.

[Cha]

5. I've been seeing this name Steve Benen lately

with regards to interesting articles.

Reading this report about andrew malcom's response to PO giving his condolences to the Russians..my first thought is "butt the freak out" and secondly it reminds of an OP today that I agree with strongly..i.e. The gop are like the little boy who cried wolf. Don't explain what you're doing ..just dismiss their "wolf cries".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x22401

The gop are myopic and nasty to to a tragic degree and if they didn't whine they'd have nothing to say at all.

Nice press secretary you had there, laura bush..what did you feed him? rodents?

[sebenen]

8. Re: I've been seeing this name Steve Benen lately

Thanks for noticing, Cha. I blog for the Washington Monthly at http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

There more information about my background here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Benen

[Cha]

9. Thanks, Steve, for posting

that information. I really appreciate the unbiased reporting..just the facts are good enough and they are so few and far between in the mediasphere.

Gotta love the internet~:)

What can I say..Keep up the good work, Mr Benen.

[babylonsister]

10. Steve, I've never told you, but your blog is one of my favorites

out there. Keep up the great work, and thank you!