Sunday, June 29, 2008

C-J Loves Piglet (D-KY)

The Courier-Journal makes no pretense that it is a detached and impartial gatekeeper of the news. Take its coverage of earmarks flowing to Kentucky.

This week, it ran a flattering account of Congressman John Yarmuth delivering a whopping $900,000 in earmarks for assorted projects in Louisville.

But the paper ignored a news release about a much bigger prize -- $10 million -- that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell procured for U of L. The C-J ignored an earmark that is ten times the size of what Yarmuth obtained.

Its coverage was exactly opposite of what a rationale reader would expect. Size matters.

The paper complains about pork, except when it comes from Yarmuth, whom it shamelessly promotes for reelection. The difference in the coverage cannot be explained by the number of zeros in the earmark, but rather the "D" next to Yarmuth and the "R" next to McConnell.

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