Sunday, November 19, 2006

tell us your name and what it is you do.

Political columnist Michael Kinsley basically defined a political gaffe as an accidental statement that revealed the truth. Now, in a column about not being too sorry to see the Republicans lose control of Congress, CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer gives us the epitome of a gaffe:

"Really, it's just a simple thesis: The men who ran the Republican Party in the House of Representatives for the past 12 years were a group of weirdos. Together, they comprised one of the oddest legislative power cliques in our history. And for 12 years, the media didn't call a duck a duck, because that's not something we're supposed to do."

There are several ways to address the highlighted portion:
1) Could be sarcastic. Problem is, if you read the rest of the piece, it's hard to tell if he's joking.
2) At least Mr. Meyer got it out in the open and confirmed every suspicion most Democrats have had since 2000.
3) On top of #2, this is the "mea culpa" issued before going after a new Congress, which has switched hands, viciously, for anything and everything.

None of those are good, and larger names at national news bureaus would never have been clumsy enough to write that sentence. So, Mr. Meyer, just what is it that you all do over there? Those of us at the lower levels of your business would like to know.

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