Sometimes partisan media gets so caught up in political wing nut warfare that it can’t get its head out of its own ass.
Take Salon editor-at-large Joan Walsh, a liberal journalist who made fun of former VP hopeful Sarah Palin last night for listing a Salon story, along with several others, in a Facebook post.
Palin was making a point that possible 2016 presidential contender Hillary Clinton‘s so-called brain illness is being looked into just like the media tore into her for a rumor suggesting that Trig wasn’t really her baby.
She linked to a number of postings — some proved her point, others vindicated her. She wrote, sarcastically, “Have faith the agenda-less media will refuse to push whispers and wildly inaccurate information about a partisan politician’s body part.” The Salon piece and one from Politico, sympathized that Palin was getting a raw deal from the press. The 2011 Salon story makes a solid case that Palin is, indeed, Trig‘s mother. This was controversial on the campaign trail as rumors swirled that the baby might be her daughter, Bristol‘s, and that Palin was covering for her.
The Salon story even helpfully points out that Palin showed a reporter her pregnant belly, forcing a journalist to retreat on a fake baby story. She also links to an ad offering a $10,000 prize to expose that Palin really did give birth in 2008.
At 11:39 p.m. last night, Walsh started out with an uncharacteristically tame tweet.
But 60 seconds later, Walsh couldn’t help herself: she went after Palin with a vengeance, insinuating that the former Alaskan governor is a total moron for highlighting a Salon story.
But maybe it’s Walsh whose senses were dulled. In this case, Palin stressed that the media delving into Clinton’s health records is not new just because it’s happening to Clinton. And yes, she’s highlighting what she sees is responsible reporting from Salon. Is Joan Walsh really too proud to accept a compliment from Sarah Palin just because they differ politically?
Sure, Palin makes a bunch of gratuitous cracks on liberals, saying Democrats want their next “chosen one” to be brainless and that when “exploring” a liberal’s brain you find nothing.
Palin then blasts an easy target – the media.
“With enormous issues to debate before choosing a Presidential/Vice Presidential ticket, have confidence no mean-spirited salaciousness will be pushed by ‘real journalists,’” she wrote. “Nope. This just doesn’t happen at this respectable level of American politics. Just ask me. And Trig.”
Perhaps in another life Joan and Sarah could be soulmates.
Stop wincing, Joan, and just accept her compliment.