Extra! Extra! The Empty Suit Almost Criticizes the Times!

Off Base, But At Least He's Off the Divan!

The Empty Suit, New York Times spokesman (a/k/a "public editor") Barney Calame, roused himself from the divan today to almost criticize the Times. Bravo! He is, as usual, way off base. But it is nice to see this management shill almost function as a "public editor," in addition to his usual chore of seeing to it that the wagons are tightly circled against criticism.

Calame's underwear is slightly twisted by the fact that the Times neglected to report the number of poor people in New Orleans. Says Barney, "Indeed, over the past decade Times readers would have been hard-pressed to find a news headline about the poverty in the midst of the city that brings to the minds of many Americans the revelry of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street."

Uh, Barney old pal, is there anyone in the cosmos who truly thinks that New Orleans consists solely of rich people engaging in a constant Mardi Gras? Yes, the Times (and the rest of the mainstream media) fell down on the job, but for a different reason. As Editor & Publisher recently noted, the New Orleans Times Picayune repeatedly warned that the city was in danger during 2004 and 2005. None of that was picked up by the Times. As a matter of fact, as Timeswatch pointed out a few days ago, Times editorials have frequently opposed strengthening flood control projects.

So Barney is still off base, still spinning his wheels, still avoiding controversial issues except to defend the Times. But at least he got off the divan and made believe he was a public editor for a few moments. Makes you wonder: Was he starting to get a bedsore?