My Son Qualifies to be a WaPo Reporter

I am a proud father.

Why?

Because last night my seven year old son conclusively demonstrated he already has the skills in logic and analysis that will qualify him to write for the Washington Post.

She Who Must be Obeyed had class last night, so when I got home from work I commenced to fixing supper. WMD #1 asks if he can go outside and play after he finished eating. I said yes. When supper was completed and the table cleared, he ran downstairs to finish something.

An hour and a half later, just about bathtime-and pitch black outside- he came back up and asked if he could play outside. I said no, citing the time and the lack of light outside. His reply-"you promised!" I noted that he chose to play in the basement and that if he couldn't play outside, it was the result of his decisions.

Reply-"No, It's your fault!"...and a really amusing bedtime display followed.

Imagine my surprise this AM when I see Michael Shears of the WaPo using the same logic to demean the Allen campaign. His article takes the Allen campaign to task for limiting direct access to the candidate, and closes his article with the observation:

Now, though, it seems that Allen has decided that a Rose Garden strategy -- in which he hunkers down and avoids tough questions for the rest of the race -- may be the only way to ensure that he returns to Capitol Hill.

It may work. And the media's griping about it certainly won't elicit sympathy from the public, which tends to dislike reporters about as much it does tax collectors.

But the real victim could be voters, who will have to make up their minds about whom to vote for on Nov. 7 based almost exclusively on prepackaged, scripted comments from Allen.

That's a shame.

Michael Shears comments score high on the hypocrisy meter, and display the same logic as WMD #1 did last night.

By their Ombudsman's own assessment, the WaPo piled on during the "macaca" controversy. The author of the bulk of the pieces? Michael Shear. The WaPo Ombudsman also refused to say the paper would not continue to pile on, as Shear proved by his scintillating piece on George Allen's wardrobe and how it might be a big shtick to get votes, a piece that used as it's only source the Webb campaign manager.

The Washington Post and its staff has to this point been a leader player in making the Virginia senate election a campaign about personalities and not issues. Given their well known antipathy to George Allen, one can only assume that it knows that in an election based on record and accomplishment that Webb loses. I am half way convinced that a true picture of the campaign finances of this election is impossible until the Webb campaign begins listing in-kind contributions from the WaPo as a result of these articles.

Having created the current atmosphere of "gotcha" questions and articles, Shear does not get to bitch about the Allen accessibility policies. To use the legal jargon, he should be estopped from doing so. He helped create the problem, so he is not allowed to moan and groan. His complaining makes about as much sense as my son's complaint about not being allowed to play outside.

But there is a bright side to this. I now see a bright and clear career path for WMD#1...that is, if that job with the VDOT demolition crews does not work out. After all, the VDOT crews wreak as much havoc as WaPo reporters, but with much greater societal gain as a result.