Sometimes the real story is in the "newsroom"

Eric Alterman, columnist for The Nation, a Liberal, was arrested at the Democrat Presidential Debate last night. The details you can read at CNN, although you'll want to browse around the other sources to get a fuller picture. But the details are not as important as the reaction. For myself, after reading the details, I know that some people, especially Liberals can get unhinged when faced with having to do something they don't want to do, but at the same time some cops can get unhinged when they feel the need to bully someone. So there's no telling who's story is the accurate one. Which also means there's no need to call Alterman names and ridicule him on the blind assumption that all cops tell the truth all the time.

That being said, let's look at the responses...

InstaPundit, Conservative: reports the facts, leave the conclusion up to the reader
SteveAudio, Liberal: Sort of reports the facts, but start by ridiculing Alterman, then backs off when Alterman's explanation comes out and finishes with an whine about why it's actually Bush's fault.
Gawker, Liberal: "entitled white man's self-centered paranoia validated!"--the "entitled white man" would be Alterman
Booman Tribune, Liberal: trashes Alterman, "arrested...after he crashed a closed party and raided the open bar"
MacsMind, Conservative: disses Alterman
Talk Left, Liberal: defends Alterman
BlogsofWar, Conservative: reports the facts
Daily Kos, Liberal: takes Alterman's side
News Buckit, Conservative: takes cop's side

What surprised me is how quickly some Liberals jumped all over Alterman, and how viciously they did it, too. I guess the mindset of collectivism demands total submission to the state, and it's just a knee-jerk reaction. Ironic that a movement that prides itself on its anti-establishmentarianism roots, has become so enamored of Big Brother government, that they would instantly assume the government is right and the individual is wrong.

Posted by Danny Carlton at June 4, 2007 7:44 AM