Until Friday, the New York Times had not mentioned Louis Farrakhan in a serious story since October. The Old Gray Lady tried mightily to avoid covering Democrats' and leftist leaders' past and recent embraces of the controversial Nation of Islam leader before finally — but very incompletely — giving in.
Jonah Engel Bromwich's story failed to mention Congressmen Keith Ellison and Andre Carson, and ignored a days-earlier call by a Republican Jewish group for the resignations of seven "Farrakhan-connected" congresspersons.
The paper's related tweet betrayed a "Why are we even doing this?" sentiment (h/t Twitchy):
Translation: "There's not much to see here, but click through if you want to be bored."
Tell that to Ellison, Carson, five other congresspersons, Women's March leader Tamika Mallory — and former President Barack Obama.
Bromwich opened with a de facto admission that the Times has been asleep at the switch (link is in original):
Louis Farrakhan, the 84-year-old head of the Nation of Islam, has been back in the headlines after a previously unreleased photo of him with President Barack Obama was published in January and Mr. Farrakhan gave an anti-Semitic speech at his organization’s annual convention last month.
The Times's link goes to another website's January 20 story about Askia Muhammad, the person who took the Obama-Farrakhan photo at a 2005 Congressional Black Caucus meeting. More of an Obama groupie than a genuine journalist, Muhammad willingly "surrendered the disk (containing the photo) to Minister Farrakhan’s chief of staff." Muhammad (his own words) "basically swore secrecy" as the photo was held for over 12 years because:
Muhammad and some political observers still believe that if that photo had been released, it could have drawn enough fire – even from some of Obama’s supporters looking for excuses – to dent his chances of becoming president.
Concerning Muhammad, Bromwich reported:
... in a 2012 blog post, (he) said that he was an admirer of Mr. Farrakhan and that the minister was not an anti-Semite.
The post's far more than admiring and undisclosed title: "Louis Farrakhan, a man for all time."
Early Friday, the Washington Post's dogmatically leftist Fact Checker gave DNC Deputy Chair Ellison's claim of "no relationship" with Farrakhan Four Pinocchios: "Ellison is trying to have it both ways, publicly distancing himself while privately doing something else."
Carson has "admitted that he, and the Congressional Black Caucus, have met with Farrakhan to work on 'anti-crime' and 'discrimination' efforts."
Tuesday, the Republican Jewish Coalition called for the resignations of seven "Farrakhan-connected" congresspersons for associating with "the moral equivalent of a leader of the KKK." The other five: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Danny Davis, Gregory Meeks, and Al Green.
Bromwich's story at the Times, which did not make Saturday's print edition, only mentioned Davis and Women's March leader Mallory, and asked: "Why were Tamika Mallory and Danny Davis reluctant to denounce him?"
Here's the quick answer, Jonah: Because in their heart of hearts, they still fundamentally agree with him.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
