On CNN's "The Situation Room" yesterday, White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux substituted for host Wolf Blitzer. Ms. Malveaux introduced a segment by Carol Costello on Newt Gingrich:
"Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich is making a confession. He cheated on his second wife at the same time President Clinton was impeached.
"Let's go back to Carol Costello with more on this story -- absolutely amazing, confessions all around."
"Yes," agreed Carol Costello, "I know. It is amazing."
But how amazing is it really? After all, eight years ago CNN reported in a story titled, "Gingrich return to the spotlight colored by messy divorce" that "Gingrich finds himself in the middle of a messy divorce -- complete with allegations of an affair with a younger staffer."
Moreover, "the details of the divorce proceedings leave Gingrich open to charges of hypocrisy, because he criticized and eventually voted to impeach President Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky matter."
Newt's confession isn't absolutely amazing. But it does give the mainstream media a chance to go after a man they love to hate. Shortly before Gingrich became speaker, the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz highlighted some coverage of Newt:
"How 'Normal' Is Newt?" a Newsweek story asks. A Herblock cartoon in The Washington Post depicts Gingrich as climbing out of a sewer. 'THE COLD-BLOODED NEWT,' shouts the New York Daily News, touting an interview with his ex-wife. CBS calls him 'bombastic and ruthless,' while New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis describes his methodology as 'slash and burn, knife and smear.' And a lead editorial in the Times is headlined 'Newt Gingrich, Authoritarian.'
Newt's revelation isn't news. Neither is the mainstream media's glee at having him to kick around again.
