2009 began as a year of smiles at the Times, with rapture over the "historic" Obama administration. Reporters showered partisan praise on Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor and first lady Michelle Obama. Meanwhile, the Times resolutely buried emerging left-wing scandals over ACORN and Obama adviser Van Jones. But the smile curdled into a defensive snarl during the long hot summer of "angry," "white," and "bitter" tea party protesters, while Times columnists blamed conservative talk show hosts for a spate of ideologically motivated killings. But perhaps the apex of outrage at the Times in 2009 was a textbook case of liberal hypocrisy. In Timesland, unions are vital to the lifeblood of a sound economy -- just not at the Times itself.
In ascending order of awfulness, here are the Top 10 lowlights of the Times in 2009 (you can also read all the gory details at Times Watch).
10. Swooning Over Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
9. Ignoring Left-Wing Scandals ACORN and Van Jones
8. Editor Sam Tanenhaus, Undertaker for Conservative Movement
7. Birthers vs. Truthers
6. Obituaries: Ted Kennedy vs. Jesse Helms
5. Reporter Rachel Swarns's First Lady Fixation
4. Conservatives to Blame for Killings
3. 2009 GOP Wins Don't Matter; 2005 Dem Wins Were Big Deal
2. Hostile Coverage of Tea Party, Townhall Protests
1. Union Hypocrisy: Outsourcing High-Paying Union Jobs to Florida
