The Washington Post, an altogether shameless publication on many levels, is running this inexcusable excuse for an obituary by Patricia Sullivan for the late Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage, a great defender of freedom who died in a car accident Monday. The obituary, which maintains the Post's tradition of including factual errors, is, in a word, bitchy. (Go read it, if you question my use of that particular word.)
Helen Chenoweth-Hage was a very gracious and kind lady who believed strongly in liberty and fought for it in Congress and out. Although the undeservedly smug mainstream press unfairly parodied her beliefs during her six years on Capitol Hill (95-00 -- unfortunately, before the advent of blogs that could help balance the reporting), she was undeterred.
If anyone doubts the shamefulness of this Washington Post "obituary," compare it to this one, by the same Patricia Sullivan, in the same newspaper, written about a spy for the Viet Cong who also -- surprise surprise -- was a full-time journalist for the mainstream American press. The dead spy was, according to the Post obituary, a "successful spy and a good journalist," "the best Vietnamese reporter in the press corps," an "extremely sophisticated understander of not only Vietnamese culture but its politics," "such a professional journalist and professional spy," and "so smart."
In case you are wondering, the mainstream journalist spy "never expressed regret about his role," the Post tells us, though the Post does not appear to be critical of this.
It is shameful that the Washington Post bends over backwards to be kind to a spy who probably got young Americans killed yet refuses to be evenhanded -- and that's all I ask -- when publishing the obituary of a patriot who was loved by many.
Tramping on those who fought for liberty, and admiring those who opposed it.
Just another day at the office for the Washington Post.
