Private Lies, They're Spinning You, Howie's Private Lies...

Howie the Putz is in full G.O.P. apologist/damage control mode today. First, he bends over forward to excuse the bias of Fox News and Carl Cameron:

Angry Fox executives made no attempt to defend their chief political correspondent, with a spokesman saying he has been reprimanded for his "stupid mistake." The New York Daily News says Cameron should be put in the "hoaxer hall of shame."

No one is defending Cameron's poor judgment, but his satire wasn't intended for public consumption. He had sent it to a producer, and someone at FoxNews.com mistakenly posted it as a story. If every journalist who privately ridiculed a candidate had those remarks broadcast, there would be plenty of red faces in America's newsrooms.

Where's the proof of executive anger, Putzie? Where's the reprimand? Cameron is still working on the election. He hasn't suffered any penalty. Of course Fox will say it was a mistake for Cameron to inadvertently disclose his bias, plausible deniability is their motto.

You, Putz, are defending Cameron's judgment ("everybody does it") -- AND Fox's bias.

Even more grovelling is the Putz's treatment of Frank Luntz. Luntz lies to Howie's face, and Howie thanks him. (Assuming Howie didn't know it was a lie, that is.)

Luntz, who once helped Newt Gingrich sell the "Contract With America," initially told The Washington Post he had taken on no Republican clients since 2001. He said last week he had forgotten that he worked for California gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon in 2002 and for the effort to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis last year.

That's mighty fine reporting you do there, Howie. Luntz forgot his G.O.P. work last year like you forgot to investigate his lie, and ran it in the Post like it was the truth. Why didn't you ask Luntz how much those gigs paid -- and how likely it was he'd forget those amounts of money?

And, given your own family ties to the California recall, Howie, how likely is it you didn't know about Luntz's GOP work in 2003?

I guess you were too busy lining up your wingnut pals for spots on Reliable Sources to do the work of a real reporter.