Even if the story damages Whitman -- and it's a bit hard to see what she did so wrong in a) hiring a maid she thought was legal and b) firing her when she found out she'd been deceived -- ...

Kaus is a true IOKIYARer. Because Meg's a Republican, Kaus can't even comprehend the possibility that her story's pure bullshit. No sane person believes Whitman's efforts to blame her husband -- what married couple wouldn't discuss a notice that a household employee (and a supposed close friend) was an undocumented worker? Kaus probably also believes his career success is due to merit.

The Beast With Two Hacks

Of his new role at The Daily Beast, [Howard] Kurtz said, “I've wanted to work with Tina Brown forever -- well, for a long time -- and I'm incredibly impressed by the energy and creativity of The Daily Beast staff. After a lifetime in newspapers, I'm ready for the challenge of fast-paced online journalism.”

Will the WaPo hire el-Brent Bozell to maintain Howie's high standards?

I guess "swamped starting a new blog" and "learning to post video" were Kurtz's euphemisms for fetching T-Brown's drycleaning.

P.S. to T-Brown: I don't imagine the WaPo will miss Kurtz, but swiping Howie's headshot from the Post might get their lawyers involved.

Actually, the headshots of Kurtz and Brown at the link would make a great "Seperated at Birth." The hairstyles are eerily similar.

The Standards of Howad Kurtz

I missed this whining defense by Howard "Howad" Kurtz of his refusal to inform himself about Marty Peretz' bigotry:

I've been criticized a few million times for things I have written and said. That's fair game.

Now I'm being slammed for something I didn't write or say.

I am, according to Columbia Journalism Review, remaining "silent." (Don't I have that Fifth Amendment right, like you see in the movies?)

My sin is that I have not denounced Marty Peretz. More on that in a moment.

The reason I have not weighed in is--boredom alert--I have been swamped. I cling to the old-fashioned belief that I ought to know what I'm talking about before I pop off. I put a lot of research, and thought, into what I write and say.

In recent weeks I've been swamped with launching and maintaining this real-time blog, including such mundane tasks as learning how to post video. I've also been traveling quite a bit. So I did not believe the world was breathlessly waiting to hear what I had to say about Peretz.

What the owner of the New Republic wrote, in a blog post, was this: "Frankly, Muslim life is cheap, especially for Muslims." And he questioned whether "these people" were worthy of First Amendment protection. I find those to be outrageous and unacceptable statements. You can say that about some Muslim terrorists, and you can criticize some Muslims for failing to speak out against violence, but how do you libel everyone who follows Islam?

...

I guess we live in a culture where everyone, including media critics, is supposed to have an instant response to everything that happens. But I'm going to resist that urge.

Note that Howad thinks it's just peachy to criticize Muslims for not speaking about violence they had nothing to do with -- for their "failure to write or say something" -- but it's beyond the pale to notice that Howad is failing to do his job, which involves pontificating on everyone else’s journalism, including that of the editor-in-chief of the New Republic.

No one can accuse Howad of having a double standard. He has no standards.

Howard's "not my job" defense is particularly pathetic when you compare his coverage of Rick Sanchez' bigotry to his coverage of Marty Peretz' bigotry -- the latter of which was only coverage about how mean everyone is to Howad.

And Howad's claim that he likes to think before speaking is belied not only by his Twatterings but, more significantly, by the fact that Peretz's bigotry has been on display for years and years, while Sanchez only spouted off two days ago. Kurtz had plenty of time to learn about Peretz' vile views if he had any interest in doing so. That being his job and all.

Howad's plea of ignorance as to Peretz' racism may or may not be true. In either case, the follow-up should be, "Then why should anyone give a fuck what Kurtz thinks about anything?"

Kurtz On O'Keefe

Greasy-wigged wingnut Howard Kurtz finally gets around to mentioning the latest capers of Breitbart Slim:

KURTZ: Time now for the "Media Monitor," our weekly look at the hits and errors in the news business.

Here's what I liked.

CNN's Abbie Boudreau, reporting a documentary on conservative activists, tried to arrange an interview with James O'Keefe. He, of course, the guy who dressed up as a pimp to run that undercover sting against ACORN, and then was arrested for infiltrating Senator Mary Landrieu's office.

Boudreau discovered from a woman working with O'Keefe that he was planning a hidden camera sting against her and CNN. The setting? A boat filled with sexual props such as dildos and fuzzy handcuffs.

Apparently this is the first time Howie the Putz has mentioned a dildo outside the presence of Jonah Goldberg.

More substantively: Of course, Howie can't avoid repeating the lie that Breitbart Slim dressed as a pimp while "running" his "sting" of ACORN. O'Keefe dressed as a pimp to promote his smear, not during his encounters with ACORN employees. No matter how hard he tries -- or doesn't -- Howie just can't quit rightwing scripts.

Hip Replacement Needed

Whitman: This person has no sense of humor. Makes George Deukmejian look like George Jessel! Seems annoyed she has to participate in this pointless democratic ritual when she could be in a boardroom with Mitt Romney. (You can see her thinking: "I guess I have to force a smile again.") I imagine the public employee unions might quickly cave to her demands just so they don't have to spend any more time in a room with her. Fails to hang Brown's disastrous appointment of Chief Justice Rose Bird firmly around his neck.

Yes, the most pressing issue of the 2010 Governor's race is Rose Bird, who was voted out of office 24 years ago. Kaus doesn't explain his hard-on for Bird. Perhaps he overheard Rose and Otto in the Supreme Court robing room, commiserating over Otto's shame in having such a worthless kid.

(Otto Kaus was also a Brown appointee; surprisingly, Midget Mick doesn't bash him for that as well.)

And how about that George Jessel zinger? Very relevant. I guess the midget wanted a more topical pop culture comparison than Fanny Brice or Theda Bara.