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Both Kinds of Standards – FOX NEWS
Imagine if she had actually said the offensive phrase. OH, WAIT – you did imagine it!
To begin, let us refresh just how much explaining, deflecting, and excusing have been on display in the press regarding Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner and his layers of Nazi involvement and other issues that are on his resume. None of that is crucial; he’s a swell guy.
Now contrast that with what is taking place regarding Virginia Representative Jen Kiggans. She is under fire and is being called to resign from her seat, all because of the use of the allegedly racist phrase “cotton pickin’” being uttered in reference to Hakeem Jeffries. The comparison is rather tepid, but these are Democrats and the press we are dealing with, so maintaining consistent standards is not in play. At all. Then it gets better.
This happened on a radio program, and during the interview, it was the host, NOT Kiggans, who said the “hateful” phrase.
No matter, this was still sufficient for Jessica Tarlov to impugn the entire Republican Party as racist…over words a Republican never said.
I know folks were really excited to be able to say ‘retard’ again, but would hope ‘cotton picking’ hands about a Black man is a bridge too far. Modern day GOP. https://t.co/RKRXPpNapE
— Jessica Tarlov (@JessicaTarlov) May 12, 2026
Race to the Bottom – POLITICO
We wonder if this is Jonathan’s first day covering U.S. politics?
In additional proof that the press has no qualms holding one party to differing standards, we move to Politico, where Jonathan Martin weighs in on the redistricting issue percolating throughout the country.
Mr. Martin has come to the conclusion that the Republicans might have been a bit too impetuous by engaging in the election map battle. Get this: He suggests that it is entirely possible that by moving forward with this effort, the GOP runs the risk of being labeled (I can barely type this)...the risk of (seriously, this is difficult)...they risk possibly being called “racists”!
Republicans need to think for more than 10 seconds about what they’re inviting w a post-VRA seat grab
— Jonathan Martin (@jmart) May 11, 2026
For starters:
handing Democrats about the easiest possible messaging imaginable
My latest:https://t.co/wEsVDsbT8F
When it comes to thinking for more than 10 seconds, maybe Democrats could dedicate slightly more time to coming up with another line of commentary, maybe? Calling Republicans “racist” for them simply means the sun came up today.
DNC PR Firm – WASHINGTON POST
This is the kind of thinking that sees Democrats getting smoked in this state’s elections.
Also getting in on the redistricting hype is WaPo, as it focuses on the next battleground over election maps, Florida. As Governor Ron DeSantis just signed a new bill for the revised districts, the paper focuses on the Orlando-Kissimmee region, particularly the 9th district, where Democrat Darren Soto currently represents. It is said this new map will favor the GOP as it changes to one where “non-Hispanic White people will surpass Latinos as the largest demographic group.” Except, it does not. According to its own supplied chart, WaPo shows that whites will now comprise 44 percent, while Hispanic, Puerto Rican, and Venezuelan residents will be higher.
Plus, as one of the interviewed residents says:
“This is Central Florida in a nutshell. It’s one big community, with people from all over,” said Jerry Millán, who tended a bar during the party. “Our voice shouldn’t get diluted.”
Under a new congressional map signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the growing community of Puerto Ricans and South Americans in Kissimmee, Fla., will be splintered across four districts.
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 11, 2026
“Our voice shouldn’t get diluted,” one resident said. https://t.co/o3C5Lslml8
Low-Octane Gaslighting – THE NEW YORK TIMES
Did Nick commit any journalism here, beyond stenography?
There is all manner of outrage roiling in New York City, and there is valid speculation over whether the second wave of attacks on Jewish centers in the city by Palestinian sympathizers might have been inspired by New York Times veteran Nicolas Kristof.
Nick has penned a piece that stipulates Jewish authorities definitively assaulted, sexually abused, and otherwise inflicted harm on Palestinians held in captivity in Israel. One of the glaring details is that the Israeli forces used “rape dogs” on some of the victims.
What is problematic about Nick’s piece is that it is based on comments made by individuals, with no corroboration of any sort. In the case of the woman who says she was tied up, beaten, and sexually abused, there are rather glaring details missing.
Do we get her name? No.
Do we have witnesses? No.
Do we know where she was detained? No.
Do we know why she was detained? No.
Do we know when she was detained? No.
Do we have a report of the arrest? No.
Do we see medical evidence of her attack/injuries? No.
But Kristof is content to run his inflammatory column, absent basic journalism standards. It is notable that few other outlets are following up on his piece, and that The Times chose to publish this as an op-ed, and not a news item.
This is a hard article to read, but I hope you'll do so. I've spent some time reporting on widespread rape and other sexual violence of Palestinian male and female prisoners by Israeli authorities, and the article is now published. The assault victims were warned not to give…
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) May 11, 2026
Border-Line Obsessives – WASHINGTON POST
You say this like it is a negative thing…
At WaPo, we get what it seems to think is an alarming statistic. It turns out that there has been a sharp increase in the number of people in this country illegally who are choosing to self-deport.
If you are looking for the downside to this, we are as well.
We are told that currently, the number of people in the country illegally and either awaiting asylum rulings or in detention, and choosing to be returned to their home country, is seven times higher than in the last 15 months of the Biden administration. This, as it is presented, is considered a negative by the paper:
The shift is one of the most striking data points to emerge from Trump’s mass deportation campaign and appears to be part of his broader effort to purge millions of immigrants from the U.S. Immigration attorneys say the spike reflects the mounting strain on people who are facing long stints in detention as they await a hearing in immigration court, where it has become increasingly difficult to win asylum.
The paper seems oblivious to the reality that this is largely due to the Biden administration allowing just about anyone to come in under the heading of an asylum case. But as WaPo states, “Immigrants are giving up their claims of humanitarian protection,” to be returned, that means they did not have a valid claim of hardship to begin with, if they are so willing to go back to their allegedly oppressive country of origin.
Immigrants are giving up their claims for humanitarian protection and opting to depart the U.S. in exponentially higher numbers under the Trump administration, according to court data obtained by the Vera Institute of Justice and shared with The Post. https://t.co/MVt9OwS3wS
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 10, 2026
So we have those in the U.S. illegally, voluntarily removing themselves and returning to their home country. It seems like the most preferred result as things go, but we are not reporters at a Washington news outlet.
