The editor of Time said the following on the Chris Matthews Show last Sunday:
"I am so uninterested in the Democrats wanting Karl Rove because it is so bad for them."
Ana scratched her fair head, as one would. Why uninterested? Why bad for the Dems? Stengel replies:
As a citizen, I think it’s unfortunate and perhaps short-sighted for Democrats to be perceived as focusing on the past rather than the future. If people see the Democrats as obsessively concerned with settling scores, that’s not good for the Democrats or the country.
Norice the subtle shift from partisanship to citizenship in that final phrase. Count me somewhat unconvinced on this minor revision. But count me even less convinced on the major point. The machine Rove has constructed is surely very interesting to cover, especially if it has been corrupting the justice system. One might imagine that the role of an opposition party is exactly to scrutinize those in power. One might even believe that a scandal a few weeks old isn’t exactly the past. And one might even think it’s the job of the media to inspect it. But then one wouldn’t be editor of Time, would one?
The Dish 