John Moltz

Balance

This post by Matthew Yglesias highlights the problem of reporters trying to seek balance above all else. Like, for instance, accuracy.

Both Bush and Kerry stretch the truth!

Except it turns out that Bush is out-and-out lying about any number of things that have cost people their lives and Kerry said one thing that could possibly be misinterpreted as exaggerating the cost of the war if you decided to interpret it other than how he meant it.

In 2000 the press simply decided it didn't like Gore and aided and abetted the GOP in trashing him. In 2004 they're not so much trashing Kerry as just giving Bush a pass on everything.

That's not really any better.