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America's worst media critic (non-Newsbusters division)

June 22, 2009 2:58 pm ET by Jamison Foser

In an online discussion today, a reader pointed out to Howard Kurtz that Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer has ridiculed Barack Obama for referring to Khamenei as Iran's "Supreme Leader," despite the fact that Krauthammer himself referred to Khamenei the same way just days earlier.

Kurtz's response? "Agree or disagree, he's making serious points about an explosive foreign policy question. There's not even a personal attack on Obama, just a strongly worded policy disagreement. That doesn't sound like derangement to me."

Just to spell this out: Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz defends conservative Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer after Krauthammer attacks Obama for doing something Krauthammer does, too.  Such hypocritical attacks, Kurtz says, are "serious points."

Here, for the record, are the Krauthammer quotes Kurtz was responding to:

"-After treating this popular revolution as an inconvenience to the real business of Obama-Khamenei negotiations, the president speaks favorably of 'some initial reaction from the Supreme Leader that indicates he understands the Iranian people have deep concerns about the election.' Where to begin? 'Supreme Leader'? Note the abject solicitousness with which the American president confers this honorific on a clerical dictator." -- Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, June 19

"And the president has said 'I have seen in Iran's initial reaction from the supreme leader.' He is using an honorific to apply to a man whose minions out there are breaking heads, shooting demonstrators, arresting students, shutting the press down, and basically trying to suppress a popular democratic revolution." -- Charles Krauthammer, Fox News All Stars, June 16

"Look, these were sham elections from the beginning. In a real democracy, you can have a change of power as a result. That was not going to happen in Iran. The mullahs are in charge. Khamenei, the supreme leader, remains in charge." -- Charles Krauthammer, Fox News All Stars, June 12

UPDATE: Think Progress' Matt Corley notes that Krauthammer called Khamenei "the Supreme Leader" again today.  Does Kurtz still think Krauthammer's criticism of Obama for using that title is a "serious point"?

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    • Author by ronsch99 (June 22, 2009 3:29 pm ET)
      2  
      Anyone on WAPO who criticizes Krauthammer gets fired. Froomkin's experience has proven that. Kurtz isn't going to criticize Krauthammer even if the egregious act is obvious to all. All of WAPO is reduced to grovelling before Krauthammer just like the Republicans before Limbaugh.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by mk3872 (June 22, 2009 3:43 pm ET)
        1  
        Could not have said it better: the print media is simply not allowed to touch Kraut.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (June 22, 2009 3:53 pm ET)
           
        And, even worse, the Washington Post offered a columnists position to Paul Freaking Wolfowitz. Yes, the man who licks his comb before running it through his hair, and the incompetent boob who, amazingly enough, is correct even less often than Bill Kristol.

        Mr Krauthammer, tell me again how "liberal" the post is.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by seeryer (June 22, 2009 5:11 pm ET)
        1
      Yeah, but CK capitalized the phrase "Supreme Leader" when he quoted Obama using it, but CK did not capitalize that phrase when he used it himself. Now do you see how Obama is kissing up? Kurtz doesn't have the family jewels to criticize anyone in the media. The guy tries to be that guy in Washington that everyone on all sides says about, "you'll never meet a nicer guy". It is a shame his goal isn't to be "the media's worst nightmare". That would be my goal as a media critic. I could give a crap if I got guests on my show. I would blast people for an hour a week.
      Report Abuse

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