Taranto responds to Media Matters -- and is still wrong

Summary: James Taranto once again misrepresented Media Matters for America's position, this time in response to an item noting his false characterization of Media Matters' coverage of Rep. John Murtha's call for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

In his March 13 "Best of the Web Today" column, Wall Street Journal OpinionJournal.com editor James Taranto responded to a March 10 Media Matters for America item highlighting Taranto's false characterization of Media Matters' coverage of Rep. John P. Murtha's (D-PA) call for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Taranto again falsely claimed that Media Matters is "desperate to distance" itself from Murtha.

Once again, Media Matters has neither endorsed nor condemned any of Murtha's positions. We have not articulated any position on Murtha's proposal for Iraq -- so there is no way in which we can be said to be "distanc[ing]" ourselves "from Murtha." We have focused on misinformation from those in the media, such as propagated by Taranto, who have falsely claimed -- again and again -- that Murtha called for the "immediate withdrawal" of U.S. troops from Iraq. Taranto has yet to acknowledge his errors, continues to repeat them, and insists on introducing new ones in the form of falsehoods about Media Matters.

From Taranto's March 13 "Best of the Web Today" column:

Murtha? Who's That?

From MediaMatters.org:

In his March 10 "Best of the Web Today" column, Wall Street Journal OpinionJournal.com editor James Taranto falsely claimed that Media Matters for America "cheered" Rep. John P. Murtha's (D-PA) call for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq but also "denied that he had done any such thing." Media Matters neither endorsed nor condemned Murtha's proposal, nor did we deny Murtha called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Boy, these guys are desperate to distance themselves from Murtha, aren't they?

—S.S.M.