Huh? Um, that's not true and that's not news...

On the front page of CNN.com today they have a new feature...an editorial. The writer is a fellow named Ruben Navarrette Jr. The problem with the article is that it is idiotic. Sadly, Ruben doesn't really come close to what he really wants to say which is that Alberto Gonzalez is going to be the scapegoat for the long line of terrible, reprehensible, incompetent, inadequate, corrupt political appointees that this administration is responsible for; and the reason is closely tied to the fact that Gonzalez is not white. Instead, Ruben does himself and his readers (and possibly CNN which already IS ) a disservice by trying to defend Gonzalez, shifting the discussion onto the congress and politicos involved. His editorial is besides the point. A great example of bad logic, bad thinking and really bad writing.

A choice section:
"First, the critics said that Gonzales didn't understand the difference between being the president's personal lawyer and being attorney general. Then, they said he had orchestrated a purge of dissidents to further political goals. Then, they said he lied to Congress. Then, they said he lied to the media. Then, they said he had been a bad manager. Then, they said he bungled the explanation of what happened and created the appearance of a scandal where there may not have been one in the first place."

This is what we call classic rhetorical bullshit. The tone of that paragraph sounds like everything in that paragraph is at odds with one another. An Example of how this is all partisan politics. Of course, not a single sentence or allegation in this paragraph are actually at odds with one another. If anything, they are just a listing of how absolutely corrupt and incompetent Attorney General Gonzalez is and has been.

Here's an example of that rhetorical technique at work:
"The politcal operatives of the democratic party would have you believe that President George W. Bush has done a poor job handling his foreign policy. But every time you turn around it's a new thing. First it was no weapons of mass destruction, then it was troop levels, mission accomplished, and our continuing presence in the region. Suddenly it was back to mis-leading the American people and congress as to the imminence of the threat Iraq and Terrorism posed to us. All the while 'critics' of the administration kept saying that the Bush administration was over-stepping its boundaries in the executive branch, threatening the most fundamental basis for our democratic society; and now? Well, now it's onto a witch-hunt to find out the people this administration has appointed that may or may not be accountable for the mess we find ourselves in. COME ON democrats...choose one thing and stick to it! How are we supossed to take you seriously when you keep finding new things to attack the president for?"

So kudos to CNN (and I guess Ruben--who has written some interesting things before)...outdoing themselves!