Just to add a few observations to Pete’s right-on post regarding the Washington Post’s hit-job on Romney, it should be noted, as reported by Brietbart, that the Post misquoted one of the main sources for the story. The paper reported that a fellow student had been bothered by the incident for years, but it turns out that he only heard about it this year. The Post, hiding its journalistic misfeasance, made a silent correction to its website regarding this.
The subject of the incident, John Lauber, died in 2004, but his sisters have issued a statement objecting to the story: “The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda. There will be no more comments from the family.” Said another sister, “If he were alive today, he would be furious [about the story].”
Mitt Romney also says that he does not recall the incident.
Well, having spent four (wonderful) years at a school not unlike Cranbrook at that time, I can tell that something is seriously amiss here. Boys boarding schools, at least in this country (English schools are quite different), are inward looking island universes, in effect maximum security prisons for the over privileged. The faculty constantly patrols the dorms, school buildings, and athletic facilities. Nothing of significance happens that isn’t known to everyone, including the faculty, within hours if not minutes.
To be sure, there is much roughhousing, and unpopular boys can have a hard time of it. Surely even the editors of the Washington Post know that boys will be boys. But any incident in which a boy was seriously assaulted, as described in the article, would have resulted in big trouble for all concerned and, undoubtedly, life-long memories. Trust me, being hauled before the headmaster to explain yourself is as close as a 16-year-old prep-school student ever wants to come to Judgment Day. He’d remember it.
So I suspect this was a minor incident or practical joke that the Washington Post tried to turn into a major one for reasons having nothing to do with reporting the news.
One has to wonder if the staff of the Washington Post includes one single male who ever played football, qualified for the letterman's' organization through any sport, joined a fraternity, or did any of the things that normal boys did. The incident, as described, is trivial compared to the things most of us endured as rights of passage, and were proud to say we accepted manfully. From the fact that the "victim" in this case never seems to have complained or expressed any resentment, even to his family, it would appear that he took it in the same way, and quite probably grew in the respect of his classmates. Is an entire life as a "girlyman" a pre-requisite for employment at the WaPo?
I think you have it, "girlymen" all. of course, bear in mind that these WaPo types are not journalists, they are more like the staff of Pravda c. 1970 or New China News Agency in the days of Mao. Slime the class enemies, and protect the Dear Leader.
Why not label the media Democrats? ie Washington Post Democrat…… Everyone knows that they are overwhelmingly liberal and Democrat. New York Times Democrat (NYTD)! Associated Press Democrat (APD)! CBSD! ABCD! 60 Democratic Minutes! …. ____It's important that readers and viewer know thier information is coming not from an impartial observer but from the point of view of the Democratic Party. The issue is not thier bias but the pretense that they are objective.__
Washington post is so liberal, it loses its not even jounalism………….. they should hire Mr. Maddow from MSNBC….