Breaking: Rove Had Hand in US Attorney Firings

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The Washington Post has obtained emails showing that Karl Rove, top political advisor to former President George W. Bush, played a significant role in the firing of a number of US attorneys for political reasons. You should go read the Post story 1) if, for some reason, this surprises you, 2) to laugh as a number of Rove’s statements are directly contradicted by the facts, and 3) to get the full details.

One quick, journalism-related note on the story. Marcy Wheeler is right that while none of this “is even remotely surprising” it “does suggest we’ll have these documents… in the relatively near future.” That’s great. But I would just point out that if the Washington Post followed the lead of the US attorneys’ scandal godfathers at Talking Points Memo—or Mother Jones’ own, similar practices—we’d already have those documents. The Post would have put them online so that members of the public could look at the source material and judge for themselves. But it’s not like the Post is in the business of informing the public or anything.

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What’s independent journalism worth to you?

Our news will always be free to read, watch, and listen to online. But what is its value?

Unbiased reporting on the issues that billionaire-owned newsrooms won’t touch. Fearless research into the dark corners of government and corporations. Ferociously fact-checked news that focuses on the facts, and the facts alone.

It IS free for you and every reader, viewer, and listener to utilize. But it’s not free for our team to make. So, what’s it worth to you? Let us know by making a donation: Make a one-time donation today to support this work. Or make a monthly sustaining donation to help us plan for the future.

Whatever you choose, know that you’re supporting more independent, investigative journalism in a time when we need it most.

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