LAT cheerleads for Dems

On today's front page, the LAT argues that Republicans may face a landslide loss of Senate seats in November. The Dems could win seats in Mississippi, Alaska and North Carolina, the LAT says.

But shouldn't arguments be saved for opinion pages? Isn't the front page of a newspaper a news page where events that have occurred are reported so readers are brought up to date about happenings around the world? Apparently, not much happened on Saturday that was newsworthy so the LAT had to fill space on the front page with political fodder.

LAT on the FARC

The LAT rightly argues today that Columbia's rescue of 15 FARC hostages, including Ingrid Bettancourt and 3 Americans, was a wonderful thing, expertly planned and executed. The LAT rightly argues that the Columbian government has the FARC on the run. But then the LAT recommends going soft. The FARC is on the run because the government has taken a hard line and has defeated the FARC militarily. The government should continue what has worked. Now is no time to change course.

LAT on free speech

The LAT says everybody is entitled to speak freely. Just not "a brillant judge" or a "bigoted cop."

The judge in question is Alex Kozinski, federal appeals court judge on the 9th Circuit. Kozinski is one of the few conservatives on the left-leaning 9th Circuit, which is so far out of the mainstream that it has often been reversed by the U. S. Supreme Court.

The "bigoted cop" is an unnamed sergeant on the Los Angeles Police Department who is also a pastor. According to the LAT, the pastor declared at a funeral for a fellow police officer that homosexual acts are an abomination. This makes the pastor "bigoted," the LAT judged, without explaining why speaking the truth is being a bigot.

The point, presumably, is that you can say or do anything you want unless the LAT disapproves.

Doug Kmiec has crossed the line

Pepperdine Law School Dean Douglas W. Kmiec has crossed over to the dark side. He announced a few months ago that he now supports Barack Obama. Today, in the Orange County Register, Kmiec argues that executive privilege does not apply to subpoenas issued to Harriett Miers and Josh Bolton in the firing of federal prosecutors. But presidents have always ben able to fire such prosecutors at will without explaining why. There is no reason to apply different rules to Bush. 

Congress wants Miers and Bolton to testify publicly, under oath, for political reasons. They hope to embarrass them or Mr. Bush or b9th. The president has offered to allow Miers and Bolton to testify privately. If Congress just wanted information it could have had that by now. (Actually, it most likely already has any information that Miers or Bolton could supply.) That isn't what Congress wants. Congress wants a dog and pony show. Kmiec is wrong.

LAT blames Republicans for Obama gaff

Barack Obama switched his position on Iraq yesterday morning, then switched back later in the day. That was Republicans' fault, the LAT says. They ought to let Obama be Obama instead of pointing out his indecision, the LAT suggests.

Obama gets good press in the LAT

When the LAT reports on Obama on the front page, which it does frequently, the news is invariably positive. Yesterday morning, the Obama news was about his "focus on faith" initiative. When the LAT reports on McCain, it's invariably negative. Either that or they skip McCain, which they did Wednesday.

LAT publishes McCain hit piece

Democrats must be concerned that McCain is winning the race because today on the front page the LAT attacks John McCain in an undisguised political hit piece bylined with the name of Democratic propagandist Noam Levey. Levey's charge is that McCain flip-flops, something Obama has done repeatedly recently. Is this to distract from Obama's flip-flops?