Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Mobile Press-Register: A Class Act

In case you missed it, the Mobile Press-Register had this snarky editorial about Democrats' efforts to look into the Siegelman prosecution. The editorial makes no mention of the larger issue at hand: Is the Bush Justice Department practicing selective prosecution?

If selective prosecution is going on, based on politics, the Register evidently has no problem with it. And the paper evidently does not even view the subject worthy of investigation. Nice to see the watchdog press cozy up to folks in position of power.

Of course, the Register might have to be excused. The editorial came one day after Louis Franklin, acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, issued a press release heaping praise on the paper and reporter Eddie Curran for their role in breaking the Siegelman story. Guess the Register folks are still swooning from Franklin's bouquets.

Here is a story about Curran's behavior during the Siegelman investigation. Didn't notice any mention of this in the Register editorial--or in Franklin's press release.

Remember, the Register, Birmingham News, and Huntsville Times all are owned by the Newhouse newspaper chain. The Register editorial probably provides a glimpse into the mindset at all three papers regarding the DOJ scandal. If you are waiting for aggressive reporting from any of these papers on the DOJ scandal and how it has touched Alabama, I wouldn't hold your breath.

After all, it's only the biggest domestic story in the country right now. And over the past several weeks, it has focused on Alabama. Hey, why would they want to look into a story like that?

Still wonder if concerns about the corporate press are justified?

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