Conservative take: Media’s Rumormongering on Trump
When former CIA chief John Brennan suggested that Vladimir Putin could have compromising information on President Trump, notes Jonathan Tobin at National Review, The New York Times ran with the story, and “the coverage on MSNBC and CNN consisted of highlighting the accusation, treating it as a proven fact, and then following up with panels in which others speculated as to what evidence might substantiate Brennan’s charge, even though he had already admitted he had no such information.” This is, he says, a perfect representation of the coverage of the Trump-Russia collusion story: “The fact that political smears of this sort have now become not only possible but also normal says a lot about the way animus for the Trump administration has distorted much of the media’s judgment and coverage.”
From the right: Russia Inquiry in Dangerous Phase
Speaking of Trump-Russia “collusion,” where is Robert Mueller’s investigation going from here, anyway? At The Washington Post, Ed Rogers says it’s aimless and at a crossroads: “Going by what information has, so far, been made public, there is no collusion with Russia to be found — at least on the part of the Trump campaign. And with obstruction of justice difficult to establish, Mueller’s plate seems to be full of side dishes but no entree.” Yet the inquiry shows no signs of winding down, and Trump “constantly does things to make himself appear guilty.” Rogers guesses Dems would like Mueller to follow the Ken Starr path and look into the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels. Either way, warns Rogers, buckle up: “The fact is the investigation that never should have started is prowling for a purpose. Anything could happen.”
Washington beat: How Mattis Became ‘Bulletproof’
Defense Secretary James Mattis tends to avoid much criticism from Congress and gets mostly good press. But perhaps more impressive, he’s the rare Cabinet member able to disagree with President Trump without taking his political life in his hands. One reason, according to Politico’s Eliana Johnson, is that Mattis represents an institution (the military) Trump reveres, and the president doesn’t believe he knows better than Mattis on such matters — in contrast to economic advisers. Another is that Mattis has learned from experience: He was ousted by President Barack Obama for his dissenting views on Iran, and he has learned to handle disagreements quietly and stay out of the media: “In the Trump administration, where the president judges his Cabinet officials in large part based on the coverage they generate on television, Mattis has navigated the news media more deftly.”
Libertarian take: The Bill That Could Chill the Internet
The Senate passed the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act last week, but Elizabeth Nolan Brown at The Daily Beast points out it’s a misnomer: The bill won’t do much to combat sex trafficking, but it will have a chilling effect on speech and send us down a slippery slope. The new law carves out an exception to existing law that exempts Web sites from being held responsible for third-party posts. Brown says the target here — personal ads — will disappear completely, even though they often help catch trafficking perpetrators by leaving a paper trail. Brown warns it’s only a matter of time before other liability exceptions are made: “After all, how can we say that Craigslist should be prosecuted if its ads broker prostitution but not a gun sale that leads to the next school shooting?”
Culture file: Instagram’s Performative Love
Krista Burton thinks too many couples use Instagram as a digital performance stage. In The New York Times, she explains that couples who are genuinely happy don’t need to insist on their happiness to the world all day every day. Then there are those who might be tempted to stay in unhealthy relationships because they have “relationship fans” online. One such friend of hers confessed as her relationship crashed and burned, “I just feel so stupid. Everyone thinks we’re perfect. I don’t want to disappoint people.” All couples, Burton says, are a mess sometimes. “How weird is it to encourage people to envy you as you play the role of someone in a happy relationship?”
Compiled by Seth Mandel
