Did not expect this.

Clark Hoyt, who claims independence but really seems to be the guy to summarize reader complaints and synthesize them into an op ed article—a pretty clever idea, actually— writes that the New York Times’ failure to cover the ACORN scandals wasn’t done out of media bias… the failure was one of incompetence.

Hoyt goes into detail to show how, at each step, an editor somewhere failed to recognize the seriousness of the ACORN sting, discounted the methodology (news obtained unethically by NYT standards is still news, Hoyt argues), or plain screwed up the coverage.

Better still, the NYT claims that it shall henceforth assign an editor to follow hot items on conservative websites, talk shows, and video…and further concedes that the Times hasn’t even identified for Hoyt who that person is yet.

Hoyt insists the Times detests the hint of bias. Are they biased? In the Czar’s opinion unquestionably. But if people like Hoyt want to address failures of competence, and if they want to have someone scan wesbites like this one, it is a smart move.

Heck, even ‘Puter spends hours on HuffPo. Not to find news stories worth commenting on… he just laughs and laughs at Huffington making fun of the weird way Sarah Palin talks. Irony is a turn on for him.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.