corrente

From the print edition of the May 2004, Atlantic we have these words of wisdom from deposed Times editor Howell Raines:

The Times's image as a bastion of quality had become even more important as tabloid television, Britain's declining newspaper values, and the unsourced ranting of Internet bloggers polluted the journalistic mainstream of the United States.

Well.

Remarkably, Howell Raines manages to write a very long apologia for his ceaseless efforts to revitalize the Times newsroom without mentioning Whitewater (Jeff Gerth), the coverage of Gore in Election 2000 (Kathryn Seelye), or WMD (Judith "Kneepads" Miller), let alone the Dunciad-reminiscent prose stylings of the post-Raines "public editor," hapless and overworked Daniel Okrent.

Are they so arrogant and ignorant that they think no one is keeping track?

Memo to Howell: Read The Daily Howler.

Memo to the blogosphere: When we can work out a funding model, we'll eviscerate the Times. The "sources" of which Raines is so proud are, after all, the same 1,500 who laughed at Bush's sick jokes about WMDs.

NOTE For good Times coverage, see The A1 Project. Howell: If, as you profess, you still love The Times, you should read that too.