THE CONTRAST – AT 8:41 A.M. ET:  Much buzz continuing about Chris Christie's two-hour press conference yesterday, explaining Bridgegate, the scandal involving the closing of lanes on the George Washington Bridge to cause a traffic jam in a New Jersey town whose mayor refused to endorse Christie'e re-election bid.

Most observers feel Christie gave a stellar performance and, if it's shown he told the truth, he may have even enhanced his reputation for directness.

The Wall Street Journal contrasts Christie's style with that of one Barack Hussein Obama Jr, who never seems to have heard of anything that happens on his watch. 

Which brings us to the Obama Administration, which quickly leaked to the media that the U.S. Attorney is investigating the lane closures as a criminal matter. Well, that sure was fast, and nice of Eric Holder's Justice Department to show its typical discretion when investigating political opponents.

This is the same Administration that won't tell Congress what resources it is devoting to the IRS probe, and appears to be slow-rolling it. It has also doubled down by expanding the political vetting of 501(c)(4) groups seeking tax-exempt status. Lois Lerner, who ran the IRS tax-exempt shop and took the Fifth before Congress, was allowed to "retire," presumably with a pension. Acting IRS commissioner Steven Miller resigned under pressure but no other heads have rolled. Yet compared to using the IRS against political opponents during an election campaign, closing traffic lanes for four days is jaywalking.

And...

Republicans operate under a double media standard that holds them to a much lower scandal threshold. In that sense the pathetic New Jersey traffic-lane scandal may be, as Mr. Obama likes to say, a teachable moment.

COMMENT:  It is just that, a teachable moment.  Once again Republicans are reminded that they will not be treated fairly by the press, no matter how many congenial relationships they have with reporters.  John McCain admitted that he was blindsided by the hostility of the press during his 2008 run for president.  Reporters had been so nice to him.  But in the face of the campaign of Barack Obama (come to save us), the press turned.  Obama was their 1960s dream, not to be disrupted by a senator they'd liked.

The liberal press has a set of priorities, and reporting the news in a balanced manner isn't one of them.

January 10,  2014