REMARKABLE STATEMENT - AT 10:02 A.M. ET:  Sally Quinn, of the Washington Post, is not known for bucking the trendy trends of Washington salons.  But in a column she writes today, she breathes some fresh air into the Gates arrest story with a remarkably candid view of Professor Gates, one we've not seen expressed elsewhere:

Now, here's my own disclaimer about not having all the facts: I don't know anything about Crowley, except that his colleagues seem to support him and that he once taught a class for fellow police officers on racial profiling. But I do know about Skip Gates. What nobody will say publicly, for fear of being called a racist, is that he is notorious, especially among many of his colleagues (black and white) at Harvard, for being short-tempered and arrogant. I have had personal dealings with him in which his behavior was not honorable.

Saying that may get me in trouble. Gates is the moderator of The Root, a website owned by the Washington Post Company. I suspect that Don Graham, my boss and the company's owner, will now be forced to have us over to his home to reconcile over a cold one.

COMMENT:  Okay, I'm glad someone said it.  I'm not glad that Gates's reputation for arrogance has been suppressed in every other news story.  Clearly, the press censored itself for politically correct reasons.  Please note that Sgt. Crowley's background, reputation, and image among others was investigated in detail, and reported.

Oh, by the way, it is also correct to point out that Gates has done some very fine work.  No problem noting that.

This reminds me of another hypocritical practice in journalism - the refusal to report honestly and completely about the backgrounds and beliefs of militant leftists.  If someone is on the far right, you can be sure that his record will be given severe scrutiny.  On the left, we often get some euphemism like "anti-war activist," or "peace crusader."  Go further and you'll be called a McCarthyite.  When is the last time you saw a detailed story about the political views and backgrounds of the Code Pink crowd?  There was no last time. 

August 2, 2009