What Bob Somerby will be obsessing over this week

Bob Somerby matters less and less and it's no one's fault but his own.

Iraq?

He's only noted in the last six or so years to use it as a club to beat his enemies with.

In terms of a media critique on Iraq?

He's got nothing.

And more and more, his site, The Daily Howler, has nothing either.



This week, there's a good chance Somerby will be writing about his never ending obsession with the 2000 election and his former roommate Al Gore.

Yes, there's always a good chance he'll go to the well on that one again.

From Ken Kurson "The Tyranny and Lethargy of the Times Editorial Page"  (New York magazine):


One veteran reporter who has been at the paper for more than 20 years said, “‘Bullying’ and ‘petty’ are Andy’s middle name. He’s very smart, he’s very funny. But any place he’s gone where he’s had a position of authority, he’s bullying and petty. For a time in 2000, he was essentially running the Washington bureau, though I don’t think he had the title of bureau chief. Dean Baquet was the national editor and left for the L.A. Times, and they put Andy in as sort of acting national editor for the duration of the 2000 coverage. During the 2000 campaign, he developed a very personal, gut-level animus toward Al Gore. And it showed in our coverage. And then he was the assistant managing editor under Howell [Raines], and the consensus was that as he rose he became nastier. He had the reputation as Howell’s hatchet man. When Howell was tossed out and Andy was sent to the editorial page, there were a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t have to deal with Andy anymore. That’s not an exaggeration. He had made himself extremely unpopular.”


From that paragraph, expect Somerby to zoom in on:


For a time in 2000, he was essentially running the Washington bureau, though I don’t think he had the title of bureau chief. Dean Baquet was the national editor and left for the L.A. Times, and they put Andy in as sort of acting national editor for the duration of the 2000 coverage. During the 2000 campaign, he developed a very personal, gut-level animus toward Al Gore. And it showed in our coverage. 

After a certain point, an obsession becomes a fetish.

Maybe Somerby can write about that?