. . you forgot to mention one of WaPo's worst and most devious assholes, the would-be-Rev. Mike Gerson. Otherwise, right on.

I sure hope Froomkin finds a new gig. His analysis is great. It was essentially required daily reading during the election and as pointed out, he doesn't cut Obama any slack now.

Not to be outdone, will the New York Times "counter" by firing Krugman?

but this really infuriates me. I already vented my spleen under your previous post, Glenn (and here it is again!),

Son of a Bitch

Froomkin let go! Christ, as if we have so many reputable and ethical reporters that our cup overfloweth. But this, man, this is too much (via Politico):

In so many words, Froomkin was told that his blog had essentially run its course... Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer even took Froomkin to task in one of his columns, calling Froomkin's analysis "stupid."

Stupid says the Sage of Idiocracy. Friend Froomkin, that's nothing less than a badge of honor.

Memo to Salon--hire this man!

but, seriously, this just makes my face flame red. It's bad enough that Froomkin's talent and--need I add?--ethics were so easily dispensed with, but to think that Krauthammer--Krauthammer, for Christ's sake!--retains his position!

I need to go now and take my daily blood pressure medication.

Or I don't see myself visiting their website again.

Republicans own the media. Nuff said.

This is just another depressing episode in the consensus-obsessed, risk-averse ethos of the American Democratic Party which Barack Obama increasingly epitomises.

I read Deborah Howell's piece. What a farce. The American media simply lives in fear of conservatives.

It is clear to me that the Washington Post is no longer a paper with journalistic ideals. It is part of the corporate entity The Washington Post Company.

The Washington Post newspaper doesn't really make money for the Post Company. In fact, the biggest moneymaker for the Post Company is Kaplan Learning Services, which makes testing materials and provides test preparation services.

When Katherine Graham ran things, the Post was a real newspaper with journalistic integrity. But she has been dead and gone for 8 years now. Her son Donald runs things now. And he has made it clear that he wants the Post Company to be known as an education services company rather than a news company.

So it's obvious to me that Donald Graham sees his paper not as an independent reporter of news, but as part of a corporate empire. And like any good corporatist, he wants to make the first priority of the paper not journalism, but to support the other corporate entities. An example would to push favorable reporting on No Child Left Behind, which has been very good to companies such as Kaplan Learning Services.

It is Donald that hired the Neocon editor Fred Hiatt to run the Post. Hiatt then reduced the once opinion-diverse Post editorial page into a bland swampland of hacks like Kristol, Krauthammer, Kagan, and Gerson. Previous thoughtful columnists like Broder and Cohen now toe the company line.

It is no accident that once great papers like the Post have declined so far. It cannot be explained only by changing business models---i.e., too much online competition. After all, Dan Froomkin's online column was one of the most popular. Froomkin's firing is, in fact, just another part of the Corporatocracy mentally that has taken root at the Post, and is taking over all aspects of our country.

That's just like being a victim of the Holocaust.

Someone needs to post a Doomsday Clock for the Washington Post like that of the Atomic Scientists. De Long offers textual updates of when the lights will go out, but a more indicator is needed. Froomkin leaving causes the hour hand to advance markedly.

Glenn:

Firing Froomkin was the last straw. I just un-subscribed myself from any and all Washington Post feeds. I cannot get home delivery of the paper--if I could I would have canceled it too.

The Times (NY, that is) may not be far behind.

Randy Fritz

Bill Maher was on Wolf Blitzer a few days ago and said something rarely mentioned in the media. There are no voices from the left allowed on tv. We got to hear the ravings of extreme righties like Newt and Cheney. They get invited to all the news shows. Yet lefties are never allowed on tv. People like Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinch, true liberals, are held up for laughter and ridicule. They never get invited on MSM shows. No Lefties allowed in the liberal media.

including a couple of days ago, "I wonder how Froomkin keeps a job a WaPo?" It's a terrible loss.

Another thought -- Froomkin's column was most popular when he was criticizing a deeply unpopular president, essentially giving MSM cred to some of the more critical strands from less established sites. Now, he's offering tepid criticism of a popular president -- that's just not as fun or enticing to readers.

The March of Dimes was a huge deal before polio vaccines were discovered -- now where are they? Dan Froomkin's a victim of his own success. We should honor him as a martyr.

Dan Froomkin was the only columnist at WaPo I went to read every day (other than to mock the likes of Broder, Krauthammer, Hiatt, Wills and others)...

I've taken it off my bookmarks bar, and will never go there again..I guess sticking him all the way down at the bottom in "Other Blogs" still didn't dent his popularity!

Please let Glen, Andrew and other know where and when you will appear again Dan, and I'll come religiously to read your columns...hope we don't have to miss you for too long a period.

I was stunned to read that Froomkin is gone! Froomkin! Daily blog reading includes Froomkin (and Glenn, of course). I cannot completely state that I won't read WaPo as I follow Ezra, but...

There can only be one place for Froomkin to go and that is up, up, up the ladder. He is well respected and will easily land in a better and more respectable venue.

"Liberal media bias" my you-know-what. It's just a crowded field of more of the same: hysterical, willfully ignorant DBags and DNozzles. Or, our "media elite."

WAPO gives voice to Krauthummer, Kristol lite, Will, Hoagland, Kagan, etc. but cannot tolerate Froomkin?

Was his balancing voice too popular? Is insanity more easily sold if not challenged by good sense? Was he attracting too many hoi polloi and not adequately serving the rich and powerful? Yecch! As traditional media disappears in the morass of its own confusion, we will know it earned those just deserts.

People like Froomkin are only tokens anyway, like those who decorated boardrooms a generation ago. I remember asking a lawyer if any of his 100 or so partners were female. He proudly said, "Oh yes, we have two!" That same contempt for balance continues today in the MSM.