Washington Post trashes Democratic progressives, because, well, that's what they do

The Washington Post just published a classic piece of stenography posing as journalism: Sean Sullivan and Tyler Pager, Ron Klain had the perfect résumé. His first year showed the limits of that experience. 01/25/2022.

It's a beautiful example of gossipy, inside-the-Beltway reporting. Some people are critical of White House Chief of Staff. Others praise him. Some of the people contributed criticism along the line: "Among the strongest criticisms of Klain come from Democrats who say he has forged an alliance with the party’s left that has undercut Biden’s effectiveness and hurt his political image."

There is a hint here that some insiders are using this opportunity to trash "the left." There's nothing really new about that in itself: unless the people griping about it consider coal baron Joe Manchin and professional flake Kyrsten Sinema, the two most effective Congressional opponents of Joe Biden's Presidential agenda, "the left."

Who is making that criticism? Gosh, Sullivan and Pager don't tell us. And that's an all-too-typical problem with this kind of gossip journalism.

Sullivan and Pager write that they conducted "Interviews with more than 60 White House and administration officials, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress and other Klain associates. Many talked on the record, while some spoke on the condition of anonymity to be more candid about sensitive topics and private exchanges."

The last part of that last sentence means: we agreed that we would listen to them and promised we wouldn't name them, so no one could hold them responsible for what they say. We're not talking about protecting sources leaking classified information or something similar here. This is reporters agreeing to take gossip from individuals while promising them not to name them. It's lazy at best.

Here is how they cite those anonymous sources they consulted about "sensitive topics" and "private exchanges," i.e., bitching about Ron Klain:

• "Many allies, and even some of the critics"
• "Democrats who say he has forged an alliance with the party’s left"
• "many Democrats"
• "a person with knowledge of the situation"
• "a White House official"
• "Some Democrats"
• "White House officials"
• "One frustrated Democratic member of Congress, speaking on the condition of anonymity to talk more freely" [Note: an even more frivolous reason than "anonymity to be more candid about sensitive topics and private exchanges"]
• "A Manchin spokesperson"
• "White House colleagues"
• "One White House official"
• "Some administration officials"
• "Some associates"
• "White House officials"
• "Aides to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)"
• "Klain’s defenders inside and outside the White House"