No Style Points Here

George Neumayr on the Washington Post's curious spite for John Bolton's grooming and fashion style:

One of the Washington Post's tricks of concealed bias is the phrase, "critics say." Which translated means: we here at the Washington Post want to make an editorial point on the front page, but since that's not quite kosher professionally we'll find some "critics" or "experts" to make our point for us. Last Saturday's Post provided a classic example of this practice in a piece smearing the memory of Pope John Paul II: "Catholic dissidents Call for Openness; John Paul Silenced Many, Critics Say."

But whatever bias the Washington Post conceals in such practiced formulations on the front page percolates up more visibly through larger cracks in its other sections. In search of an outlet the paper's bias can usually flow through a large opening in the Post's Style section.

Sandy Berger's a lovable frump, while John Bolton's just not our sort of people, don't you see?