VandeHei misleads

From tmorange
Sent Saturday, February 11, 2006 12:38 pm
To letters@washpost.com
Cc ombudsman@washpost.com
Subject Vandehei misleads

Dear Editor,

Why is it that the Post continues to put misleading characterizations that are favorable to this administration in its end-of-story background paragraphs?

In "Cheney Says NSA Spying Should Be an Election Issue" (February 10), Jim VandeHei's penultimate paragraph reads:

"In recent weeks, Bush has shifted his public focus away from Iraq and trained it on winning public support for the program. Some Democrats argue that Bush is breaking the law by spying on people in the United States without a warrant and without congressional or judicial oversight. Bush contends that the Constitution and the 2001 congressional war resolution give him the authority to take such steps to track down terrorism suspects."

The second sentence in this paragraph is misleading at best, if not factually inaccurate. It's not merely "some democrats" have questioned the legality of this president's domestic surveillance program: leading Republicans such as Arlen Specter, Lindsay Graham and Chuck Hagel, along with the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, have all questioned this program.

I have written about this practice before and received no reply. One would think that in light of the great controversy that this practice generated then, the Post would be more careful; instead, the practice brazenly and shamelessly continues.

When will the Post be responsible and accountable to its readers?