Step By Step

Has the Star Tribune editorial board taken the first step on their long road to recovery? Yesterday, they opined on Sandy Berger:

Democrats immediately accused Republicans of leaking news of this long-running investigation to embarrass Democrats and to take a little publicity away from the imminent release of the 9/11 commission report. But there is no good evidence that Republicans were the leakers. Indeed, the most creative suggestion was that the information came from a Democratic source who is a rival of Berger for the post of secretary of state in a Kerry administration.

Last week, in the immediate aftermath of the first news of Berger's pilfering, the Strib editorial staff said this:

Based on a leak from the Bush administration, the news media are reporting that Samuel Berger, national security adviser for President Bill Clinton, is being investigated for removing highly classified material from a secure government reading room. Berger was using the information to prepare for his appearance before the 9/11 commission.

The investigation started last October and was referred to the FBI last January. Moreover, the FBI has yet to interview Berger, indicating the investigation remains in early stages.

So just why is this making news this particular week? Many in Washington, including such respected nonpartisan observers as David Gergen, think there is only one reason: The Bush administration is trying to detract attention from the 9/11 Commission final report, due out Thursday.

This is: 1) another instance of the White House using insider information and manipulating the media to its own political ends, and 2) an indication the administration is seriously concerned about what the final report will contain.

To those of us on the outside it's been obvious for years, and now it appears that the Strib editorialistas have finally stopped denying the truth themselves. They are nothing more than an arm of the Democratic Party.

Something tells me the next step won't be easy for the Strib, what with that whole "higher power" thing and all.