Washington Post's Parting Gift to DeLay

DeLay Parting on Own Terms, reads the WaPo headline in this morning's early edition.
Congressman Wanted to Win GOP Primary Before Announcing Resignation, reads the subhead.

I'm not sure the WaPo's even in the same universe as the rest of us. DeLay announced his resignation this Monday, April 3. The primary was back on March 7.

On the other hand, DeLay's former deputy chief of staff, Tony Rudy, pled guilty on Friday, March 31, and turned state's evidence. DeLay had three and a half weeks to resign between his primary win and Rudy's guilty plea, and didn't. But he announced his resignation on the first working day after Rudy's plea.

Primary, schmimary; this looks to all the world like a guy who's quitting before trouble catches up with him. The WaPo could have at least slipped in some skepticism about DeLay's alleged motivations, rather than taking his story at face value.

And it's not like they can claim that a bad choice of headline was made due to deadline pressure: DeLay resigned on Monday night, and this story was in Wednesday's paper. They had plenty of time to decide what their spin was. And apparently it was to unquestioningly accept whatever bullshit Delay fed them.

Sometimes the folks at the WaPo act like they were born yesterday - and not early in the day, either.

But I'm sure DeLay appreciated their putting the best possible face on his departure.