Krugman on Sharrod

But whaddya know, the scandal was fake.

(Emphasis added)

What’s shocking here isn’t the behavior of the right, which was par for the course. It’s the seemingly limitless credulity of the inside-the-Beltway crowd. I mean, there’s a history here: ACORN, Climategate, Vince Foster, Whitewater, and much much more. (Someone recently reminded me that the GOP held two weeks of hearing on the Clinton Christmas card list.) When the right-wing noise machine starts promoting another alleged scandal, you shouldn’t suspect that it’s fake — you should presume that it’s fake, until further evidence becomes available.

So now Tom Vilsack, the Agriculture secretary, says that he may “reconsider”. I’d lay even odds that the Sherrod firing stands, even though it was totally unjust, because people in DC are so accustomed to cringing in the face of the right that they just don’t know how to stop.

I can't say that this is gong to ruin Shirley Sharrod's life, or even in the long run* it might be a good thing for her.  But it's clear she's having a couple of very bad days - all through no fault of her own.  She has been badly wronged by Breitbart, by Fox Noise, by Vilsack, and the Obama administration.

Speaking of which - don't they have a Justice Department?  And isn't mendacious defamation of character kinda the definition of libel?  Shouldn't somebody be suing somebody?  (H/T to the Lovely Wife.)

Obama and Vilsack owe Sharrod - BIG TIME.  The awesome forces of the U.S. Justice Dept should be unleashed on Breitbart and Fox Noise.  The Government owes no less to this hard-working, highly-skilled, and dedicated former employee.

I'm not holding my breath.

Did I remember to mention that I love it when Krugman agrees with me?
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* Where, as the late J.M.  Keynes reminded us, we are all DEAD!

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