It turns out that

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It turns out that knocking Walter Isaacson isn’t only the right thing to do it also generates a hell of a lot of traffic. Thursday was the most trafficked day in Talking Points Memo’s history. Having said that, allow me a brief follow-up.

In the Isaacson post I referred to the network’s ‘Tailwind’ report as an earlier debacle. This of course was CNN’s special report alleging that American soldiers in Vietnam had used nerve gas on at least one occasion in I believe 1970 or 1971. After heavy criticism and a wave of denials from the Pentagon, CNN disavowed the story, apologized, and canned the producers.

In referring to this as a debacle I left the impression that the story was wrong and should never have been run. What I meant was a little different. Either the story was wrong and should never have been run or it was a good story and CNN bailed out when the going got rough. Either way it was a debacle for the network.

I’m agnostic about the underlying facts — whether nerve gas was used, etc — because I am simply not familiar enough with the details of the case. But it is only fair to point out that the two producers canned by CNN for their involvement with the report sued CNN and CNN has now settled with both of them — apparently after they unearthed information supporting their claims.

And one other point. Isaacson’s response to the criticism of his currying favor with conservatives is that it’s all been taken out of context. He plans to curry favor with everybody. He’s apparently said he’s also talking with Jim Carville and Phil Donohue about maybe doing shows.

I’m very skeptical about whether this is true. But even if it is, I think it still confirms rather than contradicts my point. Why has it been taken out of context? Because every time Isaacson goes and fawningly chats up some ‘winger in the hopes of currying favor they apparently go right to the press, spill the beans, portray the whole episode as an admission of CNN’s left-wing bias, and generally play Isaacson for a fool.

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