At Least Someone at the Washington Post Is Embarrassed by Trump

It's about time! Dana Milbank has finally said publicly what his colleagues at The Washington Post were saying privately: his newspaper's courtship of birther Donald Trump is an embarrassment. Ever since it was announced that Washington's most-respected newspaper formally invited The Donald to the White House Correspondents' Dinner we've pecked and prodded our peers at the Post for comment. Doesn't it feel icky? Many declined to comment. One who did gestured at the uncomfortable truth. "If I took the White House Correspondent's Dinner any more seriously than the Trump candidacy than it would bother me. But I don't," said Post columnist Charles Krauthammer. "I understand where the question comes from, but the guy is at the top of the polls. He's No. 1," said another source who asked to remain anonymous. This morning, however, one day before the event, Milbank broke his silence.

On Thursday, the Washington Post editorializes that Donald Trump has been campaigning on “bogus” issues and that he should “cease and desist.” An article in the news pages the same day reports that the great orange charlatan’s “simply wild speculation” has “almost no basis in fact.”

Then, on Saturday night, Post reporters and editors, in black-tie finest, go to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner to host their invited guests, including. . . Donald Trump.

So that makes two Washington Post columnists who are queasy at their paper's dinner date: On Twitter last Sunday, columnist Ezra Klein called the paper's invitation to Trump "embarrassing."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/dailyfray/at-least-someone-at-the-washington-post-is-embarrassed-by-trump-20110429

So many intersecting motives in this conglamoration of politica, press, show business, comedy (it's a fucking roast!) and media. How could Trump be left out of this? OTOH, what was he expecting, and in a place where he couldn't respond?

For once, I agree with Krauthammer, and this is Milbank being "very brave."

--imm

Trump wouldn't bother him no matter what.

so he could be insulted directly to his face on T.V. He had it coming.

while he was being roasted tonight. in fact, he looked livid.
it was wonderful.

He was told that he would be the center of attention, that he would steal the thunder from the President, that it would only make him look more important than he really is. And he bought it. But insiders knew that Trump was walking into an elaborate trap b/c he doesn't understand how D.C. works. That it's sport to take someone down by using a public event, thereby ensuring humiliation and no place to hide. And it was such a well-guarded secret that Dana Milbank had no clue what was planned.