Since I said something nice about the San Francisco Chronicle today, it is time for a reality check. Take Carla Marinucci, the Chron's chief political writer. Please. Carla's up to her usual trick of piling on favorable adjectives when a lefty says something. The case in point today is an article covering Hollywood moonbat Warren Beatty's commencement speech at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, which Carla hastens to tell us is "respected" (by whom? — she doesn't say).

The Goldman School exists to supply policy analysts, which certainly fills a crying need. In fact, it encouragingly boasts that "GSPP graduates enjoy an outstanding rate of employment."  Exactly what percent are actually unemployed is deemed of no real significance.

We're also told that "students enjoy a unique intimacy and camaraderie with one another and with the faculty."  Unique intimacy? With their comrades?  

To make sure that its analysts are properly professional in the skill base, they make sure that students spend time in "substantial field work allowing students to apply their learning in the service of real—life policy clients."

Policy clients?

The verbiage employed on the website is maddeningly vague as to exactly what kinds of policy is in question. But until I looked at its web page, I was under the impression that the Goldman School was a school for social workers. In fact, I used to know someone who told me she was studying "social work" there. But that was a long time ago. I think there has been a repackaging.

Warren Beatty doesn't like Governor Schwarzenegger. He also doesn't like the special election he has called, asking voters to undertake important reforms. That' s pretty much it. Carla calls it a "devastating critique" right there in the lede, so eveyone who doesn't bother to read the body of the article (that would include most people who have ever plowed through one of Carla's longer pieces) gets the point.

If you went further you would discover that liberals in the audience, like Robert Reich applauded. So did Annette Benning, Beatty's wife. I am glad that Carla let us know his wife applauded, too. That's important information.

Thomas Lifson   5 22 05