Why Oh Why Can't We Have a Better Press Corps? (Yet Another Washington Post Edition)

Wonkette observed Charles Babbington's and Jonathan Weisman's pulling of Majority Leader Boehner's quote that Speaker Hastert said that the Foley situation was being taken care of:

Thanks For Covering Hastert's Ass, WaPo! - Wonkette: Because they sure wouldn't want to endanger Denny Hastert's control of the House, the Washington Post has helpfully deleted the information about Hastert saying he was "taking care of" the Foley situation way back in the spring.

The original story went like this:

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post last night that he had learned this spring of some "contact" between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner said he told House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), and that Hastert assured him "we're taking care of it." It was not immediately clear what actions Hastert took.

Now the Hastert quote is gone, and this sentence has been added: "Boehner later contacted The Post and said he could not remember whether he talked to Hastert."

Well played, Washington Post! Your gentleman editors shan't be forgotten come Christmastime!

But now it turns out that the complaisance of Babbington, Weisman, and their editors in pulling Boehner's quote was all for naught. Boehner is back on the warpath:

TPMmuckraker October 3, 2006 10:50 AM: Boehner Flips -- Again, Re-Blames Hastert: By Paul Kiel - October 3, 2006, 10:50 AM: Top Republicans are pointing the finger at Speaker Dennis Hastert for not doing more after learning of solicitous emails sent from Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) to a Congressional page. Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) this morning switched his position on the leader's culpability, telling a radio interviewer, "I believe I talked to the Speaker and he told me it had been taken care of."

It will be interesting to see what Babbington and Weisman do with this tomorrow morning.