Peeling the Onion

Patterico writes about the perpetuation of fraud by the LA Times. It's about budget "cuts" that are actually increases - just not as much as the Democrats wanted. Instead of to exposing the deception, which is, after all, the job of the media, the LA Times helps to perpetuate it. And they get exactly the results that they're looking for.

There is a pattern here -- a pattern of deliberate manipulation of the paper's readers.

Is it working? You tell me:

Today, I read my (very bright) office-mate the first sentence of today's article. I then asked her: Assuming that we spent roughly $42 billion on education in this state last year, how much will be spending this year under Arnold's plan?

Her answer: just under $40 billion. (The correct answer would be just over $44 billion.)

Somewhere, an L.A. Times editor was smiling. Because that's just what he wanted her to think.

Patterico is being modest. It isn't working as well anymore, because he's the new sheriff in town.