NYT Attempts to Protect Schumer

New York Times Attempts to Protect Sen. Schumer
           A protective screen was laid down by the New York Times for Sen. Schumer this morning (Monday) in an Editorial titled ”Mr. Hevesi’s Blunder.“
               The purpose of the editorial is to pretend that the only person involved in this disgraceful incident is the state Comptroller, Alan Hevesi. But that is not true. As we have clearly pointed out in the accompanying article, this incident is about Charles Schumer and the need for him to resign, not Mr. Hevesi.
           Everyone knows that Sen. Schumer is the private valet for Pinch Sulzberger, the owner of the New York Times and any article in that paper is obviously from a man, Mr. Sulzberger, with a vested interest.
            We publish the full text of Sulzberger’s unsuccessful attempt to rehabilitate Mr. Schumer.

NYT Editorial
Mr. Hevesi's Blunder
       Maybe he was tired. Maybe he had let his guard down because he is expected to win re-election in November by a landslide. Whatever. Alan Hevesi, the New York State comptroller, should know better than to suggest that anybody — in this case Senator Charles Schumer — would like to put a bullet between the president's eyes. That is the opposite of funny, and an outrageous remark for a public figure.
       Mr. Hevesi quickly expressed his regrets for the comment, which he made last week during a Queens College commencement ceremony. He said the remark was "remarkably stupid, incredibly moronic and totally offensive." Nobody could disagree with that. He has also rightly apologized to everybody — President Bush, Senator Schumer, the Queens graduates and their families.
       If someone made a list of politicians likely to say something wildly inappropriate in front of a gathering of young people preparing to march off into the future, the low-key comptroller would not be anywhere near the top. During a long career in city and state government, he has generally been described as bland rather than as a loose cannon.
       His Republican opponent this fall, J. Christopher Callaghan, immediately suggested that the comment raised questions about Mr. Hevesi's fitness for public office. We would not go that far, given how out of character the incident seems to be. But it certainly suggests that from now on, Mr. Hevesi needs to speak from a script.