The Trib Does It Again. With A Twist

This week's Midweek Briefing:

Newsmax.com's Chris Ruddy says what a growing number of War on Terror watchers are saying -- it's time to reduce our troop presence in Afghanistan. And he favors a plan put forth by Vice President Joe Biden "that involves keeping a smaller force (there) and focusing it on counterterrorism," especially against those nasty al-Qaida cells in neighboring Pakistan. It's likely the best way to better prepare us to handle the growing Iranian threat.

Same old same old. Newsmax is partially owned by Richard Mellon Scaife, owner of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Want proof? In an article from October 2008 at the Palmbeachpost about Newsmax.com and its founder Christopher Ruddy, we read:

Ruddy says he and his business partner, Richard Mellon Scaife of the wealthy Pennsylvania Mellon family, recently traveled to Clinton's office in New York's Harlem section and met with the former president for more than two hours. [emphasis added]

And then a little lower down we read about the beginnings of Newsmax and a little bit of its evolution:

In 1998, after seeing how much online opinion, speculation and conservative frenzy was stoked by the biggest of Clinton scandals — the Monica Lewinsky affair — Ruddy dived into the online business. He did it in Palm Beach County, where he had relatives.

"I wanted to be in a nice climate," he says, "and I wanted to be away from New York and Washington."

He started in a two-room office on Datura Street in West Palm Beach. But with his London School of Economics background and many wealthy conservative friends, he raised $15 million in about three years, Ruddy says.

He and Scaife have since bought out the other investors, and Ruddy, the policeman's son, is the majority owner. [emphasis added]

Doncha think they should have mentioned this in the editorial?

The Journalistic Circle-Jerk continues.

And yes, Chris Ruddy has no credibility. More on Ruddy later today (if I get the chance).