Once again, the GOP should be spending this time gathering itself. We need to be concentrating on the bigger picture. I’m not even comfortable with talk of figuring out who the next leader of the party will be. We need to figure out the what, where and when of the leading before the who. But, I digress. When we should be looking at the big picture and taking stock I instead see all around me signs that instead, many on my side of things intend to play the game just as the libs have played it for the better part of the last decade. In other words, by trying to out-petty the petty. Yes, we are getting an early start on Obama Derangement Syndrome.

Two cases in point from sources I had previously respected:

1. Hugh Hewitt on Franken’s Prospects. This piece has been edited since I first read it yesterday. And though it doesn’t deal directly with Obama, it is a classic example of logic, caution and integrity being thrown out the window in favor of pure zealousness. HH summarizes a Politico post in which the author suggests that since Saxby Chambliss’ re-election became final, Democrats have been cooling on the prospect of a protracted Franken fight for Minnesota’s embattled Senate seat or the.

All well and fine, but Hewitt’s original headline and post suggested that the Politico piece confirmed that the Dems ARE backing down. When you carefully read the source piece however, a different picture emerges. It begins by stating that Senate Republicans are “increasingly optimistic that Democrats WILL shy away …” (emphasis added). There are a number of quotes from Republican sources to the same effect. There are quotes from independent sources that outline why the Dem’s should be reluctant. But there is no quote, and no direct evidence that a Democrat has come out and said as much. In fact in the small number of quotes from Democratic sources are careful to assert that the option to intervene is still open.

Some of these nuances are subtle, but I think important. This kind of “Ah-hah! Score one for our team!” journalism, if you can call it that, is pathetic. It reveals a lack of integrity, lack of care or both. It’s the kind of thing one would expect of the MSM, or any one of thousands of low-grade blogs on either side of the political spectrum. We can’t condemn MSNBC and company for shoddy journalism and then turn around and play the same game. As I commented to Hugh, we’re better than that.

2. Blogging Stocks on the Blagojevich scandal. Here a financial site discusses the unfolding scandal. Note: As of this writing, and as of Blogging Stocks’ writing, most credible sources are being careful to point out that there is no apparent linkage to President-elect Obama.

Blogging Stocks however has lead with the headline: “Illinois governor’s corruption charges touch Obama, Tribune,” and after a summary of what is known about the scandal so far concludes that, “Obama, whose own dealing with Chicago’s political establishment hurt him during the campaign, has some explaining to do” (emphasis added).

So far we know that the governor traded assistance in selling Wrigley Field for retribution against Tribune editorial board members who were critical of him. More recently he was attempting to “sell” the Senate seat being vacated by Obama. On that front Blagojevich apparently thought about asking for the Sec of HHS position, or a union leadership position. Again, it appears the HHS option was never even entertained on Obama’s side of things. It was simple conjecture on the governor’s part.

Would I be surprised if later on we found out that Obama was involved in some of the governor’s schemes? No. But that’s not the point. Once again it is the hyper-zealousness that looks bad. People are just so anxious to get something on Obama they’ll jump at anything, accuracy be damned.

Is this going to be the mode for the next 4-8 years? Petty. Grasping. Desperate. Every piece of negative news, however irrelevant, greeted with an accusing “What did Obama know and when did he know it?”

All that this crying “wolf!” will accomplish in the end is to marginalize the writer such that their voice will never be heard should a real story break.