Here is a rare peek inside my Gmail inbox, only minutes ago:
And how are these two stories different?
Simple, really. You see, the first one they grabbed off the AP wire. The second one was written by a Politico staffer, Carrie Budoff Brown.
The first version contains this canned response from Larry Craig spokesman Sidney Smith:
“We’re still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign Sept. 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we’re able to stay in the fight – and stay in the Senate.”
Whereas the Politico’s version contains this canned response from Larry Craig communications director Dan Whiting:
“As he stated on Saturday, Senator Craig intends to resign on September 30. However, he is fighting these charges, and should he be cleared before then, he may, and I emphasize may, not resign.”
Was this worth alerting me twice? I can’t see how. I generally appreciate the alerts they send out. But right now, the only thing separating Politico from Fox News or MSNBC is a sound effect.
Update: Okay, at this point, I kind of just give up.