The shocking level of corruption within the Baltimore City Detention Center that has recently come to light is outrageous to say the least. And two figures who should be exhibiting some level of shame over their ineffectuality in the matter — Gov. Martin O’Malley and corrections chief Gary D. Maynard — have had the audacity to try to transform egg on their face to a feather in their cap, patting themselves on the back for the level of co-operation between state and federal agencies in the course of the investigation.
On the other hand, parsing out who bears responsibility for what in a scandal like this is more complicated than identifying the person with whom the “buck” ultimately stops. But that’s not the point. The point is that Bill O’Reilly saw blood in the water and decided to attack both O’Malley and Maynard, and in the process dumb down the conversation with cheap rhetorical questions like “Is that guy as dumb as he sounds?” (in reference to Maynard) and indulge in self-aggrandizement. At one point O’Reilly says, “And of course once The Factor got involved O’Malley went on the defensive.” Don’t flatter yourself, Bill. O’Malley was born on the defensive.
For more (including the video clip) visit David Zurawik’s “Z on TV” column at the Sun website.
