No. 12: John Fund

The Wall Street Journal columnist is a longtime liar

Published November 23, 2010 9:01PM (EST)

John Fund
John Fund

That generally sober and good newspaper has had a decidedly silly opinion page for so long that no one really bothers to question it anymore. Perhaps the corporate titans who rely on the Journal's in-depth reportage really need the soothing balm of comfortable lies after pages of hard truths about their soulless work. But regardless of why, the Wall Street Journal editorial page is designed to present a fantasyland in which the rich are always right, and always beset on all sides by the greedy masses and confiscatory Uncle Sam. John Fund, ghostwriter of Rush Limbaugh's "The Way Things Ought to Be," was an editor at that opinion page for years, and has been a columnist there ever since.

His modus operandi is wholly unremarkable. Fund just picks the latest stupid Republican outrage (voter fraud! Black Panthers! ACORN!) and dutifully lies about it, using predictable talking points and the requisite Monday Meeting spin.

Repeat offenses: Constant shameless lying.

Representative quote:

The Palm Beach Post found "no more than 108 'law-abiding' citizens of all races who 'were purged from the voter rolls as suspected criminals, only to be cleared after the election."

(That is not an accurate characterization of the Palm Beach Post's findings.)


By Alex Pareene

Alex Pareene writes about politics for Salon and is the author of "The Rude Guide to Mitt." Email him at apareene@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @pareene

MORE FROM Alex Pareene


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

War Room War Room's Hack Thirty