Rule for living: Whatever you read in the newspapers is probably wrong

Was New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo a spokesperson for the Clinton campaign, and did he use the term “shuck-and-jive” to describe what Obama is doing in his campaign? The answer is "No" to both. He was not part of the campaign, and from the actual transcript, he was clearly describing what any candidate cannot do in the highly personal, “retail politics” atmosphere of Iowa and New Hampshire. There was no association with Obama whatsoever, zero, zilch, nothing.

Remember, there is almost nothing that is actual news reported dispassionately. Everything is advancing somebody’s agenda, by press release, leak, spin or whatever. The best press releases are those skillfully written with the biases hidden from all except real insiders: they save the editors lots of time.