STAND UP, AMERICAN JOURNALISTS!

Rittenhouse has a huge story: CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER EDITORS BACK KERRY--Publisher Overrules Them

Just moments ago I learned from a source at the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the paper's editorial board agreed to endorse Sen. John F. Kerry for president, but that Alex Machaskee, publisher, president, and chief executive officer of the paper, and a Republican, overturned that decision, forcing the editors to publish an endorsement of President George W. Bush.

This is a departure from traditional procedure at the Plain Dealer, which normally bases its decisions upon interviews of the candidates or their representatives. The paper's lead editorial writer makes a recommendation to a committee of editors, offering them the opportunity to make comments in an effort to achieve a consensus. The result is, or has been in the past, a group decision.

Not this year.

The Plain Dealer, which has been a persistent critic of the Bush administration, will, according to my source, endorse the president for reelection, that by way of a directive from Machaskee. He ordered the endorsement of Bush.

It gets better: The editorial staff is talking about a walk-out in protest of Machaskee's intervention.

Calls to the Plain Dealer this evening could not confirm this information.