The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is The New Republic magazine, arguably America's leading liberal opinion journal. They get the award for the following.

An Apology to Our Readers

After an investigation, The New Republic has determined that the comments in our Talkback section defending Lee Siegel's articles and blog under the username "sprezzatura" were produced with Siegel's participation. We deeply regret misleading our readers. Lee Siegel's blog will no longer be published by TNR, and he has been suspended from writing for the magazine.

Franklin Foer
Editor, The New Republic

Disclosure- I've subscribed to The New Republic(Or TNR) for most of the last 26 years. I also once met one its owners and editor-in-chief Martin Peretz when Mr. Peretz was campaigning for Senator Albert Gore's 1988 Presidential bid.

Mr. Siegel was TNR's Culture writer and one of its senior editors.

This is the 3rd scandal to hit The New Republic since the mid 1990's. In 1995 Ruth Shalit was fired for plagarism, then there was the infamous Stephen Glass affair. Glass was found to be fabricating stories for the magazines. Some in parts, some in total from 1996 to 1998. Now here comes Lee Siegel and his sock puppetry. I don't agree with much of TNR's politics, but like reading the magazine. Its sad this magazine has gotten duped again.

For hitting another journalistic low, The New Republic magazine is today's knucklehead of the day.

Hat tip- Don Surber
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