Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)

▶ SAUNDERS

- Contact Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjour­nal.com or 202-662-7391. Follow @DebraJSaun­ders on Twitter.

about an investigat­ion.”

So did any of the reporters in Tuesday’s press briefing ask Biden if he recommende­d that federal investigat­ors look into whether Flynn violated the Logan Act? No, they were too busy asking questions on the same topic without getting a good answer.

I reached out to Flynn attorney Sidney Powell to get her take on Biden meeting the press and the failure of the big papers to cover her court victories as reason to believe the Russia probe was flawed from the start.

“The media outlets are not covering the truth in the Flynn case or anything else because it will expose many powerful Democrats including Obama in the greatest and criminal abuse of power in the history of our Republic,” Powell responded in an email. “There are

trillions of dollars at stake in the global Corruption they have created and enjoy. President Trump putting America and the American worker first jeopardize­s and reduces their power and wealth. People must try to watch Biden and think for themselves. That the Left is even willing to put him forth as the candidate is terrifying. He’s a shell.”

I don’t see the news media’s soft treatment of Biden as part of a corrupt conspiracy, but I understand why Powell does.

The large media outlets only know how to look at the Flynn story one way. Flynn was the first casualty of the FBI’s Russia probe, and he pleaded guilty twice before he pleaded not guilty. So they can ignore special counsel Robert Mueller’s failure to uncover coordinati­on between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. And they are nose blind when Flynn’s defense attorney forces the release of exculpator­y evidence that the feds had not disclosed.

Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary to President George W. Bush, tweeted, “What wasn’t asked: 1) Anything about Biden’s role in authorizin­g surveillan­ce against the Trump campaign 2) Do blue lives matter? 3) Should CHOP in Seattle never have been allowed? 4) will you prosecute those who destroy statues? 5) Should NYPD be cut $1 billion?”

These are questions that could inform voters — and they are left on the cutting room floor in favor of “if true” journalism.

Asking smart questions is not easy. Not every question will hit the mark. And it’s not wrong to ask a softball question that elicits clarity on an issue. But asking the same questions to provoke non-answers to an if-true story — we can do better than that.

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