The Press: Old Axioms

The prize for cheap shot of the week must go to the Washington Star-News for the lead on its story about the polit ical fallout of Congressman Wilbur Mills’ gamy brush with police in Washington (see THE NATION). The article began: “Never get caught in bed with a dead woman or a live man. — Old Political Axiom.” It went on to say that Mills “has not violated, so far as is known, that guiding proverb.” In fact, as the paper’s editors were surely aware, first reports concerned booze rather than sex. There were three women and an other man in the Mills car, and all were both living and clothed. With its leering winks, the Star-News stomped on a variety of old journalistic axioms about fair play and good taste.