Ernest Miller catches the L.A. Times misquoting a source.

I’m not entirely sure, but I’m starting to suspect that the L.A. Times wants readers to believe that there have been some recent missteps by Arnold Schwarzenegger:

From an April 28 news story:

Since his speech in January, the governor has watched his political fortunes fall amid a series of missteps and miscalculations.

From an April 27 editorial:

Buoyed by such missteps, Democrats went on the attack.

From an April 26 news story:

During an appearance in Chatsworth, Shriver dismissed reports that she was worried about recent political missteps by her husband and his aides.

From an April 26 letter to the editor:

After reading how Maria Shriver felt compelled to “step in” to help her husband correct his missteps, the phrase “girlie governor” came to mind.

From an April 22 news story:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is facing infighting among his senior staff and campaign team, which has contributed to a series of political missteps that threaten the once soaring governor’s ambitious agenda, more than a dozen aides and lawmakers said Thursday.

But the folks at The Times don’t have a one-dimensional view of Schwarzenegger. They chronicle his missteps, to be sure . . . but, on the other hand, they also tell readers about his miscalculations:

From the April 28 news story mentioned above:

Since his speech in January, the governor has watched his political fortunes fall amid a series of missteps and miscalculations.

From an April 25 news story:

Although outside forces played an important part in Schwarzenegger’s slump, even those sympathetic to the governor say many of his problems are self-inflicted, a result of overreaching, hubris, poor staff work and serious miscalculations.

. . . .

Above all, Schwarzenegger’s friends and enemies agree, the governor miscalculated by trying to accomplish too much in too short a time, without laying the necessary groundwork.

Not surprisingly, Democrats agree. From an April 10 Steve Lopez column:

But that’s the governor’s fault, said Democratic consultant Darry Sragow, who helped promote the governor’s borrowing and budget-balancing propositions last year.

“I think he made an incredible set of miscalculations,” Sragow said.

I’m sure Democrats are pleased to see their point of view so faithfully represented in the L.A. Times — time and time and time again.

Barack Obama presented himself well at the Democratic convention last year, and came across as a good guy in subsequent interviews. But he undermines his image for credibility today. Quoted in the L.A. Times about the filibuster controversy, Obama makes this silly statement:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) denounced [Senate Majority Leader Bill] Frist’s offer as insincere, saying that if it were a serious compromise, conservative activists would be unhappy. He said [Senate Minority Leader Harry] Reid “took a hit” when he made his own compromise offer to Frist on Monday.

Oh, please. If the Democrats accepted just three of the current disputed appellate court nominees, in return for an assured veto over any future disputed judicial nominations, Democrats would be dancing in the streets. And Barack Obama is smart enough to know that.