Just remember: the story when a Republican screws up is the screw-up. The story when a Democrat screws up is, well … let’s let the Washington Post demonstrate:

Hey, at least they didn’t use “pounce.”

I’ve screen-capped this as of 8:30 am ET this morning. I’d like to think that someone at the Post will belatedly recognize that this headline is so cliché that it belongs to a genre. Either that, or the Post has simply decided to embrace the stereotype while proving its accuracy.

The story isn’t much better either, as the subhead suggests:

Republicans are seizing on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, to ramp up their attacks against Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, saying he is promoting his own agenda at the expense of families who are grappling with a toxic chemical accident in their backyard.

The Transportation Department does not have primary responsibility for the cleanup, and Buttigieg and his supporters are firing back, suggesting the GOP has other motives for its focus on him. The secretary, who sought the presidency in 2020, has taken the unusual step of responding directly to some of his critics, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), former president Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

The result is an unusually personal and, on occasion, vitriolic back-and-forth involving a transportation secretary who is also a rising star in his party, potential candidate for higher office and prominent gay official — far from the usual technocratic and logistical debates that surround the Transportation Department.

Are Republicans “seizing” on the derailment because Buttigieg is gay and/or a rising star in his party? Or are they seizing on it because it took Pothole Pete three weeks to show up in East Palestine in a catastrophe that directly relates to the Department of Transportation’s key authority — interstate rail service and safety? The clean-up isn’t the issue here, it’s the derailment itself and Buttigieg’s absence. And for that matter, the absence of “Amtrak Joe” Biden, who still has yet to pay a visit to the suffering people in East Palestine, Ohio, despite media assurances of Biden’s “empathy.”

This take is especially hilarious given the attempt by the media to amplify efforts from Democrats to shift blame to Donald Trump. Oddly enough, the Post never reported on those allegations with a “Democrats Seize” headline, which were entirely bogus anyway. Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler put a stake through the heart of that argument on Monday, which should have shifted attention back to the people who have been in charge for more than two years now.

Instead, we get … “Republicans seize®!”

This report is the kind of nonsense political cover that the mainstream media routinely runs for Democrats in power. Buttigieg’s tenure at Transportation has been a plague of supply-chain crises and disasters, most of which featured Buttigieg being anywhere else but engaged on the issues. In the summer of 2021 when the supply-chain crisis finally forced the media to cover it, Buttigieg was on a two-month family leave, and proceeded to do next to nothing about it when he returned. Multiple air traffic snarls have taken place, and Buttigieg has yet to do anything except posture well after the fact. In fact, Buttigieg can’t even be bothered to fly commercial these days even to see how the system functions — which is why an Inspector General has opened an investigation into his use of government aircraft.

And to the Post, the only possible reason to criticize Buttigieg is because of sexual orientation. Riiiiiiight.

In every crisis, Buttigieg can be counted on to be someone you can’t count on. If that’s what makes for a “rising star” in the Democrat Party, they’re in serious trouble. And if this biased white-knighting of government officials is what makes for “news” at the Washington Post, then they’re in serious trouble.

Update: Does the Post also think that Joe Manchin is “seizing” on Buttigieg’s sexual orientation?

Sen. Joe Manchin sharply criticized Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over his handling of the Ohio rail disaster, telling me: "I think that basically Pete is not getting high grades right now."

Manchin would not say if he has confidence in Buttigeg: "I have concerns"

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 2, 2023

Manchin also believed that it made sense for President Biden to visit the OH scene and give confidence to victims.

"One thing that makes a difference: being on site," Manchin said. "People have to have a confidence — and they have more confidence when they see leaders."

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 2, 2023

That’s a slap at Biden as well. Can’t wait for the Post’s “Manchin pounces” coverage.