Today's Pulitzers Carry A Message

by Steve

There were some well-deserved Pulitzers handed out today, including none-too-subtle “right back at ya’” awards to reporters who did their jobs and made life uncomfortable for the Bush Administration and the GOP.

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and The Sun Herald of Gulfport, Miss., each won the Pulitzer Prize for public service Monday for their dauntless coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

The Times-Picayune also received the Pulitzer in breaking news reporting for its storm coverage.

The Post’s Dana Priest won a Pulitzer for her coverage of the CIA secret prison program.

Steno Susan Schmidt partially redeemed herself for her role in being Ken Starr’s sockpuppet when she, James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith of the Post received a Pulitzer for their coverage of the Jack Abramoff scandal.

James Risen and Eric Lichtblau of the Times and the staffs of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Copley News Service won the award for national reporting - The Times for stories on the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping, the Union-Tribune and Copley for disclosing the bribe-taking that sent former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to prison in disgrace.

And the NYT’s Nicholas Kristof received a Pulitzer for commentary today.

See, covering the misdeeds of Republicans and holding them accountable, instead of gladhanding them, can be good for your career after all.