Post Chat: Reporter Says DeLay Is Toast, Questioner Suggests Reporter Assassinated

January 9th, 2006 1:27 PM

Today's Washington Post chat with political reporter Shailagh Murray featured some prognosticating bravado from Murray, who insisted Tom DeLay's political career was over: "I would put my chips on DeLay not being on the ballot in November." From there, a weird questioner from New Mexico jumped in:

Albuquerque, N.M.: The murder of NYT reporter-editor, David E. Rosenbaum is NOT even mentioned front page of Post this morning. Odd that the killing of a fellow journalist does not rate front page coverage...The intimidation of the press continues...Generally, robbers take your money but don't kill you, but assassins will take the money to try to make the crime look like a robbery.

Shailagh Murray: Well, a lot of people are killed by violent crime in D.C., so it's not exactly a huge news event -- though the circumstances are definitely unusual. That said, David was a terrific man who was beloved by those of us who knew him and worked with him, and there is definitely a dark cloud over D.C. newsrooms today.

The surprise here is that Murray would actually dignify this question with an answer, even if merely to praise her murdered colleague.