Power of one pen

Adam Nagourney of The New York Times demonstrated the power of one reporter and one video this week with his story about defiant rancher Cliven Bundy’s racist remarks suggesting blacks were better off as slaves picking cotton.

The New York Times was late to the story of Bundy’s refusal to follow federal grazing laws and the armed support he got from people calling themselves “patriots.”

By last Saturday when Nagourney made it to Nevada, he was apparently the only reporter present to hear Bundy’s hateful speech.  As soon as the story and the video got out, the conservative politicians who had supported Bundy began running for the hills, as did conservative radio hosts.