I had two reactions to Ogden political reporter Steven Allen Adams’s front page article:

1. Over half of the article comes from quotes from WV Republican legislative leaders Mitch Carmichael and Roger Hanshaw who both support the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. Who cares what the state’s Republican leaders think? Do they get a vote? Should we have expected anything else from Republican legislators who think putting two Republican politicians, with next-to-no court experience, on the WV Supreme Court would restore “honesty and integrity” to that court?

2. Political reporter Steven Allen Adams has apparently gone “full Ogden” on this one by writing an article that mostly propagandizes for the Republican Party. The article does devote four paragraphs (out of 22) to a Joe Manchin spokesperson who explains Manchin’s position. Even this, however, is quickly matched with an attack on Manchin that looks like a tweet from his opponent, Patrick Morrisey:

“Liberal lying Joe Manchin is putting the interests of Washington Democrats and Chuck Schumer ahead of doing what is right by standing with West Virginians in support of President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court pick,” [Morrisey spokesman] Brand said. “West Virginians know that Manchin will eventually support Judge Kavanaugh, but his delay tactics only assist Chuck Schumer and radical liberals as they try to obstruct Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee.”

That’s too bad. Two months ago, with the creation of Adams’ position, I had hopes that we might finally get some reporting from Charleston beyond an occasional AP story. Increasingly, it appears that Adams’ position is only sometimes about providing information for Ogden’s West Virginia readers. As today’s article suggests, he’s obviously there to serve the Republican Party. I should have known better.