Politico‘s Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin wrote on Sunday morning:

The (Republican) party’s top elected leaders in Congress, meanwhile, spooked by being attacked as the “party of no,” were recasting themselves as a constructive, respectful opposition to a popular president.

Really?

I do believe I follow political news pretty closely. I have seen no signs of anything even remotely resembling “constructive, respectful opposition”. I have seen no one else come close to suggesting that they believe the Republican party’s top elected leaders in Congress may even be starting to take baby steps towards “recasting themselves as a constructive, respectful opposition”.

Messrs. Smith and Martin, of course, do not substantiate their ludicrous pronouncement in any way, shape or form.

Actually, they just casually toss it out in the middle of a piece that really focuses on something else, as if it is very much the accepted conventional wisdom. As if it pretty much goes without saying, something you just invoke, without any need to flesh out, or explain.

For reasons that I am unable to fathom, Politico continues to be regarded as a credible journalistic voice in the political news business. The truth of the matter, though, I think, is that they long ago forfeited any claims to credibility that they may have once had.