WILLIAM SJOSTROM seems to have identified an instance of “Rainesism” at the Washington Post, in the form of a puff-piece by Evelyn Nieves on the peace movement that lacks much support for the reporter’s key assertions.

Well, there are some key assertions attributed only to “veteran peace organizers,” and “some say,” and the tone is pretty friendly. Creeping Rainesism? Say it ain’t so!

UPDATE: Reader Charles Beatty writes:

I subscribe to the Washington Post and I was also struck by the Evelyn Nieves article yesterday. The Post is usually a decent paper and I thought that piece stuck out as very Howell Raines like. It had an agenda, quoted no real sources, passed opinion as fact, etc.

Well, a brief googling of “Evelyn Nieves” explains why. Ms. Nieves is

apparently the San Franscisco bureau chief for the, yes, New York Times.

She also has written at least once for Mother Jones. I am pretty

disappointed that the Post would pick this up and run it.

Great Scott, he’s right — though she’s apparently left the Times for the Washington Post. And sympathetic stories about protesters seem to be a specialty! Creeping Rainesism, indeed.