The dust-up between CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson, and spokespeople from the White House and the Justice Department over her reporting on Fast and Furious, has become a cause celebre for the right, and a meta-story all its own. Jay Carney responded obliquely to the incident at yesterday’s briefing by pointing out that “tough conversations” are all in a day’s work. Mark Hemingway, of Bill Kristol‘s Weekly Standard, adds another layer to the onion by asking if CBS News is “Silencing Fast and Furious Reporter” Sharyl Attkisson.

Glenn Beck‘s week-long explanation of the impending caliphate ready to strike Egypt has certainly struck a cord in the mainstream– left and right alike. The latest pundit to take a shot at him is the Weekly Standard‘s Bill Kristol, who, while expressing skepticism as to the ability of Egyptian protesters to non-violently enact change, is far more concerned with Beck’s “hysteria.”

We know Glenn Beck can sell books, but can he kill magazines? The Weekly Standard may be about to find out. Beck’s radio show producer Stu Burguiere called for a boycott of the magazine on his blog today after reading this week’s cover story on Beck. But why so scared?

On last night’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann ran a segment attempting to debunk the story that the White House had threatened Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) with the closure of Offut Air Force Base in order to secure his vote on healthcare reform. The White House and Ben Nelson categorically deny the charge. Who’s right, and who’s wrong? Plus, Mediaite has exclusive reaction from Lewis and Goldfarb:

When Sarah Palin endorsed Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman over GOP moderate Dede Scozzafava, it was a fair question to ask: “why?” Mainstream media accounts that only touch on Scozzafava’s political beliefs are just telling part of the story.