The great right hype; Erza Klein is optimistic

NOBLE ASPIRATIONS: The Columbia Journalism Review's Joel Meares writes that Tucker Carlson's conservative news website is more Huffington Post than New York Times, in spite of his visions of an upmarket online publication. "Headline-grabbing exclusives—mostly intercepted e-mails and tweets and attacks on media rivals—have exploded across the web before fizzling under scrutiny. Sexed-up headlines burned above stories too twisted or bland to support them. Quotes were ripped out of context, corrections buried, and important disclosures dismissed. It’s a picture that sits uncomfortably alongside the vision laid out by Carlson at CPAC, one that has drummed up clicks but little respect." Indeed. I also found myself in agreement with the bit about slideshows of creepy Easter bunnies – what the hell's up with that?

GETTING CLOSER: Erza Klein seems optimistic that they're coming closer to a deal on the debt ceiling. "It begins with the McConnell plan, in which the debt ceiling is raised three times between now and November, and each time, Republicans are able to offer a resolution of disapproval. Then it adds in $1.5 trillion in spending cuts harvested from the Biden talks. Then it creates a committee of 12 lawmakers charged with sending a deficit-reduction plan to Congress by the end of the year. Whatever they decide on would be protected from the filibuster and immune to amendments." Good start.