The hysteria over Trump’s cabinet choices is off to an excellent start. I did say to somebody Jeff Sessions would face a tough confirmation fight in the Senate, and it would harken back to 1986 when Ronald Reagan nominated Sessions to a judicial post, and his nomination was rejected by the Judiciary Committee.

Still, it’s one thing to take a close look at a nominee’s record; it is quite another to write a story containing a lot of unsubstantiated allegations and examples of guilt by association. Jonathan Allen’s article about Jeff Sessions is a perfect example of this kind of lazy journalism.

These two paragraphs illustrate how Allen makes his case without providing any specifics to support his argument:

Much as his colleagues may be loath to keep him in their chamber — he has frustrated both Democrats and Republicans with his refusal to consent to votes on popular legislation over the course of his career — the Senate should reject him for any post that requires confirmation. He is beyond the ideological fringe, and his service in the Trump administration would be a disservice to the country.

Recall that the military was the first major American institution to integrate, under the order of Harry Truman. Surely, Sessions wouldn’t try to resegregate American armed forces, in which he served, but his ascent to the top civilian defense job would send a terrible message to people of color who wish to protect their country.

Tucker Carlson of Fox News invited Allen on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight,’ to discuss the piece, and what follows is a perfect dissection of Allen’s piece where Carlson challenges him over and over to substantiate his allegations and Allen simply can’t do it. Check it out:

Carlson’s approach to critically analyzing bad reporting is precisely how conservatives should challenge the media. It’s very easy to dismiss the media or scream, “Bias!” but it doesn’t challenge them. The bias is a byproduct of sloppiness and laziness more than anything else. It wouldn’t be difficult to write a critical article Sessions and still be fair. But it is easier to say, “He is beyond the ideological fringe” than to do actual reporting.