The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.

Other Than That, the Story Was Accurate

  • “An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to the products sold at By Brooklyn. The store does not sell dandelion and burdock soda, lovage soda syrup, and Early Bird granola ‘gathered in Brooklyn.’ An earlier version also referred incorrectly to the thoroughfare that contains the thrift shop Vice Versa. It is Bedford Avenue, not Bedford Street, or Bedfoprd Avenue, as stated in an earlier correction.”–New York Times, May 2
  • “An earlier version of this column, about diversity in Congress, referred imprecisely to one group. There are 7 members who are openly gay, lesbian or bisexual–not just openly gay or lesbian.”–New York Times website, May 3

Out on a Limb 
“Biden Ponders a 2016 Bid, but a Promotion to the Top Job Seems to Be a Long Shot”–headline, Washington Post, May 2

Questions Nobody Is Asking
“Decades-Old Question: Is Antibacterial Soap Safe?”–headline, Associated Press, May 3

News of the Tautological 
“Study Links Insecticide Use to Invertebrate Die-Offs”–headline, Guardian (London), May 1

Bottom Stories of the Day
“Lindsay Lohan Violates Probation by Leaving Rehab Facility”–headline, Los Angeles Times website, May 2

Gone Fisching
The Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus has another contribution to the genre of liberal commentary deploring Obama’s weakness in the face of supposedly intransigent Republicans. Her lead is highly unpromising: “To be a good president requires the combined skills of a chess master and middle school teacher.”

Oh boy, a chess analogy and a schoolyard analogy! But her knowledge of chess is apparently limited enough that she manages to avoid being totally clichéd. Get a load of this:

White House officials confidently predicted that when the sequester cuts began to bite, Republicans would return to the table. But guess who’s flinching now? When the airport delays began, the White House faced a revolt–a veto-proof revolt–among lawmakers of both parties. It had calculated that Republicans would bear the blame for triggering the sequester. Instead, it ended up panicking, or at least being swayed by panicky fellow Democrats, that its own party would suffer.

Excuse me, but you didn’t have to be Bobby Fischer to figure out that constituents–loud, influential constituents–would start to holler when they were trapped for hours on the Delta Shuttle.

That’s right, Marcus is accusing the president of lacking the common sense of Bobby Fischer. She’s stumbled into insulting Obama so harshly that even we think it’s terribly unfair.

For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.