My print column on the Shirley Sherrod fiasco is up. Here's Walter Shapiro's take, which is much more critical of the Obama Administration and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Shapiro:

Forget the cloying talk by Vilsack and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about this being another "teachable moment" (a challenge: find two other words in the English language that as convincingly signal saccharine insincerity.) In fact, many of the enduring lessons from Sherrod's political ordeal have nothing to do with racial justice or an irresponsible media culture. This was bureaucratic bungling at epic "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" levels.

Meanwhile, in an interview with ABC, President Obama accepts little of the responsibility for his administration's ridiculous handling of the matter.

“I've told my team and I told my agencies that we have to make sure that we're focusing on doing the right thing instead of what looks to be politically necessary at that very moment.  We have to take our time and, and think these issues through.”

Good idea.

Mr. Obama should also remember that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is not HIS agency. It is a department of the U.S. government. He is OUR president. We are not HIS subjects. More buffoonery like this and there is a good chance WE will not elect him to another term of office in 2012.

UPDATE: WaPo's Howie Kurtz notices the same thing I did. Sherrod blamed FOX for running with the story but other news outlets ran with it too.

Kurtz:

... for all the chatter -- some of it from Sherrod herself -- that she was done in by Fox News, the network didn't touch the story until her forced resignation was made public Monday evening, with the exception of brief comments by O'Reilly. After a news meeting Monday afternoon, an e-mail directive was sent to the news staff in which Fox Senior Vice President Michael Clemente said: "Let's take our time and get the facts straight on this story. Can we get confirmation and comments from Sherrod before going on-air. Let's make sure we do this right."