Jeff Bezos reportedly killed the Washington Post’s Kamala Harris endorsement

The Washington Post‘s editorial page had lined up an endorsement of Kamala Harris as president when its owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, intervened to cancel its publication. The Washington Post reports. In his place, The mail published a bizarre column from the current publisher (and former accomplice of Rupert Murdoch) Lewis will say The mail wouldn’t support anyone.

“We recognize that this will be read in a variety of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis wrote. (It’s unclear who “we” is here. Lewis? Lewis and Bezos? A secret third group?) “That’s inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values ​​that The Post has always stood for and that we hope for in a leader: character and courage in the service of American ethics, reverence for the rule of law and respect for human freedom in all its aspects . ”

This is now the second American newspaper after The Los Angeles Timesto destroy a Harris note at the owner’s insistence. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong similarly blocked a planned approval, inciting The newspaper’s editor-in-chief resigns in protest.

The mailsays the union she is “deeply concerned” that the newspaper would do this just eleven days before an “immensely consequential” election. “The message from our CEO, Will Lewis – and not from the editorial board itself – makes us concerned that management has interfered with the work of our editorial board members.” Readers are already canceling subscriptions, according to the statement. Neoconservative scholar Robert Kagan has resigned from his position as editor-in-chief. according to Max Tani from Semafor.

Two Washingtonpost board members, Charles Lane and Stephen W. Stromberg, wrote the Harris recommendation: according to The Columbia Journalism Review. Editorial Page director David Shipley told staff the approval was “on track, adding that ‘this is clearly something our owner has an interest in’,” according to The CJR. Today, Shipley told the board there would be no approval. That was followed by Lewis’s peculiar editorial.

“This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy a victim,” said Marty Baron, the former prime minister. Washingtonpost editor-in-chief, in a text message to the After. “Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to intimidate further The mail‘s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famous for its courage.”