Is Dreier in or out this week?

Today's LA Weekly runs a follow-up story from Doug Ireland to his piece last week alleging that congressman David Dreier is (gasp) gay, conservative and in the closet. The story tries to make a big deal that Dreier ignored the first piece—as if that were anything but honorable, given the story's weakness—and alleges that the pro-Republican papers in his district stay silent to protect Dreier. That part seems either dishonest or grossly uninformed. It's true that the San Gabriel Valley papers have not reported on Dreier's private sex life. But a Google search finds that not a single established media outlet, including the not-especially-GOP L.A. Times (the biggest in Dreier's area) and the Washington press, have jumped in to report that Dreier is gay. That might be because Ireland is carrying the water for a couple of activist websites that are trying to pressure Dreier to change his vote on gay-rights bills. The story also didn't try to prove Dreier's sexual orientation—it merely decreed the congressman outed. I guess that wasn't justfication enough for reputable media outlets to invade Dreier's privacy. Ireland's new piece does include an amusing exchange with local talk radio host Al Rantel, who got all over the writer's case. Ireland, who apparently imagines that outing is a Left vs Right issue, finally hung up on him.

Also in the Weekly: Marc Cooper has what looks like a strong cover story on the politics of Indian gambling, and Author Ann Marlowe continues her blog from Afghanistan.