Two Very Different Views on Obama Scandals

Supporters of President Obama will be glad to read that all three of the scandals that have dominated headlines this week look like they're fizzling. So writes Ezra Klein at the Washington Post. Obama's detractors, though, can take heart to learn that "we are in the midst of the worst Washington scandal since Watergate," according to Peggy Noonan at the Wall Street Journal. Samples from each:

• Klein: He assesses the IRS, AP-Justice Department, and Benghazi stories and concludes that "the scandals that could reach high don’t seem to include any real wrongdoing, whereas the ones that include real wrongdoing don’t reach high enough." On the IRS, for example, there's no evidence to suggest any direct link from the agents who went after conservatives to the White House. All three could change if new revelations emerge, "but the trend line so far is clear: The more information we get, the less these actually look like scandals." Click the full post for details on each.

• Noonan: She begs to differ in a big way, at least when it comes to the IRS and Justice Department stories. Both "have left the administration's credibility deeply, probably irretrievably damaged. They don't look jerky now, they look dirty." And this is no mere "partisan slugfest," she writes. "This is about the integrity of our system of government and our ability to trust, which is to say our ability to function." Click for the full post.

(More White House stories.)