Did You Know...

And so it begins, via Congressional Quarterly’s Ground Game blog:

> From: Patrick Tuohy ptuohy@washingtontimes.com
> Date: February 25, 2008 4:43:13 PM EST
> To: twtnews@washingtontimes.com
> Cc: Patrick Tuohy ptuohy@washingtontimes.com
> Subject: Style changes
>
> All:
>
> Here are some recent updates to TWT style.
>
> 1) Clinton will be the headline word for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
>
> 2) Gay is approved for copy and preferred over homosexual, except in clinical references or references to sexual activity.
>
> 3) The quotation marks will come off gay marriage (preferred over homosexual marriage).
>
> 4) Moderate is approved, but centrist is still allowed.
>
> 5) We will use illegal immigrants, not illegal aliens.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Patrick

Soon, they’ll drop “illegal” from “illegal immigrants.”

Then, it’ll be “undocumented immigrants.”

Then, they’ll just go the Harry Reid route and call them “undocumented Americans.”

***
Chris Kelly weighs in:

“Aliens” and “illegal aliens” are used in the U.S. Code many times. “Illegal immigrants” appears, as far as I can tell, only one time. And, while some might disagree, “immigrant” implies legality and in that way “illegal immigrant” is an oxymoron. It might also indicate that the Washington Times is starting down the slippery slope towards being like the Washington Post.