In this all-important piece that mocks the White House for using the phrase “unprecedented” too often (I'm not making this up), Politico (inadvertently?) gives readers an inside look at how utterly pointless articles like this come to fruition [emphasis added]:

The White House's announcement of its unprecedented — “a first by an American president visiting China” — town hall meeting with students in Beijing, for instance, drew a collective eye roll in certain circles back home, namely among former aides to President George W. Bush, who had already been grumbling about Obama's carefree application of “unprecedented.”

Voila! Former Bushies have been privately mocking the White House for its use of “unprecedented.” And then what do you know, Politico turns around the publically mocks the White House for its use of “unprecedented.” And who does Politico quote for sources in its story? Former Bushies, like ex-flak Karen Hughes.

That's how Beltway journalism works. Conservatives dream up attacks on Obama and then get journalists to treat the attacks as news, regardless of how absurd.

Making matters worse this time around is the fact that the Politico article contains perhaps single dumbest paragraph published by Politico in a very, very long time:

Either way, for a president whose approach to exaggerated critiques of his administration is to “call 'em out” and who has made an issue of forcing corporate America to expose the fine print, one wonders whether his use of “unprecedented” would pass his own litmus test.