Hedgy Chessy Hopes Dashed to Dangville

“Chess player Gary [sic] Kasparov announces his run for president in 2008.” Salon.com today makes this claim atop an article reprinted from The Guardian, taking a break from its peerless dead duck reportage. But hang on: not only does the actual story not confirm this claim (read it here to avoid Salon-O-Mercial), but Kasparov’s March 14th Wall Street Journal editorial, in which he announced his retirement from chess, directly contradicts it:

My retirement from chess is not about running for president or any other higher office, although I am not prepared to rule anything out. It is about opposing our authoritarian regime and bringing positive change. There are millions like me in Russia who want a free press, rule of law and fair elections. My new job is to fight for those people and to fight for those things.

(Read the rest here, to avoid the Wall Street Journal.)

Yeah, “I am not prepared to rule anything out” is typical hedge-speak. I’m sure Putin’s already announced something like, “My intentions are not to overturn the constitution to hold on to power forever, although I am not prepared to rule anything out.” But however hedged, such a declaration is no basis for claiming its exact opposite.

Hey, Salon: I’ll happily read your articles for you for a nominal stipend. Comment with an offer, and I’ll have my agent get in touch with your attorneys, etc. etc.