I am not understanding your post.

I WILL say that the attention Smollett is getting from cable news is ridiculous and needs to stop.

every headline-grabbing scandal of late either involves a Democratic politician or something that can be used as a cudgel against progressive causes.

I'm lumping Smollett in with the other two because that's what the RW MAG(a)GOTS are doing elsewhere, and the media is serving it up for these cretins on a silver platter.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

Just today you have Stone getting gagged. Harris in NC having his "win" invalidated for voter fraud. Acosta implicated in unlawful activity relating to the Epstein case. And Michael Cohen getting ready to testify next week.

They barely covered the guy with the ansenal wanting to blow up liberals and are hammering the stupid Smollett story.

It as if they want to destroy liberals and make repukes seem like the inncocent good guys. When was the last time we heard about the Caesar seyac guy! Or the guy who assaulted the bbc reporter?

Fortunately, he was caught before he did. Smollett, however, is a celebrity (apparently - I'd never heard of him but I'm old) who did an incredibly stupid thing, which was also a felony, and caused considerable harm in the sense that he made it more difficult for legitimate victims to be believed. I'm not surprised at the coverage and I don't think it's politically motivated. Sayoc will be tried this summer so there's not much news to report at this time.

what might such a thing be called?

before the November 2017 election? Or, before the 2018 election to maybe affect the congressional races?

I'm still trying to keep an open mind about him, but the latest that I heard is that he gave the payoff to the Osundairo brothers by personal check. If that check can be produced, he's pretty much done for. The gun, as they say, doesn't get to smoking much more than that.

Buckle up, much more to come.

Especially as the Presidential election draws closer. I fully expect each Democratic candidate to be fully scandalized while the Dotard-in-chief continues his rape of our Constitution with impunity.