Why has the media suddenly started behaving like the attack dogs they were during Clinton's second term? Howard Fineman tells us it's because they're mad as hell and not going to take it any more.
Take my word, there has been a lot of soul searching in the so-called Main Stream Media (MSM) over its performance, or lack of performance, in the months leading up to the American-led ouster of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Specifically, did we replace what should have been professional skepticism with a certain mindless credulousness in assessing the reality of the Bush administration’s claims of imminent danger to the country and the world from Saddam’s supposedly vast stash of weapons of mass destruction, including—only months away, it was said—the nuclear kind?If we failed, was it out of a misplaced sense of patriotic duty, or political cowardice or sheer incompetence—or all three? The press corps was spring-loaded with self-doubt over the WMD issue, and ready to snap over any story that would allow it to revisit what now looks to have been a massive—and embarrassingly successful, from the press’s point of view—propaganda campaign.
So Rove was a spinner on the WMD front? After him!
So, guys, while you're feeling this sudden need to atone for your swallowing that propaganda hook, line and sinker, can I suggest you start taking serious looks at some of the other corruption this Administration has within it? Like, say sweetheart no-bid contracts with Halliburton and its subsidiaries?
He also has an interesting tidbit at the end of the column:
There is a civil war brewing within the MSM, and the Rove story is exposing it—and is fueled by it. Until now, the rivalry between the Fox and non-Fox worlds has been confined to cable, where Rupert Murdoch’s forces have all but overwhelmed the competition.But now the broadcast networks are in the game, with some non-Fox reporters openly complaining about the White House’s effort to defend Rove by offering its legal spin to certain preferred reporters and news organizations. By dividing the press corps into Red versus Blue—and talking only to the Red—administration strategists are inviting attacks from one side.
Well, gosh, fellas, when Fox has been eating the cable guys' lunch for five years, I'd have thought you might have started noticing the enemy on your flank before this, but whatever.
Posted by Linkmeister at July 15, 2005 04:30 PM | TrackBackI think the Valerie Plame story is indeed distracting the press from more important issues.
While the sharks circle at the smell of blood, issues such as structural budget deficits, tax policy that creates a privileged class, bi-partisan support for inexcusable pork spending, looming problems in health and retirement insurance, etc. etc. etc. are being pushed off the radar screen.
pixelshim is obviously a righty. important issues huh. how is this for an important issue? the outing of a CIA " secret operative" as defined by the CIA themselves. How about the effect this has on out war on terrorism to know that high up officials in the administration knowing (they had the memo on air force 1) leak a covert operatives name (the memo states that the info about her is TS or top secret) just because her husband questioned the logic for war. this is more than just another story: this just shows a continuing pattern by the white house of deceit and lies. and this from someone who voted for bush in both elections
Posted by: msterschmo at July 28, 2005 12:25 PM