DDay has a passionate post up over at Digby's about the uproar from the press corps over Scotty McClellan's insider's "tell-tale account" of deceit within the Bush Administration and the willingness of the press corps to lap it up. Please, do remember, they liked Bush better because he had a better airplane, better snacks was more jovial, a much better guy "to have a beer with" and he also gave them nick-names and patted them on the head.
Think - this is how you house train a pet.
DDay's closing thoughts:
"They were puppets, enthusiastic puppets for an imperialist agenda. And they have to live with that forever."
Here's my comments (slightly edited):
But will they lose their careers? Will they lose their fortunes? Will they lose their access? Will they lose their homes? What price will they pay? What psychic price will they pay?
They hob nob with the political elites of the nation - the movers and shakers. They work for the financial elites - the powers behind the powers. They go to the same parties. They have a herd mentality - a herd of jackals.
Not long ago that major newspapers everywhere reported that the outgoing Clinton staffers had taken the "W" key off the computer keyboards. They were told this. They were lied to. But it was a pleasing lie. And they reported this. Did any of them ask to see the "S"-bereft keyboards? NO. They're stenographers.
Google "Clinton Kennedy Gaffe" - 864,000 hits. Watched the Clinton interview with the Argus Leader Editorial Board - twice and read the transcript. This pundit described "gaffe" will take on the legendary status of the Howard Dean "scream".
Within the context of the interview, the editorial board asked Senator Clinton six questions, in a row, paraphrased here:
Q: Your people and Obama's people gonna do deal so you can bow out now?
A: No.
Q: No discussions about a deal?
A: No.
Q: Why so many trying to push you out of the race?
A: Don't know.
Q: Won'cha just drop out for the sake of party unity?
A: Nope - primaries go through June.
Q: What's your speculation about the speculation why you don't drop out?
A: Don't know. Won't attribute motive.
Q: You speculate it's gender issues?
A: Don't know; Don't speculate.
Olbermmen went apoplectic on this -- the great denouement that sure looks like the press / media has been waiting for: "At long last, Senator Clinton, have you no shame." Olbermmen tracking Joseph Welch smacking down tail-gunner Joe McCarthy.
Cause this primary, it just goes on and on. We're tired of it. Maybe even getting a little conflicted -- what with having gone a little moist for Senator Obama (my guess, it's only puppy love) while hardly spending any time with Maverick St. McCain. Don't you get it Clintons - we, the kewl kidz are TIRED of you.
Further evidence of the Bushword world epidemic, where up is down, no is yes, and war is peace, and killing one million Iraqis is necessary to bring them freedom, I agree with David Brooks analysis. "And my own personal belief is she didn't mean it. She was talking about June. She stumbled into the assassination thing. She didn't mean anything by it. You know, she says 100,000 words a day like all the candidates."
David Brooks tracking the Reverend Jeremiah Wright: "It went down very simply. He's a politician, I'm a pastor. We speak to two different audiences. And he says what he has to say as a politician."
Mark Shield's point of view leaves me speechless: " ... this rises to a different level. The unspoken story of this campaign have been the assassination threats against Barack Obama. It's widely known. It's widely whispered. It's widely discussed, always in private." Well, now the whispered unspoken story has been spoken after all.
Reminds me of Lenny Bruce talking about this real hip couple at one of his shows, enjoying everything, laughing along with the musicians. Up until the point were Lenny starts to do a bit about cancer. Couple gets up, husband to wife - "I can't believe it, he said the 'C' word. We're outta here."
Words can be very powerful. The can grab us on some gut level and take us to places where we are willing to attribute the worst of motives or the best of humankind's higher impulses. Places where our reptilian brain takes over.
Whatever happened to the days when journalism was about: Who, What, Where, How, When? Adios those days. Now we get Psycho-drama queens and delusional babbling bobble heads telling us why; imputing motive.
How much better would we be served by the press / the media if they were to abide by this simple philosophy before waxing poetic about why:
Why? Give Senator Clinton the last words here: "I don't know. I find it curious, and I don't want to attribute motives or strategies to people because I don't really know"
As for the Kewl Kidz - mock them at every opportunity. Point up their hypocrisy. KIDZ, pulleeze, get over yourselves. You are tools and fools, albeit very well paid. You become ever more irrelevant ciphers.
Gasbags, strutting and fretting your hour upon the stage - telling idiots' tales full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
