Wednesday,
January 12 2005
BACK IN THE SADDLE: Metaphorically
speaking, of course. And no, I haven't been off hiding in
a self-induced cone of silence because Kaus
ridiculed my last post as "flabby" and
"cartoonish" (He also called you
"estimable" - though that adjective was, quite
conspicuously, sans bold. - ed.).
Truth be told we've had some other obligations that needed
tending to, and that tending is now done.
ARMSTRONG
WILLIAMS & CBS: On one hand we have a rather
obscure conservative commentator who already favored a certain
piece of legislation, took money and continued to write
favorably about it. Regardless of Armstrong's prior feelings
about No Child Left Behind, taking the contract was a mistake
and it has been rightly denounced by people across the ideological
spectrum as an example of "paid propaganda."
On
the other hand, we have a group of individuals working for
one of the largest, most influential news organizations
in the country who presented themselves as "objective"
reporters and who violated almost every rule (ethical and
otherwise) in the book of journalism to slap together a
report intended to influence the outcome of a Presidential
election. Even more damning, these same people then spent
two weeks defending the original report by churning out
yet more misrepresentations and distortions.
But
we don't dare call this propaganda. Many of the best and
brightest can't even bring themselves to call it "political
bias." Instead, the entire sordid affair is officially
chalked up to "haste"
and "competitive pressures."
Why
is it so easy for people to call the first case by its proper
name but not the second?
BOXER
FIGHTS FOR 'ELECTORAL JUSTICE': Here's another
question worth pondering. Last week Senator
Barbara Boxer made an historic and tearful
objection to to the certification of Ohio's electoral
votes in Congress:
"While
we have men and women dying to bring democracy abroad,
we've got to make it the best it can be here at home,
and that's why I'm doing this."
Boxer
said her protest was "not designed to overturn Bush's
re-election" but instead came from a desire to "fight
for electoral justice" and to "cast
the light of truth on a flawed system."
So
shouldn't Senator Boxer be holding a press conference in
Seattle to "cast the light of truth" on the Washington
Governor's election? After all, in a race decided by only
129 votes we have documented cases of dead people voting,
military absentee ballots being excluded, etc. - not to
mention that the Democratic stronghold of King County continues
to have trouble reconciling the fact they
counted about 1,800 more votes than the number of people
who are known to have signed in to vote on election day.
With
such obvious passion and such a deep commitment to 'fight
for electoral justice' you'd think the problems in Washington
state would have Senator Boxer more than a little verklempt.
Then again, maybe not. - T. Bevan 1:00 pm Link
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