Just when you thought it was safe to listen to mainstream news again--after some limited good reporting on Katrina, the Iraq fiasco, Harriet Miers, etc.--the Rove Spinmeisters are out in mass-media spin spin spinning away any resemblance of real news. Meet the Press, Hardball et al were busy loading up on their usual right-wing commentators and "experts", countered by a few ineffective Dems peppered here and there, to spin the Fitzgerald investigation into a "good news" story for Bush. "No conspiracy in the Bush White House!" they would have you believe. Just a few absent-minded Libby-lies, that's all. Rove is as innocent as a new babe. And if you believe that, they've got one heck of a bridge in China they want to sell you, too.
My initial reaction to the Sunday news shows was my usual four-letter-word anger--spraying my television set with a spittoon full of obscenities directed at those idiotic, truth-bending, talking heads. How dare they blatantly lie about the facts--again!? I screamed. How can anyone listen to this BS??!! I swore. I swore some more. You get the idea.
But then, my saner side kicked in--what's left of it. And I realized that they can fantasize all they want that the Bushies are white-glove-clean and everything is hunky-dorey in White House land--the facts are the investigation is not quite over. Nor is the trial. And, while not exactly confident, I am optimistic that the truth WILL emerge evenually. I only hope it's sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, Bushie lost not one second in his effort to divert attention away from his sleazy gang of sidekicks by picking another supreme court judge: Alito. Obviously deciding it is in his political best interests to make nice-nice with the extreme religious right, he has set the stage for the latest controversy and political fight designed to change the political discourse and divide America further. So much for George "I'm-a-Uniter" Bush.
I couldn't help but think, while watching the millions of people who flooded the streets to celebrate the White Sox winning the World Series last week, it's truly amazing that people care more about winning a baseball game than losing over 2000 of our children in an illegal war. What the peace/anti-war movement wouldn't give for even a fraction of those numbers to show up at even one of their various protests around the country. Look, I have nothing against baseball, and it was great to see a team win after 88 years of disappointments, but, what exactly does it take to get people excited about the fact that this country is probably headed south for at LEAST the next 88 years thanks to the horrific policies of Bush & Company.
For starters, It takes a more responsible, ethical group of newscasters, reporters, and journalists than we have at present. Come on, Anderson Cooper--you gave us a little hope for the media--one brief moment--and now you're turning right back into the media ratings darling they have always groomed you to be. Go with your gut, report from your heart, take some risks, get the facts and bring back the days when "news was news". If not now, when?
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