I'm getting an early start on this first summer weekend, practicing what the French call l'extase langoureuse, which roughly translates as the ecstasy of languishing.
But, before the languor, two quick things:
Today marks the inexplicable farewell of The Washington Post's best political blogger. For five and a half years, Dan Froomkin has tirelessly spoken truth to power - doggedly tracking the incompetent perfidies of the Bush administration, and, lately, holding Barack Obama accountable whenever his actions have failed to jibe with his promises. He deservedly amassed a loyal following, and it remains a mystery why The Post decided to drop him; the official line - that his blog had "run its course" - is self-evidently substance-free.
Froomkin posted his final words this morning; his entire ouevre is worth a look. I'm assuming he'll land somewhere. I'll just note, for now, that his erasure is yet further evidence that the term "liberal media" is a canard. I need only point out that The Post - supposedly a prime "liberal" outpost - has dropped Froomkin while retaining the op-ed services of people like Charles Krauthammer and William Kristol...as well as the editorial page editor who for years indulged the Bush neoconservatives even as Froomkin charted their delusions.
And speaking of loss:
Whenever celebrities die in threes - as often seems to be the case - I am always fascinated by the hierarchy of mourning...in other words, which of the deceased winds up as number three.
So, here at week's end, let's give it up for Ed McMahon.
Posted by Dick Polman @ 12:45 PM
Permalink |
31 comments
For every example you might have for the non-existence of a liberal media, I have a hundred showing the opposite. And no I'm not going to list them here. Just Google "ABC News healthcare" and you'll get a few.
Perhaps that after seeing that being an all-left, 24 hour print version of the "all barack channel" (Hey, ABC is still taking broadcast "journalism" in America to an all new low), the Post realized that people actually want fair and balanced news (see Fox News). By the way, ABC's broadcast of the news from the White House the other night reminds me of watching Tass broadcast from the Kremlin back in the 1980's. What a joke.
For all people, like JMC and CD, who still believe the myth of the liberal media, I have several bridges over the East River I'd like to sell you cheap.
Conservatives always have a boogeyman - teh gays, the mexicans, the librul media, the muslims...But's it's never the boogeyman that does them in, it's a seeming inability to look in the mirror that consistently dooms them to self-immolation. But hey, if not for the Palin's, the Sanford's, the Craig's, the Ensign's and the group's collective inability to stop meddling in other's personal affairs, how would we pass the time between celebrity deaths?
CD, I'll be honest, I laughed at this: "...people actually want fair and balanced news (see Fox News)." I can't think of anybody I know, Republican, Democrat, Socialist, Whathaveyou, that doesn't admit Fox slants to the right and broadcasts their news from that side of the aisle. If you can't admit that, I think you're just kidding yourself.
would a liberal mainstream media unquestioningly cheerlead a war based on fabrication?idiot.in the case of Iraq the examples number in the THOUSANDS moron.go back to faux news
Comment removed.
Comment removed.
I agree LJL, the Republicans always do themselves in with their expressed self righteousness but personal failings.
Comment removed.
Therrrrrrre Goes Edddddddie! Up to heaven where he belongs! RIP to the most famous second banana ever!
I know it looks like the GOP will continue to falter but you better believe they will get back in power. I hope by the time they do they actually follow the tenets of their party: fiscal responsibilty, staying out of people's personal lives and moral high ground. They certainly aren't that now, especially the last one. Saying one thing and doing another doesn't play well here in America....for Republicans OR Democrats! (Funny how you never seem to hear about affairs like Sanford's from 3rd party candidates... perhaps we need to support them more than we do).
commrade(or is it commode?)suk muc wang loves being lied to,thats why he goose steps to the neo c nonsense.why don't you get off the hillybilly heroin,like your lying fat freak of repscumlican party leader limpy;its obviously caused brain damage
commrade(or is it commode?)suk muc wang loves being lied to,thats why he goose steps to the neo c nonsense.why don't you get off the hillybilly heroin,like your lying fat freak of repscumlican party leader limpy;its obviously caused brain damage
Yesshh!!! You are correct, sir!!
James, I don't believe they will get back in power. Progress is inevitable. The rest of the civilized world is to the left of the U.S. so eventually the country will have to wake up and shift to where the success lies.
comradeneedshisfirsteducation is a conservative tool. Tell us more about the republicans and how much they promote "family values" and sanctity of marriage. That is,for everybody but themselves.
Handnik: The longest either party has been in control was 12 years (I think, at least in modern history) 1981-1993 when Reagan and Bush I were in there. Roosevelt and Truman were in power from 1933-1951 but things have changed a lot since then.The republicans will be back. It's inevidable. I just hope they learn their lesson by then. This country cannot afford the same short-sighted behaviour we saw from 2001-2009.
"Progress is inevitable. The rest of the civilized world is to the left of the U.S. so eventually the country will have to wake up and shift to where the success lies." Then why did Europe shift to the right in the most recent elections?
Muslims, gays, women, Hispanics, Europeans, Arabs, Southeast Asians, blacks, "Hollywood", Democrats, the news media; it seems like almost every group is conspiring against Republicans.
James, the only reason you never hear any "Dirt" on third party candidates, is because so few of them ever get elected.
The media except for Fox and the NY Post are far too supportive of Obama at the moment. However, the media are fickle and they might turn on him ultimately. We shouldn't get too uptight about media bias as long as they are providing a reasonable diet of facts. We can figure things out for ourselves as long as we're informed. For me, the anti-Obama media currently aren't doing a very good job since generally they have no ideas, only billingsgate. Take health care--there's clearly a conservative position on this (healthcare like police or fire protection, financed prudently) but you wouldn't guess it from reading the conservative media.
"I'll just note, for now, that his erasure is yet further evidence that the term "liberal media" is a canard." First, I had never heard the term "canard" until I started reading this board; thanks for expanding my vocabulary, Dick. Secondly, your own paper is publishing a fairly detailed description of that liberal media you belong to: "We have seen a number of outrageous examples of media bias in the five months since Obama's inauguration. And in recent weeks, Obama completed a "triple crown" of extended interviews on the three major networks.
Before Obama left for the Middle East, NBC News aired four hours of interviews in prime time over two nights to give viewers a portrait of a "day in the life" of the White House.
CBS News weighed in last week with its "Two Sides of Barack Obama." It aired the first part, "Barack Obama: An American Dad," on Father's Day, and the second, "Barack Obama: The American President," the next day.
And on Wednesday, ABC News aired "A Conversation with the President," an hourlong prime-time special on health-care reform taped in the East Room of the White House - not exactly a neutral site. ABC rejected reasonable requests to include opposing voices during the infomercial, which was essentially a political contribution masquerading as news coverage.
There are several troubling aspects to ABC's relationship with the administration. Linda Douglass, a former ABC News journalist, is now communications director in the White House's Office of Health Reform. The Washington Times recently reported that employees of ABC gave 80 times as much in contributions to Obama's campaign ($124,421) as they did to his Republican opponent, McCain ($1,550)." -http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20090628_The_media_s_love_affair_with_President_Obama.html
Vandy: You're just pointing out that more people like Obama than they do the Republicans. No s**t. That's why Obama won the election. We could expect some glorification after the election, because he IS the first African-American president. But this is already fading. Bill Maher and the Daily Show have been pretty tough on Obama lately. But I think Bush Jr. got hit with so much criticism because he was simply a bad president. No Republican will ever take this into account. Bush deserved to be pilloried. If you do a terrible job, people aren't going to like you. Pretty simple, unless you work for Fox. Obama looks better in comparison, but the honeymoon period is fading.
Another thing, Bush was too secretive to speak to the press on a regular basis, much less agree to special programs. It's hard to get positive press when you've sequestered yourself in an underground bunker.
"It's hard to get positive press when you've sequestered yourself in an underground bunker." And it's easy when you hit the golf course every week; got it.
Vandy: Yes, so long as you don't allow a reporter within shouting distance.
Liberal- There is a conservative position on how to fix healthcare but you choose to ignore it so you can regurgitate your left leaning talking points of " No Ideas ". While that might make a nice bumper sticker or democratic talking point ( "the party of No") it is devoid of the truth and doesn't elevate the conversation whatsoever. Our government had meddled in healthcare and the healthcare lobby has so driven up our costs that the savings from free market principles is impossible. Why else would Ted Kennedy receive 5 million from Amgen and Aetna? Trust me when I tell you that these behemoths didn't donate this money so they could lower costs- it is about protecting their interests and their profits. A free market solution would be to allow buying associations, interstate sale of policies, more choices like low cost plans that only offer catastrophic coverage etc. What Obama's plan will do is drive doctors out of the profession, drive up costs by creating the burearacracy needed to run the healthcare, take more money out of the economy with higher taxes to pay for it, and in the end we'll have less to show for it. Eventually, we'll struggle to find a doctor and the service will rationed by some government paper pusher.
Comment removed.
Comment removed.
Comment removed.
31 comments | View All By Latest | Paginate Comments
About Dick Polman
- American Spectator
- Blogs for Bush
- Campaign Standard
- David Limbaugh
- Free Republic
- Glenn Reynolds
- Hugh Hewitt
- Human Events
- John Hawkins
- Matt Lewis
- Michelle Malkin
- National Review
- Opinion Journal
- Outside the Beltway
- Power Line
- Red State
- The Brody File
- Town Hall
- Weekly Standard
- Altercation
- Center for American Progress
- Crooks and Liars
- Daily Kos
- David Corn
- Huffington Post
- Media Matters
- Mojoblog (Mother Jones)
- Open Left
- Political Animal
- Salon's War Room
- Talking Points Memo
- Tapped
- The Carpetbagger Report
- The Democratic Strategist
- The Grey Matter
- Unclaimed Territory
- Andrew Sullivan
- Attytood
- Chi Tribune's The Swamp
- CJR's Campaign Desk
- CNN's Political Ticker
- CQ Politics
- FactCheck.org
- Gail Collins
- Howard Kurtz
- Katharine Seelye Online
- Mickey Kaus
- NBC's First Read
- Political Wire
- Politico
- Pollster.com
- Real Clear Politics
- The Fix
- The Moderate Voice
- The Plank
- The Stump
- USA Today On Politics
- Wonkette
Blog Roll
Get it now
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
Archives
Categories
Philly.com Promotions
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
Site Services:
Classifieds:
- Jobs | Cars | Real Estate | Rentals | Marketplace | Celebrations
Partners:
