Saturday, September 10, 2005

Return of the prodigal son?

Are we seeing signs of life in the media? Has the press finally realized that not only does the emperor have no clothes, but that this smirking moron has been walking around buck naked but for a pair of daddy's Texas boots for his entire adult life?

Anderson Cooper upbraids a senator and even repulsive Fox News toady Shepard Smith shows an ounce of humanity. Shall we then kill the fatted calf as the prodigal son has returned? The media is back, shall we dress them in the best robes and feast and dance because some highly-paid people finally decided to do the job for which they were highly paid?

Hmmm, not so fast. I am more like the loyal son bitter at his brother's failings having no consequences. He said "Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him."

OK, I don't really need a goat (well, I don't think I do, I will reserve judgment--Bob Marley and Aristotle liked goat!), and while I don't doubt that prostitutes were involved, I don't think we want to go there, but anyway, you get the point.

For five years we have seen the media ignore the record of this man while they overplayed every slip by Gore and Kerry. Judith Miller took White House feeds and wrote "1-2-3-4 I think we should go to war!" in what was once the esteemed New York Times. We see gay prostitutes featured at White House "press conferences" and reporters so giddy about being "embedded" that they don't notice why they are in bed.

OK, so a weak pulse from the media is a good thing, but we are still a long way away from the independent press we need. This is a solo home run when you're down 13-0 with two outs in the 9th. Show me what you can do when the game is on the line.

Goat, anyone?

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