Did you hear Dick Armey attack the press?

[grasswire]

On Hardball, he said "the most failed institution in our democracy is the press" -- he said it over and over again. He said it in the context of Bush's "go-around-the-filter" theme for this week. But he meant it in broader context.

A fight is on to intimidate the media this week. To stuff them back in their holes, lest they get uppity and begin reporting truth.

If you get a chance, watch this exchange on the Hardball rerun, at the end of the hour. Matthews goes after Armey with some hard-hitting points.

It's generally a good thing for us when Republicans attack the press.

[FlashHarry]

1. Did you hear Tweety slap him down?

Said he was 'blaming the messenger,' just like Nixon/Johnson in Vietnam.

[tabasco]

2. Repubs showing their true colors

They fear the truth and want to have total control of what the public sees and hears. They are truly anti-democratic, and Armey is an enemy of the Republic.

[leftofthedial]

3. Republicans hate freedom

they hate the truth

they hate free speech

they hate America

ironically, though, Armey is not far wrong. The press is one of the five worst failed institutions in America.

[frank frankly]

4. keep after the press, you morans!

haven't they heard--you don't bite the hand that feeds you!

maybe it will be the media's bruised ego that forces them to tell the damn truth

[RichM]

5. The media are ALREADY caving in to GOP demands. You're right that

a fight is on to intimidate the media - but it's going to work beautifully. It will only be necessary to let it run for a few days, to re-establish perfect submissiveness. It's just a little cracking of the whip to remind everyone who's boss.

A front-page NYT phrase the other day, after Cheney's latest fearmongering outrage, refered to the administration's "spirited new offensive" to convince the public that our democracy-building in Iraq is really going quite nicely, thank you.

[Skittles]

6. they are losing it

he's blaming the same whore press that cheer-led the war? It's ridiculous.

[Terwilliger]

7. Penis Navy doesn't like the press? Shit...they WORK for him!!

fucknut Republican son of a bitch...you know, I dont like guns, but it's about time for the inevitable Civil War


Bring em on!

[Jacobin]

8. Armey was right for all the wrong reasons

The media is a completely failed institution, but its because they became a mouthpiece for government instead of its watchdog.

Armey is pissed because for a couple of months they have actually been reporting a little bit of the news and haven't been totally in lockstep with the junta.

[Mel]

9. did Tweety ask

Dick Twit Armey if he was for bringing back the 'Fairness Doctrine' ??? Hummmm, is that silence I hear from the Reich? The biggest crybabies about how that mean ole' media is liberal.