Capitol scare: Where 24-hour news is not needed

[Newsjock]

Today's embarrassing episode of the Capitol scare shows precisely why cable news done poorly can do a disservice to the American people.

Did we really need to abandon all other programming for more than an hour? Did we really need to spread fear across the entire country? Did we need to hear from Republican lawmakers who used the episode as yet another attempt to drill Sept. 11 into the public consciousness?

And for what? Two House employees in Halloween costumes!
This whole episode will get maybe 15 seconds on tonight's network news, and possibly a two-paragraph brief in tomorrow's newspaper. That's the attention it deserves -- not the orgiastic feeding frenzy that CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel all displayed today.

This isn't just bad journalism -- it's bad for this country. I'd almost call it un-American.

[LeahMira]

1. Keep the pot stirred...

Did we really need to abandon all other programming for more than an hour? Did we really need to spread fear across the entire country? Did we need to hear from Republican lawmakers who used the episode as yet another attempt to drill Sept. 11 into the public consciousness?

You mean I lived through an entire hour here at school never knowing that the entire nation was threatened? Golly... life went on as if nothing was happening. Incredible.

Honey, if they're invading the White House, is it my problem?

Now, if it's MY house... well, we have two dogs.

Maybe just once in a while it might be fun for the journalists to wait until they actually know what's going on before they break in on the afternoon soaps and scare all the little old ladies, you think? Or maybe the point is just to let everyone know what a really dangerous world we live in. Hmmm.....

[Parche]

2. scarey

What did Barbara Bush and Ann Coulter ride their broomsticks and visit the WhiteHouse and scare the crap out of everyone.

[demnan]

3. No I think Tom Delay and Mitch McConnell

took their masks OFF!