"They're the ludicrous clowns who entertain by belittling any facts which demonstrate corruption"

[BurtWorm]

Glenn Greenwald on Chris Matthews and his fellow buffons of the High Press "with their petty, pompous, shallow, vapid chatter" about the US Attorney scandal this weekend :

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/03/26/matthews/index.html

Beltway media stars really aren't bothered by any of this in the slightest. It's how their world works. Initially, they even refused to talk about the story at all, insisting that there was nothing worth seeing here, and were all but forced into writing about it as a result of the tenacious coverage in the blogosphere, led by TPM's Josh Marshall. Their instinct is to lash out at anyone who suggests real wrongdoing on the part of the Republican political machinery that has ruled their town for so long.

They respect and admire the Republicans who wield power in Washington -- media elites particularly love Karl Rove (Mark Halperin to Hugh Hewitt: "we say in the book about Karl Rove, who I respect and enjoy . . . I enjoy his company . . . Maybe he did the things he's accused of, but to have this guy's image portrayed and defined by things that are accusations that are unproven, we say in the book is really outrageous"). They admire and love Rove because he is the embodiment of the political power which they worship -- and they are angered by the notion that these figures who rule their world, a world which lavishly rewards them, should be accused of real wrongdoing, let alone threatened with subpoenas and prosecution and imprisonment. Fun and playful political tussles are fine, but anything truly disruptive or threatening is despised by them and considered out of bounds.

These are not journalists who want to uncover government corruption or act in an adversarial capacity to check government power. Rather, these are members of the royal court who are grateful to the King and his minions for granting them their status. What they want more than anything is to protect and preserve the system that has so rewarded them -- with status and money and fame and access and comfort. They're the ludicrous clowns who entertain the public by belittling any facts which demonstrate pervasive corruption and deceit at the highest levels of our government, and who completely degrade the public discourse with their petty, pompous, shallow, vapid chatter that transforms every important political matter into a stupid gossipy joke.

Here are several of our media elites from our nation's most influential journalistic outlets -- including from Time, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, and NBC News -- all sitting around on the Chris Matthews Show giggling for three and a half minutes straight about the silly U.S. attorneys scandal. The whole thing is just a fun game for them, and it's absurd to them that anyone could take things like this seriously.

And what is most notable is that they express outrage at one part, and one part only, of this whole story -- namely, they are furious over the fact that the foolish, unfair Democrats would even dare to try to force Karl Rove to testify. Why, firing U.S. attorneys and lying to Congress and the country about it is all fair game, but that -- trying to get Rove to answer questions -- is really beyond the pale. Just watch how the people who have done so much damage to our country think and behave:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZuulS3xfKs

[rodeodance]

1. playing games with peoples lives.. yes, he is spot on.

[CJCRANE]

2. Giggling sociopaths! n/t

[MagickMuffin]

3. I believe it was Dan Rather on his appearance on Real Time

stated that the Press don't do real investigative reporting or offer any criticism of the GOP/RNC is because the powerful invite them to cocktail parties and the "journalist" don't want to be critical since they were drinking expensive scotch the night before. And of course if they want to be invited back then...

[Somawas]

4. So the price of the press and their journalistic integrity is a couple bottles of Scotch?

nt

[burf]

6. Not necessarily just Scotch.

Look at the run up to the war in Iraq. No one in the press would question the "evidence" that Saddam had WMDs. One reason, they didn't want to be left out on the coverage. If they were critical of Bushes BS they would have not got to go along as embeds. What do you think their ratings would have been with having no reporter while the other networks did. Look at the plum assignments Faux and NBC got. Danny Schecter made the point in his film "Weapons of Mass Deception".

I's am not saying I agree with the game. Just pointing out that it's being played. If we had a more critical and investigative press we would not be in the mess we are currently in. Plus we might be able to avoid future messes such as the economic problems we will soon face.

[BurtWorm]

7. Who do they think their audience is?

Obviously not the "people." They're aiming their remarks to the guys with the liquor cabinets. :eyes:

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. And don't forget the WH Press Corps getting a Crawford BBQ

compliments of YOU, and hosted by the Bushes.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

5. BushCo thinks it OK to spy on people's bank records...

I would love to look into all these RW talking heads bank accounts. See how much they're getting paid to support these traitors we have running our country to the ground.

[blm]

8. Asshats like Matthews, Halperin and Harris push DC groupthink that ADMIRES Rove

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200610030008

[Z_I_Peevey]

9. Glenn Greenwald, must add him to my short list

of writers who get it.

[glitch]

11. He's on mine. That list is growing. We've got some great people on our side. nt

[Morgana LaFey]

12. Members of the Royal Court -- that's a BIG BINGO!!

And that youtube video is amazing -- the stinkin' amoral LOT of them wouldn't know "accountability" if it bit them on the ass.

For a long while now I've been thoroughly disgusted with Matthews' basic lack of moral compass (beyond certain tenets of his Catholicism -- and ONLY certain tenets), but to see all these people discuss this prosecuter purge in purely political terms as if there's nothing else to it just nauseates and disgusts me more than I can even articulate. They don't DESERVE to be in the public eye. They don't deserve their jobs, and they certainly don't deserve their pay.

I'm NOT entirely sure the lot of them aren't just a waste of carbon.