BUT, one need not explain the modern media phenomenon with abstract theories involving questionable psychoanalytic arguments. After all, Moyers was speaking up, as was Rather. They both got canned. As I've mentioned here before, I think the CIA is involved heavily with the press. After all, they are the ones actually doing much of the torture. They are the ones to gain by legitimizing their practices. The WaPo is their home town paper. Why would the publisher of any for profit newspaper keep a clown like Hiatt when the paper's credibility and subscriptions have consistently dropped under his editorship? This also explains Olsen's appearance from the underworld, as mentioned in a previous letter.

I made the mistake of looking up "Operation Mockingbird" some months ago at a commentor's suggestion. Whether you like the conclusion or not, it seems more succinct than to ascribe the complete press asquienence to this behavior on the grounds that everyone coincidentally decided to cooperate in the same way. Remember, the CIA is off-budget, that is, we will never know how much they spend and on what.

With all due respect to Glenn and the Contributors, I think O'Liely is playing the role of red herring here. The well orchestrated right wing noise machine obviously wants us to overlook something, maybe the CHIP veto?, and they're using their boy Bill to do it. Just like with Limpballs, his schtik is for distraction. In the past I've noticed that the level of hyperbole and outrage goes up with these clowns when the Republicans are trying to get away with something egregious. That being said, everything Glenn wrote is absolutely true.

There is slmost nothing in the MSM on this issue. Obviously the Telecoms want it to blow over. The amount of outrage and the action which followed is completely because of the efforts of bloggers like Glenn. This blog, and a few other really helped to focus the actions of the concerned public, so that the individual actions occured nearly simultaneously. This type of rapid, highly focused response was the two-by-four between the eyes of the campaign staffs. And I think it is also significant that the shortest answer Joe Biden ever gave to a question is the most memorable contribution of his ling career as a public servant.

Glenn: I admire your poise in stepping back and carefully crafting a response to that screaming e-mail. It seems to me that Boylan had spent too much time with his scotch bottle, and is of the unfortunate constitution that he doesn't simply pass-out when lit, but instead tries fitfully to address what's careening around in his bleary mind.

I'm sure after hitting 'send' he congratulated himself for 'showing that S.O.B'. He probably spent the next morning trying to figure out what he'd done, even before looking for the dog that had bit him. Good for you in withstanding that nasty little attack.

I wouldn't believe anything coming from our armed forces in Iraq, partly because the occupiers have changed the way they conduct their statistics. But if Muqtad a'Sadr isn't as visible before, it's possible that he knows the end is near, and he's out buying arms for when things really start to crumble: the one with the most guns when the dust clears is in control. Wasn't there a certain amount of optimism before the Tet Offensive?

From what I've heard Rudy should have a big 'troopergate' problem, with NYPD standing guard while the mayor fucked a variety of women, not just current Mrs. JulieAndrews). I know that Brian Williams would never air a well researched account of this, but there are many other outlets.

It is obvious that Klein is doing what Time wants him to do. The NYT had Jason Blair to fire so they could keep Jeff Gerth around to spew his filth. And Judy Miller wasn't terminated until she was exposed as part of a criminal conspiracy. And still the NYT went to bat for her, trying to avoid her incarceration. These publishers will keep a Jason Blair in the wings for public flogging to protect their bread-and-butter staff. The fact that readers disbelieve what they are being fed means nothing to them. Most of their revenues are from advertising. I think most publishers view themselves as (that great shithead) Walter Annenberg, and are too dim to realize that as readership drops, the advertisers will come back with: we're no reaching as many people, so we're not paying as much. This, indeed has already happened.

asked by that esteemed journalist Jimmy-Jeff Gannon Guckert from that pinnacle of news and profitability 'Talon News'. Of course adversarial questions 24/7 are fine with the trolls, as long as they involve....a blowjob. And although I was not a huge fan of AirAmerica Radio, they were undone by a collusive strongarming by a couple of large advertisers, including the Department of the Navy. And for both of the puss-filled trolls: I have great respect for Helen Thomas.

Both Obama and Clinton are eager to portray foreign policy in terms of dealing with draught animals. This cliched arrogance will get us nowhere. Treating a country of 50 million people like Iran in terms of a Jackass will not help us with any of the real problems we face in the ME. Both candidates fall all over themselves in their rush to portray the solutions to our problems as the application of one of the two tools in their diplomatic toolbox. This is really fuckin' juvenile.