This is the guy who spoke out on the Lam dismissal. Now he's gone. This is what happens to anyone who dares fall out of line with this administration.

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SAN DIEGO -- Local Federal Bureau of Investigations Chief Dan Dzwilewski, who was chastised by his bosses for publicly criticizing the ouster of U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, has announced that he will resign to become head of security for Sempra Energy, an agency official said Thursday.

Dzwilewski, 53, informed his staff Wednesday of his decision, according to FBI Special Agent Darrell Foxworth.

On Tuesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller disclosed to the Senate Judiciary Committee that one of his underlings had told Dzwilewski his statements on the departure of Lam -- one of eight federal prosecutors compelled to resign last year -- to the San Diego Union-Tribune were out of line.

A small point, perhaps not worth making, not sure - the Washington Post poll example is not really an example of reporters accepting/regurgitating government-provided information uncritically. If I understood, this was not a government-sponsored poll, although the poll results arguably reflect the, um, party line.

The point isn't the poll itself. It's that the Bush administration did all sorts of things to create the impression in the minds of most Americnas that Saddam was connected to, even involved in, the 9/11 attacks, and the media completely failed to make clear how false that was. In fact, they often passed along the statements which created that impression.

One of the fuctions which the national press is supposed to serve is to ensure that we have a minimally informed citizenry - and, relatedly, to prevent the government from perpetrating massive frauds on the people. If the press doesn't do that, what do they do? The poll shows how glaringly they failed, since we went to war based on a self-evident falsehood.

I agree with other commenters that there are multiple causes for why Americans believed that, including the comment above which insightfully suggested that Americans simply assumed it - after all, why would we go invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11? But the administration pushed that theme in many ways, and the press simply failed to present the real terms of the debate about whether to invade Iraq.

The question mark was unintended and seems obnoxious.

I liked your reverie. Interestingly, my husband and I are sort of both sides of that coin. He's got a doctorate in philosophy and my background is science, and we both over the years have taught each other how to think a little more clearly about things.

The point about common sense reminded me of a class I took in experimental psychology. One of the very things we learned was to try and notice and set aside "common sense" thinking. The example that stayed with me was this:

There was a study (arranged in advance with a local police department) of how many people would call in/do something about a potential emergency/problem. The researchers placed a wrecked car on the side of the road, and a little further down placed a small girl, seemingly by herself. The researchers were of course were close by, and made sure she was safe.

What they were testing was how many people would call 911 to tell them about the girl, or would stop. They weren't looking for patterns beyond the % calling, but they conducted the test on several different occasions and it happened to be at different times of day. They expected a similar % in each case.

The common sense belief the researchers started with was that the more people saw the girl, the more calls 911 would get. But what they discovered was that the more cars drove by, the less likely 911 was to get calls. The reason they thought was behind this behavior? The more people were present, the more they were likely to believe someone else already called. During rush hour, no one called.

So if you're ever in rush hour and you see something worth calling 911 over, call!

I often complain about the level and poor quality of articles in the press but this time your exchange reminds me of the ones Albert Camus, Jean Paul Satre, Hubert Beuve-Meury, Maurice Merleau Ponty and Raymond Aron used to have in Le Monde, Le Figaro and other newspapers in Paris during the Cold War.

It is always so interesting when a clear thought is expressed clearly.

As you say Glenn, no over-arching narrative will simplify something as vast as our modern media world, but I think you've established an outline, both broad and specific enough to account for nuances, from which to critique it from now on.

The development of narratives to influence outcomes is probably the worst of many practices accepted by our modern press. The 2000 election was an excercise in media-driven narratives that influenced outcomes. We're in Iraq now and nearly bankrupt because of that election. We're living under surveillance in a quasi police state because of those narratives. And the rest.

Glenn clearly commands the kind of audience now that will make it much more difficult for the media to create naratives. I've noticed the attempted Obama storyline has failed to take off after having a light shined on it. Because it's now possible to see such narratives develop in real time, it's possible to short-circuit them before they can plant themselves in the CW. They can't achieve ecape velocity when they get a light shone on them within a day of their creation.

As for Harris, he sounds exactly like I'd expect him to. He won't see what he's paid not to. It was funny that he wouldn't stand by his earlier statements about Drudge. He can pretend to be above it all, but the very fact that he felt compelled to respond shows us the reality if the heirarchy as it stands today. Their days are numbered.

O, I almost cut the electronic cord-wire than realized the green house seedling need nighttime, all tucked in flat beds, need warmth for development.

'Ole Farmer McCain or a Donald would lose their mind and farm if I could cry on their shoulder. Nevermind.

'Te 'ole Salon can be dangerous. A 'sucker punch' there, a polar-dot pony here, a kitty-cat, a big rat-net there, a creepy-creepy mess. No, the Salon crowd are nice. 'um won't kick you in the shinny-shinny shin in the parking lot. We hope.

If the Salon is closed for serving, those who act like they are black-faced, and wheezy-lung cancer-coal minors, please work with me? I think if I lose the farm because of a Mexican American Civil War 'ole days, maybe returning (?) mutiny..(I am teasing, I love migrants and know they could whip my garden into Paradise shape and style)...,me-thinks, maybe, that THIS a great idea *?*

*Plan (1)---Materials: rope, wood hammer, nails, and 4-caster-oil-wheels. Poplar boards and wild cherry for a top, nail-down, wood-cover.

Insulate 4-boards and see the prototype Civil War style bent-kerf coffin roll via the streets. Assemble the boards and roll down to DC's Lafayette Park. The homeless Middle Eastern veterans need a Place to stay?

Legislate locally that a hempen rope bed-coffin does use human energy. A bent-wood, formal-coffin, with 4-wheels, does not need a property tax? Oil Castor wheels with olive oil or they squeak and wake up the White House 'occupant.'

It's a "necessary evil" occupation that I'm considering. It's stress-free, not motor-oil-combustion, however, and I'm happy it's a wood-box coffin, and all the contents will get a bio-recycled, back into The Earth. Remember, you can haul Dc trash for quick underhand cash, and you are legally-bound to deposit such-profits in off-shore tax shelters. It's nice to be welcome at Lafayette Park at nighttime to sleep. You can sleep in your own, no-money down, a interest-fee can be paid-up on the poplar box low financial arrangement, (no negotiate) with a variable @29.5% interest. All credit cards should be marked, arguable, and non-payable, fer de'Fox's Bank-Term's are-fer 'um-Thugs. Bag with a nail-on the end of a stick lunch and "news" papers. At the end of life, maybe it's a truism, a neo-con garbage dump is again nicknamed 'Gehenna?' No lie.

A mobile coffin is better than a McDonald Mansion with sneezes carpets you never will find in the sky...anywhere.

While living' in de'neo-con's delusional, grandeur, mere-hell, HERE, why? good idea? hey, my plan to make 4-wheel roller-derby, Civil War era--coffin? A back-up light bulb of a Minuit man's thought, is okay?

I sleepy and it's daylight. It's just gutting' a bit too Hellenistic Monarchical for our 'britches?' If a god listened to a neo-nut's petition's, they would have long-ago perished for requesting a speedy end to evil.

It's necessary and important to keep telling' today's truth. Tomorrow, who knows, with them holding the hempen rope, we'd all be dead-beds with them..."'um sure is evil against one-another and 'de'Truth will slay them, day or night.

I'm going to watch, and pay attention to a sunset. One day is like a mini-Life. Buy or no buy coffin property insurance for a collision? It's a individual decision.

Take a risk. no forget to take your truck for a 6-month fuel-emission checkup. The Pollution Controller's, on schedule, at 2-times per year, charge a fee which could buy two-years of haircuts at the Salon barbershop with a tea-cup and a gold star, prepared for 'us' too? okay. no take me too serious or my feeling get crushed in a runaway coffin with no breaks. hey, who's out there coffin? Cover your mouth, please.