in which an almost-certainly rigged election was SUCCESSFULLY challenged by forces heavily financed and organized by American George Soros.

Putin-favored Eduard Shevardnadze was "elected" November 2, 2003 but was unable to take office and new elections held in March 2004 resulted in Saakashvili's election.

A significant source of funding for the Rose Revolution was the network of foundations and NGOs associated with American billionaire financier George Soros. The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies reports the case of a former Georgian parliamentarian who alleges that in the three months prior to the Rose Revolution, "Soros spent $42 million ramping-up for the overthrow of Shevardnadze."[1] Speaking in Tblisi in June of 2005, Soros said, "I'm very pleased and proud of the work of the foundation in preparing Georgian society for what became a Rose Revolution, but the role of the foundation and my personal has been greatly exaggerated."

Now, some countries rather strenuously object to foreigners (particularly American billionaire) footing the bill for polical movements, like disputing an election.

the Rose Revolution as followed shortly thereafter by the Orange Revolution

The Orange Revolution, which followed the disputed November 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, is said to have been partly inspired by the Georgian Rose Revolution[1]. Georgian flags were seen being waved by supporters of Viktor Yushchenko, who held up a rose while greeting the crowds.

[as to the internal Georgian ethnic/political divides along geographic lines, as far as I can tell from my reading, the people in the region abutting Russia have a "Russian" inclination, while those in the Western regions have a more "European" inclination. So, the Russians are not unwelcome in the region they just "invaded" whose people -- at least some -- apparently welcomed "protection" against their own government. feh.]

click my name for link to Wikipedia

"Dear Roycommi: go back to the RWNM rathole where you came from! Gorbachev is the reason that we didn't have WWIII back in 1989, not the "great" Ronald Reagan. It was Gorbachev who instituted Parastoika, (the great "thaw") not Reagan. If it wasn't for Gorbachev's Op-Ed, I never would have even learned that the Georgians started this conflict, not Russia. Thanks a lot, MSM!

-- farbie"

Dear Farbie, Please take your soviet Russia worship someplace else. Your perverted sense of history is really out of place in the real world. The Gorbachev hero worship is just silly and really shows i think why opinions like yours are so marginalized by society at large. its obvious you have bought into the propaganda blitz by the Russians.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7572635.stm

Russia has issued new, reduced casualty figures for the Georgian conflict, with 133 civilians now listed as dead in the disputed region of South Ossetia.

The figure is far lower than the 1,600 people Russia initially said had died.

I think to a certain point, the 'mass media' will serve them that can do them the most good.

They turned on Nixon, they turned on Bush I (re: the checkout scanner).

Although there is a new dynamic in the picture and that is the truly partisan network like Fox and ABC. They either weren't there in the past or weren't as 'connected' (ingrained?) as they are now. There is no arguing (except with a ditto-head idiot) that Fox News IS a tool of this administration and when they aren't being actively 'used', they are freelancing and keeping the stilted rhetoric and slime ball attacks coming. They keep at the 'knee capping' as in the Harding case.

But it's cowards that do that kind of thing. Quick, run in from the sidelines and whack the knees and then quick run for cover and point the finger somewhere else but that seems the 'Fox Way' and not at all surprising the 'Cheney way' as well.

ABC, ironically a Disney owned property seems to be in a race to be 'better' than Fox 'News' at times.

And the old Washington Post is a nest of vipers and their forked tongues are flicking the air. It should be a disgrace that THE paper that brought out WaterGate is in bed with the people that have perpetrated crimes much much worse.

Bush has used 'The Cult of Personality' to a huge advantage. 'Treat us right or be banished' works better here than it does on a band of elementary school kids it would seem. You would think that after being lied to and obviously maneuvered that the journalistic corps would bee cool to the idea of being used but it must feel so good to belong (not to mention the sport-star mega-salaries of these people now!) Why is Katie Couric such a 'tool'? Because she is paid, very well, to be one. She's like a crack whore strung out on crack. She has gotten accustomed to her rich and sport-star life, addicted to it. It's too late to stand up for what's 'right'. She's lost track of what that is anymore.

It, like Bush, ought to be a crying shame. Other nations should shun this country but oddly don't, yet.

I guess we have to wait for President McCain to finally bring the shame and consternation of the rest of the 'civilized world'.

Given that Washington is now a cozy private club for privileged insiders, each distinguishable perhaps by function or brand, but otherwise united in adherence to self-promotion, logrolling and coloring within the lines, can journalistic integrity ever be restored on any kind of grand scale?

Several possibilities have already been mentioned.

Breaking up Big Media was one great idea, but it's going to be hard to generate the will and mass sufficient to overcome Establishment opposition, particularly given the MSM's opiate-like qualities.

Supporting, promoting and multiplying heroic examples of fearless truthtelling like Glenn's is critical, but this is a retail-level movement that cries out for a wholesale approach. Further, the danger with blog-centered communities is that a saturation point gets reached where only the converted or hardcore trolls tune in, without the widespread dispersion of message needed to make inroads in Establishment broadcasts.

So where could a revolution in journalism originate?

Why not in academia, the breeding-ground for new journalists?

If journalism schools emphasize as role models driven, thoughtful, fact-based reporters like Glenn, Josh Marshall, Markos and many others -

If they talk less about how to land a job on a major metropolitan daily and more about how to support yourself while starting out on your own -

If they conceive of budding journalists more as entrepreneurs than as Future Establishment Cogs, and heap nothing but well-deserved sarcasm, scorn and derision on well-groomed Pretenders in positions formerly held by actual reporters -

Then who knows - maybe the Revolution does start now.

And dcreader - Abramowitz isn't a football player sharing a brew with a buddy after some mutual head-banging.

He's just a waterboy with a crush on the JV cheerleaders.