to learn about international history". Because she already knows everything about the US-that's why she called the Justice Department "the department of law". Why is CP so infatuated with trailer trash?

I agree that the Northeast media is biased, but not against Republicans. They loved Bush (even his demeaning nicknames for them) and trashed Gore. They absolutely despised the Clintons.

As for not covering families, the media repeatedly has showcased the misdeeds of relatives of politicians they see as rubes from the boondocks. Misbehaving relatives fit well with the "White Trash" or "Hick" storylines.

To prove this point, I recently asked several of my friends who believe the media is liberal if they remembered Billy Carter and Roger Clinton. They were all familiar with media reports of their antics. I then asked if any of them knew that Bush's brother Neil had admitted in a deposition during his divorce in '04 that he had had sex with call girls. Actually what he said was he had had sex strange women would show up at his hotel door when he was in Asia trading on his family name promote his business. He did not know if they were prostitutes. Too funny. While the media did cover this story it did not get a lot of focus even though it was about sex and a powerful family and was quite funny.

It is well past time that we realize the media is biased in favor of those they see as cooler or those they are afraid of (Cheney comes to mind).

As for Palin, I agree she needs to educate herself. She should start with economics, and not the crackpot, discredited supply side garbage the Republicans have bought into. But if Hillary Clinton could come back after the horrible treatment by our liberal media, Palin can too. She just needs to stop drinking the right's Koolaid.

Actually, it occurred to me after that previous post that I chose the wrong metaphor: Palin's speech announcing her resignation sounded more like a student whining to me about a flunking grade, and making one implausible excuse after another why she just couldn't study for the midterm, or found the paper requirement unreasonable. Paglia isn't the only one around here who can play the schoolmarm card.

"The vultures and harpies of the Northeastern media"

BWHAHA! This coming from the most vulturistic harpie in the Tri-State area. But she is beautiful though, non?:

"Callers coming fresh from [Palin] rallies are always heady with infectious enthusiasm."

So infectious they can sputter the word "nigger" only so often, due to making their Rush Limpdick calls with deep-fried Twinkies stuffed in their mouths.

Really, Salon. Froomkin's spot is still open at WaPo, Ship this old, grey, non-orgasmic woman over there.

so palins harshest critics were republicans. so brooks was harsher then dowd or herbert. your kidding right. you cant believe that. i would guess the criticism from the columnists that you give as an example would be a whole lot less now that obama is being exposed as being a bit squissy on the left wing. where as i may not think palin would be the best choice for president, the brutle and i may say immature bullying from the left, is disgusting. if you cant see this, then you enjoy being a member of a pack of wolves.

Re: "'I didn't have a choice but to lift you up': Surely Bono is not telling God that He needs lifting!"

Surely, he is. This is a common refrain at evangelical churches every Sunday. Often what is said is "lift up the Name" or "we lift You up" or something similar, but the concept of lifting God up or exalting Him is commonplace.

Anyone versed in contemporary "Christian-ese" and the Psalms recognizes that only by contorting the lyrics of "Magnificent" can you tear it away from its explicitly biblical message.

I don't recall seeing any pictures of a falling-down-drunk Jenna or Barbara in the mainstream media, although National Enquirer did publish one. Not long afterward, by an odd coincidence, an envelope of anthrax was mailed to their headquarters. But no one has ever accused National Enquirer of picking on politicians of one party more than another; they also broke the story about Edwards's out of wedlock baby, as you may recall.

I admire Sarah Palin and despise the utterly ruthless and dishonorable media tsunami that has been unleashed against her. I'm not sure that anybody could endure it well, but she's brought some of it on herself by ignoring the lesson of that great conservative icon, Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was butchered in the press, but he wasn't known as the "Teflon President" for nothing. Against Reagan's considerable wit and charm, the attackers usually looked worse than their "victim". Who can forget moments like "I paid for this microphone" or "I don't hold his youth and inexperience against him"?

If Palin could learn a little bit of that, she might benefit immensely - and it doesn't require ditching an iota of the feistiness we've come to appreciate. Imagine responding to Letterman with something like "That really surprises me. I didn't see Dave as the type to go for 14 year old girls. Kinda sad."

It's true that Sarah Palin has been a lightning rod politically, but I think she has benefited from the bigotry of low expectations as much as she has endured unfair criticisms -- and Paglia's remarks are a perfect example of the former. I cannot imagine a male governor suddenly announcing that he's quitting his job just because without encountering a great deal of speculation. Palin can take her turn in the rumor box; I'm unable to think of a single governor who has resigned for no particular reason. I *think* what I got out of her nearly-incoherent speech was that she had concluded she loved Alaska so much she realized they'd all be better off without her. My second thought was that she was hitting the money trail.

For some reason, I'm also having difficulty imagining Paglia cooing about another candidate who has demonstrated Palin's repeated ignorance, venality, and flat-footedness regarding the media by noting that he or she should do a little more studying. What, that's it? That's all she lacks? Paglia may have noted Palin's appeal as a hockey mom, but conveniently left out the stupidity of her touting her family values while conducting a running gun battle in the press with her would-be son-in-law and his family. Please, how can I miss her if she won't go away?