Send in the Clowns

Under the guise of impartiality, the mainstream and independent media are killing me.  Rather than reporting, they are playing referee, or 8^th grade trouble maker, depending on your point of view.  “Did you hear what he said?” is the opening line of most interviews, whether or not the accusations have any merit.  The “reporting” consists of telling “both sides of the story,” validating the lies and putting the accused on defense, rather than reporting the facts, and asking the candidates and surrogates why they are deviating from them.

The latest McCain lie about Obama wanting to teach sex to kindergarteners is sure to get “fair and balanced” coverage, not to mention lots of free airtime and web hits on all the media outlets.  Just like the “pig-lipstick means Obama is sexist” crap coming out of the McCain campaign.  And tonight, he actually sat on the stage and blamed Obama for the tenor of the campaign.  “Well, I don’t think the campaign would be like this if he’d have done what I proposed,” and followed me around the country so we could stand next to each other and I could lie about him to his face?

But, rather than express righteous indignation at the ineffectual and retarded manner in which McCain is attacking Obama (and the media themselves), and breaking his campaign promise with each broken truth he tells, “I’m John McCain and I approve this message,” the media is fawning all over itself, running around with glee like kids at a picnic who took the last popsicle and want to show it off to everyone, not even paying attention to the fact that it, like the truth, is dripping down their arms and making a mess.

When did asking questions become so hard?  Why is Dan Abrams so worried about the candidates liking him?  When challenged by Marcos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos about why MSNBC keeps running McCain’s attack ads for free, instead of reporting what is and isn’t true in them, Abrams replied, “Hm. You might have a point.”  He might have a point?!  It’s like we’re at the circus, and the clowns are trying to put out the fire with hoses that don’t have any water.  The smiles are painted on their faces, and they’re supposed to be entertaining, but they know (and we know) their job is just to distract us until the next act.  But they’re not even doing that.

It’s good to see some local reporters, like this one from the ABC affiliate in Maine, trying to make their bones and asking McCain some difficult questions, to which he answered with more uncertainty, more creative truth, and more lies.

 I’ve asserted many times, I miss Tim Russert.  It’s becoming an ache somewhere around my brain.  And this is why.

It almost seems as if there’s nothing to do but post on my blog, spread the word by word of mouth, and watch the clowns dance.  Send in the clowns.