Return of the big baby
I continue to be well and truly gobsmacked by the quantum of stupid radiating out of this White House. Even if you believe Fox News is the font of all faux-journalistic evil, calling them out publicly is the dumbest possible approach. It diminishes the office of the president while it elevates Fox. When Helen Thomas tells you to grow a pair and stop abetting your enemies, you’re doing something extra special in the annals of whining.
And — best of all — this puts all the other news outlets in a really, really awkward spot. The White House has ordered them not to pay attention to stories sourced by Fox. Flat out ordered them. In front of the cameras and everything.
Now what? They want to obey. They hate Fox and love Obama with equal passion. The White House has made it cear that it won’t take the slightest criticism without retaliation, so they have to butter his bottom to get sweet, sweet access. And Fox breaks all the stories the MSM hates to cover.
On the other hand, some of the stories Fox has been breaking are undeniably news. Journalists have made such a big fucking deal out of being independent whistleblowers. A bulwark against the power of the state. An extra-Constitutional fourth branch of government. The Dissenters.
Watchoo gonna do now, boys?
October 20, 2009 — 1:00 pm
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