Fake smoke doesn't mean there's a fire

My trying to ignore the blaring news of the day didn't last long. Today it's back to my rant against the sorry state of journalism: TV news is the worst (right-wing radio doesn't even count as news; it's entertainment), with newpapers next, and even the liberal blogosphere is beginning to slip.

The latest example of that is a headline on Huffington Post: "Obama tainted by Blagojevich scandal." In fact, from the article itself, the headline should have read "Obama had no connection with the Blagojevich scandal." When even liberal voices feel the need to sensationalize, we're in deep trouble.

Last night, I was eating dinner in a cafe where I couldn’t avoid the TV screen, with Wolf Blitzer doing the news. This was CNN — not FOX News — but they couldn’t stop speculating about the motives behind all this. “What’s Firzgerald up to, asking Obama to delay releasing his internal review?" But they went on and on about how this delay will be to Obama's advantage because it allows them to release the review on Christmas Eve, when no one would be paying attention. And of course we know that this is the tactic of those with something they're trying to sneak past the public's attention. And did Fitzgerald really make it that specific as to how many days to wait, or did the Obama folks ask him to say that, so they could release when it would make the least news?
Obviously newspeople have been trained to be suspicious and cynical by past experience with politicians, especially in the Bush/Rove years. So who is now piously pronouncing moral judgment? Karl Rove chimed in from his perch at Fox, saying Obama has not been transparent enough in this affair. Who annointed him spokesman for moral rectitude?
I just hope Obama releases the report and there’s absolutely nothing in it of any concern whatsoever. News people need to have repeated experiences of winding up with egg on their faces from trying to make something out of nothing.
The problem is that, when the newpeople create smoke, people begin to believe there’s a fire. Now there's a poll out showing that nearly half believe that Obama or his aides were involved with Blago and his crimes. And that will stick in minds long past the exoneration of this made-up "taint" of scandal.
Bah, humbug, indeed !
Ralph

Interesting idea

The news cycles never cease to amaze: an Iraqi newsman throws his shoes at Bush, shouting "Here's a goodbye kiss, you dog!" A respected financier turns out to have been a major fraud and bilked the rich and powerful of billions. A disgraced and perhaps deranged governor defies calls for resignation. Bush continues to spin his legacy. Obama continues to amaze with his appointments.

We've heard enough of all that. Here's an interesting idea from Steven Kornacki, writing in the New York Observer, "Here's How McCain Could Break the Presidential-Loser Mold." http://www.observer.com/2008/politics/why-mccain-could-break-presidential-loser-mold

Unlike others who recently lost their presidential races, John McCain is both still in office and too old to consider running again (John Kerry was still in office but kept running). This gives him a freedom to concentrate on rebuilding his reputation as an independent, non-ideological senator who can truly be a bipartisan bridge. He has already taken some steps, chiding his Republican colleagues for trying to tie Obama to Blagojevich.

What an opportunity both for McCain to redeem himself after a very ugly Rove-style campaign and to be a real asset across the aisle to help get Obama's agenda passed. And wouldn't it be ironic if he became the 60th vote that would allow the Democrats to move some crucial legislation, after he campaigned in Georgia to help defeat Jim Martin, the Democrat's last best hope for that 60th vote?

As their losing candidate and as one they never much liked anyway, he will not be the leading Republican voice. And it would burnish the image he seems most to cherish: maverick. It's up to McCain himself, of course. But, if he's a wise man and wants to be remembered for something other than his nasty smear campaign and for giving us Sarah Palin, he would do well to consider this way back to respect and self-respect.

Ralph