I happened to be checking in on my mother while she was watching the CBS Evening News, last night. It was pretty clearly skewing its reporting in favor of Republicans, one report about the government mistakenly sending "stimulus checks" to people who had died used the phrase "stimulus check" as if the reporter had a book by that name to sell. In case anyone noticed "stimulus" is that thing the Democrats tried and allegedly failed, a line the media has been pushing all year. Un-oddly enough, it's been right in sync with the Republicans who have also given that line the big lie treatment during the exact, same period.
Then I went online to check the more reliable news and saw that Andrew Breitbart, the guy who lied about the speech Shirley Sherrod gave, leading to the destruction of her career, had been hired by ABC to work on election night. Breitbart's career wasn't destroyed by the massive exposure of his slanders against her and the NAACP. Breitbart is also involved with James O'Keefe, he helped spread the doctored video and lies that destroyed ACORN. You have to wonder how many of the people O'Keefe and Breitbart lied about might still be without a job.
Yet Andrew Breitbart is acceptable to the corporate media, where he has spewed sewage for a number of outlets, though you'd have thought that such an open liar wouldn't be acceptable to a major network. ABC has always tiptoed the edge of the pit, always at risk of falling. With its decision to hire Breitbart, it has jumped in. I'd bet that any weak, criticism of ABC for hiring him will be too weak to make them change their mind. As Juan Williams' case shows, any attempt to hold a Republican shill to any standard of journalistic integrity will be ineffective. NPR has bent over every which way, in response to the right wing lie machine in that case.
No one can pretend that TV and radio aren't Republican organs anymore. They're flaunting it. What we've been warning was coming for he last several years is the medium that American politics lives in. It's one where democracy can't live.
UPDATE: Don't Give To Your NPR Affliate
Scott Simon, on NPR's Weekend Edition thinks it's a good choice to have the massively unfunny P. J. O'Rourke on to shill his book, "Don't Vote It Just Encourages The Bastards" on the Saturday before an election in which not voting will install just the same Republicans who O'Rourke and the folks at the Cato institute, the Weekly Standard, The American Spectator, etc. where he does and has worked would like to see in charge of the government.
It's also pledge week on my local affiliate. They're asking me to donate to support Scott Simon's show, the one which is supporting the political side which regularly attacks NPR and which is always calling to cut off any funding for it and its local affiliates. So, they're asking me to give them money so they can have on people who are calling for their demise, in a week where I've been working hours and hours to encourage people to vote.
No. No, I don't think I'll be giving you any money. It will only encourage you bastards.