Anyone who still harbored doubts about media control and containment

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

should have had their questions answered today. Something extremely newsworthy happened yesterday:

a former Vice-President of the United States accused the sitting President of the United States of repeatedly and insistently breaking the law and called for an independent counsel to investigate the matter.

This did not appear in any way shape or form in my local fishrag today. I have seen no coverage on the supposed political news show Hardball. I did not see it addressed on Lou Dobbs. Apparently it did not make the PBS News Hour. I have seen some coverage of the Hillary "plantation" quote which, while they are flogging it as hard as they can, seems to have no legs.

But Al Gore - his speech and his charge - silence. Really just proving the point he made in the speech about the media.

[ellenfl]

1. saw al on countdown as well as the hillary plantation thing.

however, keith also showed the clip where mewt the hoot used a plantation reference when he was in charge.

ellen fl

[European Socialist]

2. When you turn on tv at 7am--is it the Today Show or Inside story....

Sometimes it's hard to tell.

[Neil Lisst]

3. Evidence of your proposition is found in the coverage of ...

... of Hillary, of Ray Nagin, and of Gore, all from yesterday.

1. Hillary

She speaks to a black audience on MLK day, and it's "playing the race card." Meanwhile, they swallow whole in one gulp a racist like Alito, with nothing but hosannahs.

2. Ray Nagin

Can't a brother catch a break? They have beaten on this guy since day one, blamed him for everything, when he's just the mayor of a poor, largely black city. He says some things could have been said better, but would MLK have said much different, were he alive? I don't think so. The essence of his comments is that New Orleans' black culture must be maintained. He's up against forces that want to make it less black, more Vegas or Miami.

3. Gore

He won the popular vote, he was a VP for 8 years, a Senator for 8 years before that, and a congressman before that. He makes points that are on point, and what do we hear? The White House outrage, the rightwing haughty responses, and no thoughtful treatment of anything he said.

The lackeys of TV news are appalling. There are very few actual journalists left.

[lvx35]

4. CNN had coverage.

I saw it at work yesterday but was busy. But not as much as it deserved.

[Dr Fate]

5. Who is stopping Kerry, Hillary, Reid, Dean, Obama from going on TV...

...and echoing Gore's remarks?

Did all the top DEMS fire their P.R. people and let them take their rolodexes with them?

The media IS indeed Republican, but it's become a too convenient excuse for laziness and lack of aggressive strategy on the part of DEM leadership.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Hillary Clinton did say Monday that the Bush Administration will

be remembered as one of the worst ever.

[Dr Fate]

10. The media focused on her "hot phrase"- the plantation remark.

Which proves my point about "hot" language.

If she had called Bush a "liar" or a "criminal" or "impeachable" and directly used those specific phrases, it would have fooled them into a defensive response, thus furthering the echo.

[Golden Raisin]

7. Echoing and Expanding

The big "name" democrats (the ones even the whore media might feel newsworthy or compelling enough to film & air) should ALL be shouting from the rooftops, or on the steps of the Capitol, or in front of the White House. I cannot imagine the whore media wouldn't show up if Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Gore, Murtha, Pelosi, Reid, Dean and other "names" held a planned or impromptu joint news conference/event on the steps of the Capitol Building during primetime to denounce Bush and call a spade a spade. I've never particularly been a big fan of Gore's, but I say "bravo" to him. He took the lead, obviously has a pair of balls and apparently believes in and longs for what many of us used to think America stood for. What a pleasure to FINALLY hear a major Democrat (or anyone!) tear through the frustrating, opaque curtain of the "Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome/scenario we've been living with during the entire Bush regime ("51% is a mandate", "everything in Iraq is going swell", "Mission accomplished", "Brownie you're doing a heckuva job", etc.). Gore didn't pussyfoot and said what had to be said --- loudly, clearly, publicly but with dignity --- Bush is breaking the law and spitting on our Constitution (while he hypocritically claims to export American-style democracy to Iraq & elsewhere.) We need the others in the Democratic leadership to SPEAK OUT, ACT UP and grow some balls.

[Dr Fate]

9. I agree- and use "hot" phrases to ensure the echo effect.

If Kerry, Hillary etc were using words like "liar," "criminal" and "impeachable", it would "fool" the rightwingers into echoing it and starting a debate about whether Bush is indeed a "liar" or should be impeached.

FOX: THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS- KERRY CALLED BUSH A LIAR!!!!!

Swing-voter thinking to himself: Hmmm, whats all the fuss about? Now that I think about it, Bush pretty much is a liar, right?...

And before someone tries to tell me "But they have been doing this..."- I'm saying they need to use those WORDS. "LIE" "LYING" "LIAR" "CRIMINAL" "TRAITOR" "IMPEACHABLE"

Let the GOP/media split hairs over how Bush "mis-speaks" instead of lies. It would only serve to further the point that he is a liar.

For some reason, "mislead" and "we have reservations" does not get the same reaction.

[Telly Savalas]

8. Preach on!

[Beth in VT]

11. he cast it in broader terms "constitutional crisis" -

the few who reported on the speech narrowly mentioned NSA/wiretapping issue without the more important context.