The Neutered Press

I finally finished watching George Clooney's excellent flick, "Good Night, And Good Luck," and it left me depressed, to say the least.

Clooney's movie, which focused on legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow's decision to take on Joe McCarthy, serves as a testament to the power and responsibility that the press has, in confronting the abuse of governmental power.

What makes it depressing is that it reminds us that there are no Edward R. Murrow's around today to set the record straight.

That movie takes on especial irony as I read today that the Clooney appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner was one of the main attractions. This, as the clueless press ignores the implications of Valerie Wilson's attendance, all the while slavishly praising the dueling dubya's and simultaneously trashing Stephen Colbert's brilliant skewering of our fearless leader.

I did appreciate Josh Orton's blogging of the event on the Huffington Post.

One comment Mr. Orton makes is especially telling:

"The program began, and the Correspondents Association President began by noting yet another challenging year for the press corps...and how catching heat from both political parties proved that once again, the press got it right."

In other words, unlike when Clinton was president, moral equivalency rules the day.

It's the reason that watching "Meet The Press" or "Hardball" is the entertainment equivalent of getting one's dog spayed.

No matter what Dubya and his GOP lapdogs inflict on America, the press will bend over as much as possible to neuter the implications of the GOP's ruinous policies.

Unfortunately, it's America that winds up getting screwed.

The Clooney portrait of Murrow was not entirely shot behind rose-colored lenses. The movie makes clear the influence that Murrow's on-camera smoking and his program's Kent sponsorship, had on the health of Americans.

However, there is nobody of that stature operating today. Katie Couric's ascendancy to CBS anchor tells you all you really need to know.

It's the entertainment, stupid.