With scumbags like Tim "all conversations are off the record unless you specifically tell me what to say" Russert ruling Washington journalism, there’s obviously another rule which now applies.
Never connect the dots.
If A happens, then B happens unexpectedly, it used to mean C was more likely to happen. Every reporter could say so, and any who didn’t was subject to firing. Now it doesn’t mean anything at all. Not in hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil Russert-ton.
Hey, moron:
- Attorney General Gonzalez fired 8 US Attorneys for political reasons, replacing them under the Patriot Act with political cronies, and let the world know this was indeed the case through the release of e-mails.
- Republicans in the U.S. Senate suddenly allowed a debate on Iraq.
- You don’t think there was a message there? Like don’t take us for granted?
Apparently not. Saying the third, even in passing, would be speculation. Instead, hold your hands over your ears and pretend that the Iraq debate vote was about Iraq.
In a town where everything is political, where Republicans have been
defending absolutely every action of the President for years, they
suddenly allow a high-profile debate on the President’s signature
policy, a debate bound to embarrass him, a debate which will no doubt
hurt his cause, because they want to be nice?
Hey, Sparky, even the Minority Leader voted to allow debate to go
forward. Did he change his mind on Iraq? Really? It’s all kumbaya now?
What happens next is that the President will try to stonewall the
Judiciary Committee, refusing to honor legal subpoenas, citing
executive privilege. Meanwhile, 22 Republican Senators face re-election
in 2008, 22. Bush doesn’t face the voters again, but they do.
They are going to make it very hard for him. They told him that today.
If I can connect the dots from Atlanta, why can’t any Washington
reporter anymore? Are bloggers so bloggered by their own partisanship
that they can’t do the same thing, or won’t? Is that what we’ve come
to?
I hope not.