Digg is open, folks.

This brings up the old question: were these reporters always so in the bag but before the internet we just couldn’t see it or is this a more recent development? I am coming to the view that there was always some of this going on but that it became the dominant paradigm with media consolidation. In other words, it was always about the bottomline. Now it is only about the bottomline. Once we had propaganda and infotainment mixed in with the news. Now we have news mixed in with propaganda and infotainment. Once we probably did have a news media. Now we have a Potemkin version of one.

Well, considering that we are dealing with Dick Cheney here, and the fact that I am a big believer that people do NOT change a whole lot, plus the fact that Cheney was well aware of the role of the press in the downfall of Nixon, I think we can say the answer to your question, at least in Schieffer’s case is that he was in the bag for Cheney from Day One. First, I think there were press people who felt a genuine sense of ‘OMY, what did we do’ with Nixon – they were relieved that the b*tard was gone, but also it was scary, like the whole thing that happens the first time someone shoots off a gun and sees the destructive power of the thing. Second, they were so used to being stonewalled and lied to that to have anyone who behaved in, as Schieffer puts it: “He was very open and forthcoming, he was almost a de facto press secretary,” I think put people like Schieffer (who was never a hard core ‘card in the hat, pencil behind the ear, “Give me Copy, Stat!” sort of guy) at their ease immediately. Cheney was being ‘helpful’ and ‘cooperative’ – Cheney was manipulating them and feeding them crap..just like he did with the whole Libby/Plame business. Cheney, because he is so corrupt himself, understands people’s needs to be close to power and influence and knows how to manipulate – I think this has been his game for years and he honed it extremely well. So, we can estimate that eager little lightweights like Schieffer have basically been having their bells rung by Cheney (and a whole lot of other people who understand the game, on all ends of the political spectrum) since Nixon at least.

It’s true that a lot of the media supported both Nixon and the Vietnam War. The Watergate investigation was very much an aberration even by Woodward and Bernstein who stumbled into it more than anything else. But even if Schieffer was a shill from way back, the question or maybe not the question but the issue is why he and people like him had such successful careers at the major media outlets.

Bob’s brother Tom was a business partner of W’s and has been Ambassador to Australia and to Japan in the current Administration.

It is all part of the campaign begun after Watergate by the GOP to acquire the media. They did. With ease. There really has never been a ‘liberal’ media. By all accounts it used to be in the middle – but as big business owners and CEOs bought the GOP line – it began to move to the right. The money meme, wherein news became a commodity instead of a public service, was the death knell to any kind of actual journalism. Now, all the news shows are expected to turn a profit – and the only way they can do that is to get viewers for their Nielsen points which translates into advertising dollars.

How do you get viewers? Watch the news shows and you will see. A.N.Smith, OJ, latest little disappeared white girl, lies about everything – particularly if they are sensationalized, etc etc. That’s why the blogosphere has the potential to become a more important force in news reporting because for the most part – it is not subject to the kind of money/advertising requirements that big news outlets are. (Blogs like this one do need money, just the scale is vastly different).

Until we the people demand our airwaves back – with rules and regulations regarding free air time for candidates running for office (that would fix a lot of the money/corruption) and some mechanism to allow journalists to actually be able to investigate and report the news instead of playing stenographer…well, I can dream can’t I?

Sheiffer is absolutely a Republican stooge. There is no doubt. There exist very few reporters who are willing to report the truth. Helen Thomas, those from The Nation and Mother Jones are excellent. Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann are beacons in the darkness.

Dugg, thanks Toby.

Bob Schiffer once said that George W. Bush was a “well read man”.

I say treason, but he’d get off on diminished capacity.

They’ve got all the angles covered.

much to the shock and chagrin of all the rest of the DC Press Corps, who actually understand her stature and tremendous contribution in terms of trying to keep them all honest and professional.

******Are you sure about that.I did not see not a one of those other journalist protest or say anything in Helen’s favor.Nothing form David Gregory ,Terry Moran,Planke of CBS, none of the front seaters.All a bunch of cowards.But cowardice is rewarded just look who is hosting meet the press.They are saving their powder for Obama.Go figure

I’m waiting to see if CBS keeps its word and demotes Couric because of her McCain edit that corrected in the transcript a mistake he made during an interview.

I’m thinking CBS will hope that Couric’s “brilliant” interviews of Palin established her as the journalist she never was and the network will try to slip her by us so she can do some nice attack work on Obama.