Digby says (to Moe in comments):
There is simply no comparison between the machinations of the Mighty Wurlitzer and the "left" which you characterize as behaving thus:
"large swathes of your faction have spent the last two years accusing the Bush Administration of every sin and depravity known to man (except, I believe, the carnal knowledge of sheep)... "
Surely you realize that bloggers and message board posters are hardly the equivalent of the congressional committee hearings, Independent Counsel investigations, NY Times front page stories or the 24/7 cable news and talk radio Clinton character assassination that characterized the 90's. There was David Bossie's "Citizens'United" that spoon fed bogus Whitewater information to the mainstream press, RNC manufactured phony outrage, congressional investigator leaks of lies and innuendo, Scaife financed smears, coordination of Paula Jones lawyers and Ken Starr with attendant grand jury leaks and an entire network of paid operatives devoted to making the drumbeat of Clinton harrassment loud and constant. And this was conceived and/or carried out by mainstream Republicans in the congress and the RNC with the willing help of a lazy compliant DC press corp. The fringe groups like Fallwell were only a small cog in the machine.
The only thing that got us through that period was the belief that by changing the rules to a looser tabloid standard that one day the press would be honor bound to give the same kind of coverage to the other side. What we didn't realize was that the media are so lacking in professional ability much less integrity that they feel absolutely no obligation to maintain any kind of consistency or fairness but even if they did, they no longer have the skills to critically evaluate politicians and uncover illegal or unethical behavior unless the opposition provides it to them in easy to digest, delicious little servings.
Now we know. Fool us once shame on...won't get fooled again.
As Instapundit would say, 'indeed.'
