Reply #87: Look, I said I think the two matters are SEPARATE issues. You can't squish them together and make

[MADem]

one 'conditional' on the other. And that is how your post reads. "IF" this, "THEN" that.

You said: If the press was doing their job and reporting the news objectively and without favoritism to anyone, then this would not be so objectionable. Heck, if they were really even reporting all the news would be an improvement. Unfortunately this is not the case, and they are not doing their job.


My point: They have the right to assemble in their private club even if they do a LOUSY job. Even if they MAKE UP the news, if they lie like rugs. It's their organization, they pay dues to join it, and it is not an organization that is federally funded or maintained. Even the coverage of the event is from CSPAN, which is funded by the cable and satellite companies of America. Their annual event takes place AFTER business hours. See, we aren't the "deciders" on what they do. They have every right to be mediocre, or to stink, if they so choose. And it doesn't matter if we like it or not, because it isn't FOR us. It's for them.


You said: What causes people to react in this way is that this private party highlights what we already know, much of the press is in bed with this administration. They are mostly all members of the good ole boy club, even if some of them are women. There are good journalist that are caught up in the corporation media and not allowed to do their job, but many are doing exactly what they want to do. Sitting back and relaxing, just reading the talking points the WH sends them, and not looking for the truth. JMHO

My response: This proves absolutely nothing of the sort. When the press was all over Nixon, when they were up Reagan's ass, the mood of the soirees was essentially the same. It's a night where, historically, the old adversarial nature of the relationship was put aside. I am not suggesting that the press ISN'T in bed with the WH nowadays, but there's no difference in these dinners as a result of it. There just isn't. You can look at the old tapes going back to when CSPAN started covering this, and you can read the speeches prior to that. And with or without collusion, it JUST doesn't matter--as I said, this event isn't funded by or for we, the people. It's a private event that is covered on CSPAN because of its political nature.

And as Barney Frank said, Free Speech is for assholes. That's who is protected by those laws. I'm not ready to go into "Watch what you say" mode, even if it means my ears are occasionally sullied with absolute tripe on occasion. If it gets to be too much, I vote with the remote.