Lying Liars

Atrios hands us good blurb on the Bush administrations two mass media hits falsely blaming the governor of Louisiana for delays in response (she declared a state of emergency on August 26; "senior Bush official" lied that it wasn't until Sept. 3). One occurrence in the Post was retracted and corrected, but the Newsweek one has not. Mr. A. correctly asks, "Who was the source?"

If there really was investigative reporting going on in the USA mass media, the pattern of Bush administration lies planted in the press would be shown to the masses for what it is: not just dirty politics, but active subversion of freedom of the press and the use of all means necessary to avoid the consequences of and blame for policy mistakes and incomptence.

The media would also be able to free itself from its addiction to White House "access"; out the planters of the lies and cease printing statements from the lying stooge. Make it harder for Rove and company to find those willing to lie by jumpstarting the power of the press: start using the power to investigate and corroborate as the means to glean and report easily verifiable FACTS.

But we all know, an addict must want to change if they are to break their addiction...I guess Newsweek doesn't want to live clean and sober. And the loser is...us, the enablers.


UPDATE: Josh Marshall relays that the NYT "confirms that the White House damage control operation is being run by Karl Rove and Dan Bartlett". (Shocking!!)

MORE UP TO DATE STILL: Here is damning evidence of how Bush, Chertoff, FEMA and friends blew off their own policies on how to act in circumstances involving mass casualties and evacuations, signed in December, 2004.