This an utter failure of the FCC to regulate the corporate media so that the information is actually useful for public discourse on the vital issues of the nation. Michael Winship, Writers Guild of America-East, writes: 

"CBS has cut the number of full-time news staff by about 60% since 1980, replacing many of them with temps and part-timers. In 1989, CBS network television news employed 28 researchers; by 1999, those positions were all gone. But what do these staff cuts mean to the public? Half the WGA members reported that at least several times a week, they use no more than a single website to check the accuracy of stories."

Michael Winship brings forth this "Network" moment:

"Hours after Hilton's June 26 catwalk to freedom, Scarborough and Brzezinski discussed one of the day's other big stories at their show's opening: influential Republican Sen. Richard Lugar's declaration that President Bush's Iraq strategy wasn't working.

It was then Brzezinski's turn to sum up the day's news. She looked down at her script and Hilton was the top story. She froze.

"I could not get through the first three words without crumbling," she said. "My skin was crawling. This was our lead? On a day like this? To me, it was just the ultimate Paris Hilton out-of-control moment. We've gone too far and we've got to stop. That was all real. There was nothing planned about that, and I believe we got a little snappy."

So what can we do?

Write the FCC.

Write to the heads of CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX.

Call your Congressional Representative.

Tell them that media consolidation is bad for democracy.

Tell them that the union busting tactics by major media players has given rise to news programs that are non-news masquerading as news like Video News Releases.  The disappearance of research staffers from news operations leads to unverified information from sources being used (e.g., Rudy Giuliani being quoted as saying that the Democratic presidential candidates will raise taxes 20-30 percent but there is no newsroom researches to cross check to verify that claim).

As Michael Winship states that it is grossly unfair for major news organizations to have "permatemps" working without allowing them the opportunity to advance to become full time unionized members.  Some of the "permatemps" have worked for 15 years without benefits.

A big hat tip to MyDD.com for carrying the article. 

Read the full article.

I was wrong in thinking that Abu Gonzales was the "low hanging fruit", but on further evidence and analysis by many well known people like John Dean and bloggers Digby, et.al., I have revised my opinion. I concur with the analysis that Abu Gonzales is the keystone for the Blood King Bush.

Once this keystone is gone then the main impediment to the numerous Congressional inquiries is gone so that the people of the United States will be able to see the full extent of the corruption in the Department of Justice. A big hat tip to DailyKos.com for catching this from MSNBC.com: "

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
A group of House Democrats will introduce a resolution calling on the Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) will sponsor the measure. It will be dropped in the hopper tomorrow."

Read the rest here.

Yesterday the US House Democrats succeeded in an overwhelming bi-partisan vote that significantly undermines the neo-con agenda of a permanent US military presence in Iraq.  In a VETO-proof majority (399 - 24) this House Resolution limits “…federal spending intended “to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq or to exercise United States economic control of the oil resources of Iraq.”

Read the entire New York Times story here

The perpetual pessimists and complainers continue their claims of inaction and a lack of courage on the part of the new Democratic leaders in the US Congress.  Unfortunately, this shows up too often on the PNA blog linked to narrow, vindictive and obsessive rants.

Take a look at Cara DeGette’s Colorado Confidential report on Colorado GOP demon-in-chief Dick Wadhams’ most recent speech in Colorado Springs - Link “Wadhams: Off the Mat and into the Game … Again.”  Then we can try a basic lesson in opposition research, and what it means to beat “Dick-Wad” by studying his own speech.

There is no doubt that Wadhams has every intention to push the Colorado GOP into 2008 along his classic fear and smear line.  This report gives clear indicators that he has begun to pick-out his favorite Democratic gaffes with full intent to twist and distort them to fit his warped ambitions.

The danger lies in the probability that what he released in Colorado Springs is only the start of his fear, smear and distortion campaign plan.  Keep and eye out, and check your closets, that there are other stories that the Wadhams machine will twist to taint Democratic candidates and Progressive issues to mislead and manipulate the electorate.  Or, at least the gullible media that seems so obsessed with his commentary.

Here’s another example of how the American media misses what is going on.  From today’s (Friday, 20 July 2007) Financial Times, “DoJ’s ‘crippled’ command frees field to do the job.”  The international press evidently has the low-down on how resignations at the top of the Rove/Gonzales Department of Justice have pulled back political interference to the point that the staff in some US Attorney Offices are now actually able to do their jobs.

Read the full story here - Link – and catch some of the appreciation I have for this news source.  I get it delivered daily at home.