The Mainstream Media: Enemy of the Democratic Party

Perhaps the most preposterous lie that's commonly bandied about is the myth of the "liberal media". Nothing could possibly be farther from the truth. In point of fact, the media have shown relentless, persistent hostility to any Democrat of any persuasion, center or center left. It doesn't matter who they are, they are attacked as dishonest, "inauthentic", or worse. What's more, right wing Republican fanatics and pathological liars, such as the Swiftboat Scum, are constantly given prominent platforms from which to attack the Democrats. Examples in this article abound:

• The absurd, almost insane obsession with the so-called "Whitewater Scandal", which was driven entirely by idiots in the press, on the basis of no evidence whatsoever. And yet, this "story" was kept alive SOLELY as a means to attack Bill Clinton.
• The persistent and vicious smearing of Al Gore, faithfully recorded by Bob Somerby in The Daily Howler. A myth of "lying Al Gore" was created, while George Bush was thrown softball questions by adoring "journalists" and allowed to get away with every lie imaginable.
• The ugly, lying attacks on John Kerry's distinguished service record, aided and abetted by Bush's sympathizers and apologists in the media.
• The campaign to now smear the heroic Marine veteran John Murtha, Democratic U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.

Enter Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha. Murtha is, by general consensus, a conservative Democrat. A U.S. Marine and a highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Ranking member of the Defense Appropriations committee. The kind of politician the media tends to refer to as a "pro-military Democrat" (buying into the ridiculous and offensive right-wing smear that most Democrats are anti-military). A serious, plain-spoken man with an impeccable record of serving his country and a "leading Democratic hawk."

Surely, if Clinton, Gore, Dean, and Kerry faced such abusive media coverage because of there own faults, [This argument is used ironically by the post's author.-JM] here was a Democrat who didn't share those flaws.

Of course, Murtha has been the target of relentless attacks anyway. Bill O'Reilly calls him a coward. (Yes, that Bill O'Reilly.) James Taranto calls him "pro-surrender." The Washington Post dutifully gives prominent coverage to thinly sourced smears of Murtha's military record (sound familiar?) Chris Matthews lies about Murtha's proposal to withdraw troops from Iraq as soon as possible. And Fox News gives John O'Neill, who spearheaded the Swifties' smears of John Kerry, airtime to do the same to Murtha.

Bill O'Reilly, draft dodger and sex pervert, is calling Murtha a coward? And nobody has decked his ugly, shriveled ass for that?? What in the hell is going on?

The Republican Party is killing America, leading it to utter disaster as surely as you and I exist. But how can the Democrats hope to stop it when the media constantly denigrate, belittle, and lie about their leaders? Only the alternative media, such as this blog, Daily Kos, and thousands of others like it, can hope to convey the truth.

The press is the enemy of the Democratic Party. That makes them my enemy. I will act with this fact in mind--and I don't give my enemies any quarter.