Simon Rosenberg weighs in

With this statement on the absurdity of equating bloggers who disclosed their connection with a campaign and Armstrong Williams, who DIDN'T disclose his connection with the Bush Administration, Simon Rosenberg has just become an acceptable #2 choice for DNC chair, as far as I'm concerned. Unlike the Morons of the Right, he gets it (emphases mine):

The internet and blogs represent a new way to communicate ideas and talk to voters, and as a party, we need to embrace these opportunities. I have invested a great deal of time and effort work to increase participation in politics through the Internet, starting in the mid-1990s and continuing through this campaign. While there may be only 447 DNC members, my campaign - which includes bloggers, I am proud to say - is using the Internet to open up the process to the increasing number of citizens who are going online to learn and participate in our politics.



Now, some on the right are cynically using the work of bloggers who have helped open up the democratic conversation to try to excuse the actions of Armstrong Williams. It's stunning to me, as someone who has worked in TV news as a producer and writer, that Williams can be talked about in morally equivalent terms to Markos Moulitsas, who was transparent about all his business relationships, or Jerome Armstrong, who shut down his web site to prevent any conflict of interest. Williams was paid with taxpayer money to propagandize for a corrupt Republican party leadership, and what happened deserves a full investigation in which the involved parties are held responsible.



Ultimately, however, we cannot lose sight of what is truly at stake. Williams is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the vast power commanded by the corrupt and radicalized Republicans that control our politics, and to some extent, our media. The power the right can bring to bear on any issue because of its investments in communications and intellectual infrastructure needs to be matched, and exceeded.

(via Kos)



UPDATE: Oy gevalt. You want proof that mainstream media is in its death throes? Because Bill O'Reilly feels safe telling this kind of lie with impunity:

O'REILLY: And this comes from a woman, Zephyr Teachout, who was the head of internet outreach for Dean's campaign. She's admitting she paid these two guys, all right, $300,000 a month, and they just threw nice stuff about Dean. Then you've got George Soros, he's paying a lot more than that to have these defamation websites that attack people all day long. Then you've got guys pumping Air America, that radio network. That's not profitable; that's running on money from some crazy left-wing nut. And, I mean, it's getting out of control, is it not?

No, you Felafel Fuckwad, it's not getting out of control. What's getting out of control is people like YOU continuing to beat a completely discredited story in an attempt to exonerate someone who BROKE THE LAW, and in doing so, exonerate an administration that BROKE THE LAW. And what's getting out of control is your hysteria and panic that what you do IS BECOMING LESS IMPORTANT BY THE DAY, because people are beginning to wake up and smell the horseshit.



Jesus Toe-Tapping Christ on a bicycle. For this they invented television? Forget Edward R. Murrow. David frickin' SARNOFF is spinning in his grave.