Nutshellery.
A number of folks are linking to today’s Daily Howler because it rips rather entertainingly into Janet Maslin’s rip-job on Sidney Blumenthal’s ripping Clinton-era tell-all. Since I haven’t read Blumenthal’s book (and probably won’t), I’m not about to get into a knock-down dragout on who’s zoomin’ who here, but I do have my suspicions—Maslin, after all, ends her piece thusly:
Speaking of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, The Clinton Wars begins with a visit by President Clinton’s entourage to the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park, NY. While Mr. Clinton looks at his predecessor’s desk, Mr. Blumenthal sounds a wistful note. Those were the days when the press was too respectful to mention the president’s wheelchair.
Now, of course, the press is a diligent, wheelchair kickin’ watchdog. Why, just look at how they handled the recent dustup in Iraq.
—But the reason I want to link to Somerby today is because of the bit at the very end, where he tags yesterday’s Molly Ivins piece as a must-read. Which it is. But it’s part of a bigger picture we need to get a grip on, and Somerby is leading the way:
In essence, Blumenthal’s book describes the interaction between two distinct classes—Ivins’ group of “Shiite Republicans” and Maslin’s simpering insider press corps. Maslin’s class gains from Bush’s tax cuts, and doesn’t much care about anything else. They aren’t Shiite Republicans themselves, but if you want to get to the Hamptons by noon, it’s better to humor Molly Ivins’ gang of crazies. So Maslin pretends that Coulter has done Big Research, and pretends that Blumenthal is making weird statements. Then she’s out the door for the weekend.
“More next week,” is how Somerby closes. I’ll be there for it. As usual.
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I can certainly tell you that Minnesota is well along the same path that Molly Ivins describes in Shiite Texas. our guv has promised to veto any tax raises, the Republican House is cutting even the most basic services to the bone, and Republican flacks are constantly using (often fake or misleading) comparisons to other states' tax codes for their race to the bottom.
I don't recognize this place any more.
at least Mississippi is warm....