[Cicero]

I must say it's just about the first column on LewRockwell.com that I've liked. Chalk it up to Fred Reed, whom I admit I hadn't noticed before reading this.

It's absolutely true, right down the line. For my sins, I've known a number of reporters who worked for the New York Times, and have also met some of their editors. The only one worth a damn was Peter Braestrup who left them and wrote that great book on the Tet Offensive. Most of them are smarmy creeps who think the world begins and ends with their own clever selves. One of them was a decent guy, but he left too.

[WestTexasWend]

I was a reporter for about 18 years, and I can't argue with anything that's been said.

I'd add that one BIG problem is the lack of real competition among the stations/networks. It used to be unthinkable that anyone under contract with one station (news or entertainment) would appear on a competing venue. Now it's one giant circle-...uh, circus, with everyone fawning over their "rival" and his/her latest, book, charity, hobby, medical condition. Just one big dysfunctional family...

Note that FOXNews (except when O'Reilly goes out on a limb to say he's sorry he supported Bush on Iraq) is not part of the family tree.