We ( journalists ) talk about policy because it's what we care about and cover

ROBERTS: Well, the Iraq war certainly played into it and people were very fed up with the Republican leadership. But the fact is that, you know, we here analyzing these elections tend to talk a lot about policy because it's what we care about and cover, but there is this tendency of both parties to overreach when they get all of the power - the - get both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. That was part of the reason, that sense that the Democrats were overreaching, in 1994, that they lost the House of Representatives then, after decades. But it was also due to the fact that they've been this big bank scandal, the internal House bank, where members of Congress - many members of Congress - hundreds - had overdrafted, but of the 24 worst abusers, cited by the Ethics Committee, 20 of them were Democrats.

A surprising moment of clarity and honesty from a journalist.

I generally agree with you (I usually do!). I am not sure how honest, however, the speaker is when he says Republicans and Democrats both overreach when they are in power. I find the argument that the Iraqi war is an overreach of power to be insulting to America's long held belief it has a right to defend itself. I think a definition of overreach of power is in order. Perhaps it is an overreach of power to pass legislation that requires large kickbacks. Perhaps it is an overreach of power to pass legislation that requires use of reconciliation. Perhaps it is an overreach of power to pass legislation that over half of Americans don't want. Perhaps it is an overreach of power when your policies rally, not hundreds, not thousands, but millions or Americans across the country in protest.

This is a hit piece, in my opinion, to defend the democratic party by saying, "Well, the other side does it too."

————Ah but I rarely see many ‘journalists’ especially Cokie Roberts discuss policy.-—————

They don’t really discuss it. They just talk about it.

If you were to say “I watch the Katie Couric show” that would be much more accurate than calling it a news broadcast.

Or the brian williams show....... or pick any journalist you like and call it their show. That’s what it is

-—What they mostly discuss is the current status of various political totem poles in DC.-————

Heheh, yes well........ pollitorials are in their own way a door opener to talk of policy. Because these activist journalists use those as a way to talk up/down the various policies that they do/don’t like. And this is provable in numerous ways. 1, how they stack the polls(overweight party and etc) 2, how they word the questions, and 3, which answers they elevate to the headlines.

——————Any sort of discussion on actual POLICY-————

Seems a bit of a semantic issue(or is there a better word? anyways) but she didn’t say discussion. She said they talk about it. And they do. They don’t discuss it because they are deeply entrenched in their left wing ideals.

Remember, journalism’s final product is spoonfed. You don’t call in to talk to Brian williams. He talks, you listen. Same with this. You can hear the audio of what Cokie said. She’s talking about all these different things with her fellow journalist, Steve Inskeep. But they aren’t having a discussion with us, these aren’t call in shows. They are talking, we are the listener, and they are advancing an agenda.

But for one of them to admit that they care about policy is pretty big. At least in my book. It further puts the lie to ‘objectivity’.

Something that they care so much about........ Really? Really, they can really be objective about it?

It seems to me that the best journalist that could exist would be one who *DOESNT* care about policy. Because then they wouldn’t have a horse in the race. But I’m not sure that could exist, it would defy humanity I’d think.

—————I am not sure how honest, however, the speaker is when he says Republicans and Democrats both overreach when they are in power.———————

Anything conservative is an overreach in the mind of a liberal journalist. No matter how conservative the american people are.

You made the mistake of.......... Well, I shouldn’t call that a mistake. It’s good that you read the article and you’re right, it is a hitpiece. That’s what journalism is. They are advocates, and they produce opposition research.

It’s a total hitpiece; it’s indicative of the usual nonsense screed that journalism produces; that I usually ignore. Roll my eyes, and move on.

“A surprising moment of clarity and DIS honesty from a journalist.”

Roberts leaves out the fact that “journalists” have abandoned all pretense of honesty and integrity in the practice of their trade. Their outright dishonesty in harassing and piling on Republicans for made up “ethics” questions while ignoring the gang of criminals that currently make up the White House and the Senate and House majority leadership is disgusting.

Nobody with an ounce of honesty and a functioning brain cell can fail to see the fingerprints of high ranking DemonRATs and George Soros all over the economic melt down that swept the RATs into strangle hold majorities in 2006 and 2008. Yet the so called “journalists” devote more time reporting over Sarah Palins wardrobe than they have in uncovering the truth behind who, what, where and when drove and is driving the greatest country on earth into bankruptcy.
The gangsters of the fifth column deserve to be hung as traitors along with Obama, Pelosi, Franks, Reed, Dodds and Soros.

Exactly.

They only look at these current events through the lens of liberalism.

Every now and then they swerve off the road a bit and crash into the truth, but usually it’s agenda all the way.

And that’s not just NPR/public media. I’m talking about virtually every newspaper in america, the 3 networks and the two liberal cable channels.

—————Roberts leaves out the fact that “journalists” have abandoned all pretense of honesty and integrity in the practice of their trade.-———————

Not in their minds. Journalists have a different definition of honesty and integrity. Which is sad, but a lot of them pick it up from J school.

They honestly report on and defend their worldviews on current events. They defend liberalism with integrity. That’s what journalism has become. A defense of liberalism on a daily basis.

Just look at what they won’t report on. It hurts their worldviews. And when they are dragged kicking and screaming into reporting on things, you can’t miss the defensive nature of a lot of the reports. Their worldviews are hurt.

As you note, there’s the big government angle. Chris Dodd and all that. That is an important part of their world view.

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