Press Secretary Gibbs' precise words appear to be: “I think it is probably important for anybody involved in this debate to be exceedingly careful with the way in which they’ve decided to describe different aspects of this impending confirmation."
Even by Mr. Gibbs' standards (and he makes George W. Bush sound like Shakespeare), this sentence is particularly opaque. Is it a very clumsy attempt to say "We hope we can keep this process civil" or is it a poorly veiled threat?
Perhaps not a threat, as there is no "or else."
A more likely explanation is that we have received a rare glimpse of the White House propaganda machine in action. The Press Secretary was instructing the Press Flunkies that they should not print anything that varies from the official script.
It is a disheartening realization. Take a look at the British papers and note all the good that can be done by a skeptical and diligent press. Revelations of systemic abuses may soon force fundamental changes in Britain.
Here in the Colonies, however, the Potentates have so little fear of the Fourth Estate that they have begun giving it its marching instructions in public.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please speak, or write, frankly, but civilly. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan we can disagree without hating one another.