Judith Miller Reporting, Sir!

Posted by The Happy Tutor

A consumer reads the news and tosses it away. A philosopher piles the news three years high in the Dumpster, in reverse chronological order, and reads the oldest first. I am at the part where Judith Miller for the NYTImes builds the case for Saddam's WMDs, feeding the nation Scooter Libbby's party line. Now why did he turn to this useful tool to out Valerie Plame, and how do such reporters get honored and feted?

Comments

[Dandy]

In the elite culture, with its angry adolescent outlook, disgrace is vindication and opprobrium the most moving of accolades. Judy got it right -- and she said so herself with that braying potty mouth of hers -- even if she was a cheating, lying obsessive bully, because her intentions were perceivable as good. There were perceivable as good because they pandered to the self-importance of opinion molders. There's no ego boost like being part of a system worthy of the attentions of evildoing plotters.

Sensationalism and flights of fancy have to be incrementally more outrageous as both the consumer and the producer find they lose their effect over time. The Times management will learn nothing, and probably can learn nothing from this.

[Bruce]

Hey, Dandy. Good to see you over here at Happy's.

[flipper]

...and how do such reporters get honored and fetid?a short drive from ripe to rotten...

[a.mole]

Chris Matthews and The Power of RepetitionOver the last two weeks, Hardball’s Chris Matthews has been relentless in repeatedly bringing the significance of Sept. 8, 2002 -- and its larger implications -- home to his audience.
...
Last night, Matthews said that Fitzgerald’s investigation had shown him things he “never knew” -- including how “the vice president’s office, Scooter Libby in particular, was able to use the press”.And if a Washington insider like Matthews was surprised, imagine how John Q. Public must feel. Hence the need to drum the facts home like Matthews has been doing. It’s the only way to break through the GOP spin and the static of our 500 channel universe.Jesus. Finally.

[Gerry]

Nice link mole.

Of course, the Plamegate investigation has revealed the political alchemy of turning crap into gold via a deadly game of neocon telephone tag. Cheney to Libby to Chalabi to Miller back to Libby for confirmation by “a senior administration official”

I did a double take on this because the telephone tag is about the alum. tubes story, not plame, but it is the same loop. The invisible piece in all this is the NY Times senior management who have been enabling Miller to inject this disinformation directly into the mainstream. In all of this, what isn't getting investigated and talked about is the role of the mainstream media. Here we have it layed out plain as day.

I wonder what the tag team diagram looks like for the Plame leak? Similar in structure if different in detail. We see the same thing emerging in all the stories planted to beat the war drums. The story planted through the Italians has exactly the same character. And the media was complicite throughout.

[Tutor]

Revenge of the CIA for Tenant and for the outing of Plame?

[a.mole]

Cheney's Firewall

[Tutor]

Thanks, mole, blogged the link.