You know what you do with an anchor, don't you?

Let's just say that Brian William's sensibilities are as leaden as his opinions. A Pulitzer for Peggy Noonan? Why yes, and another gold star for General Petraeus.

Glenn Greenwald observes the irony of a talking head who should leave the blogging to experts.

Man overboard?

The strobe light press

On the Sunday New York Times editorial page, Elizabeth Edwards shares a version of her critique of the press and the campaign (and the press in general), and Frank Rich scoffs at the easy conclusions that same press have arrived at concerning John McCain's alleged victories at the hands of the long Democratic race (and the implication that Hillary Clinton somehow still has a chance to catch Obama).

The wrong people are running for president

John McCain dismisses legitimate criticism aimed at his so-called "health plan" by Elizabeth Edwards, as "a cheap shot." It was his way of not having to answer the question.

In her response, Elizabeth Edwards proves again that she is the one who should be running for office.

Swallowing the bitter pill

If you read the news, or listen to the radio, or watch TV, you would think that Barack Obama's comments about the bitterness of small town, lower and middleclass Americans was controversial and somehow worth debating.

It's another manufactured controversy and the way the media has swallowed it and spit it out proves again that there is very little thought given to much of what is printed and broadcast. Yesterday, to his credit, Colin McEnroe printed Obama's remarks in context to demonstrate that they have a ring of truth.

Unfortunately, McEnroe had spent an entire hour the previous day discussing the remarks as if they were really worthy of remark. Worse still, he had two political consultants who pretended to have worthwhile things to say, while they said absolutely nothing of worth. And this is exactlty what's wrong with the media's coverage of this campaign. It is without substance. Whether it's Hillary's cackle, McCain's homage to the Beach Boys, or Obama's minister, the press has focused on everything but what is truly important. In the hunt for headlines and ratings, newspeople have focused on slips of the tongue, petty disagreements, bad jokes and minor details, and have ignored the issues of substance - the war, the economy, education, poverty, justice, because none of these things is easy to explain in a soundbite.

I urge you once again to take an hour and watch Elizabeth Edwards address at Harvard. Would that she were running for president.

More on abdication of responsibility by the US press

Glenn Greenwald writes yet another amazing and enlightening column about torture, but more directly about our (yes, our) lack of shock at the debasement of our government. He also implicates the press again, and points to a great speech by Elizabeth Edwards at Harvard on the topic.

Where is Bill Clinton on this topic?