MSNBC among first to accept GOP talking points

Accompanying the article is a photo of John Edwards, who might be criticizing the administration's handling of Katrina, but certainly can't do a damn thing about it. In fact, MSNBC has chosen to write an article all about how out-of-power Democrats are responding to the disaster with "talking points." Is that how the press should be dealing with the story as people are still dying?

The lede:

WASHINGTON - Democrats, divided over President Bush’s handling of Iraq, are coming down hard on his administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

Some of the harshest words are coming from 2008 presidential hopefuls. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York ridiculed relief coordinator Michael Brown’s suggestions. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said the hurricane’s aftermath underscores the “two Americas” theme of his presidential campaign last year.

“It’s piling-on time,” said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker.

Democrats, ready with talking points and working closely, went into full battle mode Wednesday.

Clinton sought an independent commission to study the response and made the rounds of four network morning television shows, taking on Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Wow. The most prominent critics of this administration are '2008 presidential hopefuls,' none of whom have actually declared their candidacy. Edwards and Clinton might be hopefuls, but it isn't in the realm of fact. What is a fact is that the administration is still bungling rescue efforts. but this story ignores the fact that five survivors of Katrina died today from bacterial infections they picked up in New Orleans. Edwards isn't even in the goddamn Senate anymore, and he's to blame?

Thank you MSNBC, for equating calls for the administration to do more to save lives with partisan self-aggrandizement. Missing from the article was any mention of Speaker of the House refusing any inquiries into the administration's culpability, top-level officials pleading ignorance more than a week after the disaster, and those responsible openly lying about their awareness of the scope of Katrina.

Already we're seeing the press slip back into their 21st century practice of licking the hand that feeds them-- the administration that permits them access on condition of loyalty and a corporate ownership only concerned with ratings. And with Fox doing so well, what are you to do but emulate their brand of demagoguery?

Write letters, people. Please. We have to demand accountability from the press on this issue, because only the press is capable of demanding accountability from this administration.