Ok, let me get this straight. . .

Bob Woodward got a leak about Plame from Armitage but covered it up while reporting about the case; he's on the witness list.  Administration mouthpiece Judy Miller played the first amendment martyr and went to jail after trying to get the word out about Wilson for Libby; she's already testified.  The AP just won its motion to have the Libby grand jury tapes released to the public, to the rousing cheers of the establishment media. 

John Dickerson, formerly of Time, co-wrote helped produce a piece about the leak offering up unrebutted White House spin when he knew personally it was bullshit, misleading the public by propelling administration propaganda.  Everyone is ignoring him on both sides, perhaps because he's so credible, who knows?  Time doesn't even have a reporter at the trial, unless you include blog writer Ana Marie Cox, who, I can charitably say, has never distinguished herself for her command of the issues in this case.

Jill Abramson of the New York Times will likely be called by the defense to rebut her former employee, Judy Miller, although the Times is trying to quash the subpoena (it will lose, as it did with David Sanger).  Tim Russert, who long pretended he had no connection to the case, is expected to testify today.   We've learned previously via hearsay that Russert hates his colleague, Chris Matthews, according to that serious DC player and off the record source extraordinaire, Mary Matalin.  Matalin also, via hearsay, indirectly Former media contact for the Office of the Vice President, Cathie Martin, informs us through her direct testimony that Meet the Press is the administration's best outlet for getting its lies message out.  Don't even get me started on the National Review.

Former Ambassador Richard Carlson is on the Advisory Committee of Libby's defense fund.  Hey, Tucker:  who's your daddy?  Do you or does MSNBC disclose this connection in the course of your running commentary on the case?  No, I didn't think so.  Oh, and while we're over there, who's that in charge of the Libby defense fund?  Why, it's Mel Sembler, Lieberman's go to fundraiser for his last campaign bid.  Small world, eh?

And, as all the world knows, bloggers can't be trusted as reporters or analysts of news because they are partisan and profane.  Bloggers, it seems, have an agenda.

Whuh?

There are no virgins here, folks.  Everyone around this trial has an agenda, including every media outlet.  Judge Walton has already wryly observed that the press has not exactly distinguished itself over the course of this investigation (I wonder if he has this history in mind?).  Every media outlet is, in some larger sense, on trial here, and they all know it.  Reputations and fig leaves are falling left and right.  Meanwhile, I'll put our work up against all comers on this story. . . and not just since the trial started, either. 

Once this trial is done, and judgments come down, let's dispense forever with the elitist fiction that our establishment media outlets and their "serious" pundits are neutral, disinterested observers of national events.  Get over it people:  you're just like us, though you're quite a bit more sheltered from the public than we are.  You faith in access based journalism has betrayed you and all the rest of us.

By the time you read this, I'll be heading to the courthouse with Jane, Swopa and Arianna Huffington to observe the day's proceedings.  I just have to see if Timmeh waves to Arianna as he slinks to the stand, ya know?  Let's just hope the Monsignor does in fact appear today, as expected:  the originator of Russert Watch should really have the opportunity to, er. . . watch Russert.  I'll stop by the comment thread later on, so in the meantime, please chat about without me.

Update:  This post has been updated in the following ways 1) John Dickerson "helped produce" but did not "co-author" the article referenced via Media Matters; 2) Mary Matalin was not the one who characterized Meet the Press as the administration's best outlet, but Cathie Martin, her direct successor at the OVP, did, during the course of her direct testimony; 3)  Mel Sembler's name was originally, incorrectly given as "Max."  Thanks for everyone's editorial help!  Open source media strikes again.