On Thursday, the Pentagon banned four reporters from further on-site reporting of military commission trials at Gauntanamo, because they published the previously known name of a witness that the Pentagon was trying to present as anonymous. The impact of this assault on press freedom can be seen immediately in the corporate news coverage of this event, as only McClatchy continues to name the witness in its coverage of the banning.

No irrelevancy or triviality too stupid for the Villagers.

The problem with the American media is not so much the abject stupidity, but their utter inability to grasp just how stupid they are. Take for instance this appallingly stupid AP “analysis” piece by Liz Sidoti, where Sidoti decides to explore all of Obama’s “broken” campaign promises. Which would be fine — if all the examples she comes up with weren’t either carping or wrong.

The AUDACITY of journalists to seek employment in a Democratic administration! Why, I do declare. Nothing like this has EVER happened before!

I’m really bored with the Usual Suspects.

I know we’re not supposed to directly quote AP stories without paying them serious cash, but this story is so important and has such major ramifications for this election — which will of course decide the leader of the free world — that I feel it vital to get this information out there immediately, whatever the ultimate costs for this blog.

We need your help again. Today. Several states have local newspapers which received fewer letters than we would like for our AP pushback to make a nationwide impact. Jane asked a few days ago that letters be sent to newspapers carrying AP feed, regarding some odious stenography of GOP talking points shamelessly questioning Sen. Barack Obama’s “patriotism.” (As if that weren’t the most over-used tactic in Republican history. Yawn.) And boy, did your letters get noticed…

Despite what the Associated Press is saying, Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation of the CIA leak case — and the Office of Special Counsel — are still open.

Hey Fiery Doggie Folk! In between atta-boy/girls to Democratic Senators and do-the-right-thing calls to Republican ones, you might also want to call up (and out) some press folks about how they’re pimping the GOP spin on this issue and pretty much everything else. And I can’t wait to see how they’re going to spin Harry Reid’s setting aside the defense authorization bill (AND any of its weak-ass GOP

(Photo by down the waterfall.) Of course, I had read the AP wire story regarding the RNC and WH's loss of a number of e-mails: (via TPM) The White House said Wednesday it had mishandled Republican Party-sponsored e-mail accounts used by nearly two dozen presidential aides, resulting in the loss of an undetermined number of [...]