It's time for a at least one new source- George-free Media.
Like a drunk at a dinner party waking up to insist that everyone repeat the conversation of the last hour, George has a genius for derailing progress. The Democrats are once again taking the bait, noisily reacting to his apparent madness. Ted Kennedy scuttled a speech to the National Press Club on domestic policy and instead addressed the troop surge. The Democrats are now in charge in the House and Senate, but their announcements for new policy have been drowned out. What the neocons have learned is that if they are outrageous enough in their policy pronouncements any attempt by moderates and liberals to shift the topic at all will get about as much coverage as a news conference announced by the local chapter of Neighborhood Watch.
Just about the time the family is about to serve an appetizer or entre, George insists that everyone have another round of drinks. Every time the political discussion in this country looks set to shift towards a topic of substance - climate change, minimum wage, universal health care, rising crime rates, or the best policy to respond to the reality of globalization - George announces some outrageous change (or refusal to change) in Iraq and the entire conversation is scuttled.
The only hope is to offer at least one channel, one website, one newspaper or magazine that imagines a George-free political world. This news source would cover events not forced upon it by George's pronouncements or actions. It would discuss long term policy that had a hope of making a positive impact. It would do the news equivalent of photo-shopping George out of the picture. Until we find some way of grounding George ("No addresses to the nation for three months, young man!"), this might be the best we can do.
George-free TV. George-free radio. George-free website. In the words of Louis Armstrong, What a wonderful, wonderful world.
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