Photo-OPs UPDATED

I just saw something that I find quite hopeful. At least in the short term. And it wasn't Bush's glowing predictions for Iraq.

In case you haven't been following it, the President had a video "give-n-take" with some "troops" in Iraq. It was supposed to be an opportunity for the President to talk to ordinary troops about progress in Iraq ahead of the upcoming elections. And of course, it was as carefully staged as any other event Bush has had for years. There's really no news here.

What is amazing is the media coverage of the event. EVERYONE is lambasting and embarrassing Bush. Even FOX! ABC News Tonight did a two to four minute piece on the photo-op choreography tonight on it's news cast. They featured and compared video footage of the Pentagon P.R. prep person's run-through with the troops, to the video of Bush actually asking questions. It was quite thorough and very well done. And Bush looked like an idiot.

So where's my amazement.? It's a bit like my old friend Capt. Renault discovering to his faked horror and exclaiming that he is "shocked shocked" that gambling is going on in Rick's bar. (I know, I've used this before. But I just love that scene, and it's sooo perfect).

BushCo has been doing this SHIT for years!!! Why are the media making a big deal out of it now? I mean. The coverage of this as a photo-0p and how it was faked was EVERYWHERE today! What's up?

The speculation has been that the media has been particularly kind to Bush because he's such a corporate animal, and the corporate media insisted on their boy being protected. Another theory is that the media has flat been lazy or ensconced in the cocktail crowd. Or perhaps the media has slacked because of patriotic support for the President due to the Iraqi war and the war on terrorism. I've even read it said that Bush has intimidated the press.

So why are we getting much better coverage now?

I can only guess. But if you look at each explanation for Bush getting favorable treatment, you can see that there must be a lot of blood in the water for the press to abandon him.

Corporate support? If it's now safe to go after Bush, corporate money must think it in their best interest to get rid of the guy.

Fear of losing status in the cocktail crowd? Maybe it's getting cool to diss Bush. It certainly doesn't take much work to nail him because the stories of administration media manipulation are front and center.

Patriotic support? I wonder if it's getting patriotic to be against Bush, and perhaps even the Iraq war.

The intimidation factor? Hmmmm. Matt Lauer didn't look too intimidated the other day. A President with approval ratings in the thirties isn't all that intimidating. You can bet at any viewing moment, two-thirds of the audience doesn't like the guy. Besides...really. How can anyone be intimidated by a moron?

This is good news....sort of. I say that because the media winds are blowing in my direction. But then again, why do there have to be media winds at all? It seems to me that the media coverage of politics (anything for that matter) should be much more grounded in explaining the truth, getting out the complete story. The fourth estate's role in our democracy is to NOT be swayed by the winds of opinion.

I guess I can only hope that the experience of getting in bed with Bush and then getting .... well you know ... may have a teaching effect on our media. But then I still believe in the tooth fairy .... I just haven't lost any teeth lately.


UPDATE: Froomkin, for whom I have enormous respect, thinks the media jumped all over the photo-op because of an errant satellite feed which dumped the story in their laps. In other words, the media picked it up due to happenstance. Not sure I agree, but it's a worthy consideration imo.