The Clinton Rules

It's refreshing to see at least one journalist with a big soapbox agree with me on the inanity of the media enabling of the GOP's latest hobby horse. Joe Conanson gets it.

But Obama has long been among the luckiest of politicians -- and the circumstances of the Blagojevich case come as close to instant exoneration for him as any political scandal possibly could. Not only does the indicted governor complain on tape that Obama won't give him anything in exchange for the Senate appointment, but he curses out the president-elect for that annoying probity in obscene terms. [...]

While that should be obvious, don't expect the excited Republicans to calm down anytime soon. Having nothing to sustain them for the moment except a whiff of Democratic scandal, they can hardly help themselves. They will persist in their partisan efforts to undermine the new president.

As for the rest of us, including mainstream reporters, perhaps we should be mindful of the vast amounts of money, time, and journalistic, prosecutorial, congressional and presidential effort that were squandered on the mythical crimes of the Clinton era. Can America still afford that kind of stupidity?

Yes. Yes, perhaps they should consider whether America can afford this kind of stupidity because it can't. The media's job is to dispose of the stupid, not feed on it like vultures gorging on a rotting carcass in a garbage dump. It would be really great if more of them could remember that once in a while. [h/t stoat]

[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]