USA Media: Do They Have Their Cojones Back?

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For several years now there has been this deafening silence coming from the USA media. It seemed like all critical political investigative journalism had been shut down in the US, since 9/11, and media became part of Disneyland - the Entertainment industry.

Last week's Hurricane Bush according to some media experts, has awoken the sleeping giants. Have the USA political investigative journalists got their groove back?

OUR OPINIONS: An open letter to the President

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'Katrinagate' fury spreads '

Washington - "For God's sake, are you blind?," a woman shouts at the head of the federal emergency management agency (FEMA), Michael Brown.

"You're patting each other on the back, while people here are dying."

The woman is not a victim of Hurricane Katrina. She is a reporter with US television network MSNBC who is so affected by the misery she has witnessed she can hold back no longer.

"Katrinagate" is the term being used by the media to describe the biggest challenge facing the political establishment in the US since the Watergate affair in the 1970s toppled Richard Nixon.

Not for decades has there been such merciless questioning of the president and his administration by the US media.

Even now, as the rescue operation gets underway in earnest and the flood waters in New Orleans are starting to subside, the federal government's inadequate reaction - in the run-up to the hurricane and directly afterwards - is still being criticized by the media in reports which are anything but detached.

Never before, say some observers

Katrina timeline

Our homegrown Third World

This article about the US's third world which has been kept well hidden has become exposed by the US media not just to Americans but to all people on our planet. Once again the US admiistration is trying to hid the bodies, just like the bodies coming home from Iraq, but I think Katrina's memory, and the many tragic scenes are going to staying with us for a very long time.

For Bush, a Deepening Divide

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White House Press Briefing: Angry Reporters Hit McClellan Hard on Hurricane, Ask if Heads Will Roll

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan had not had a full-length press briefing in Washington, D.C. for weeks, and after today, may have wished he had postponed this one. With almost unprecedented vigor, the press corps attacked and probe the federal response to the hurricane disaster, the president's personal responsibility and failure to fire anyone who failed in his or her mission.

Here is a transcript of the relevant portions.

Q Scott, the reality at hand right now is that the President said that we still live in an unsettled world. This is an administration that has told us since 9/11 that it's not a matter of "if," but "when" that we could be struck by a terror attack and, obviously, other disasters that are the result of Mother Nature. So at this point, where is the accountability? Is the President prepared to say where this White House, where this administration went wrong in its response to Katrina?

MR. McCLELLAN: You know, David, there are some that are interested in playing the blame game. The President is interested in solving problems and getting help to the people who need it. There will be a time --

Q Wait a minute. Is it a blame game when the President, himself, says that we remain at risk for either another catastrophe of this dimension, that's not manmade, or a terrorist attack? Isn't it incumbent upon this administration to immediately have accountability to find out what went wrong, when at any time this could happen again?

Tough day at the office Scott!

Well at least at the moment the US media is in full court press.

[Shakeyhands]

it's quite obvious that the US Media is in flux, not in a good way either. When dissent or questions are raised anyone that doesn't tout the party line is labeled an UltraLeft radical or worse unAmerican.

Take for example when Mirror complained about moderation, Burns' response "Hardcore-leftists like you frighten me. You have no respect for debate, alternative views, i.e., truthful views, or anything that does not fit your world-view. " This is the crux of complaints about the right wing conservative viewpoint, they somehow manage to turn it right around, it really is incredible! The same thing happens down there.

I don't see anything changing down there, when people noticed there were issued and the Mayor of NO got upset and it was apparent that they felt abandonded by the Feds and by FEMA the spin started. I have heard everything from he's a crackhead to the entire thing being blamed on him. In other words, don't question Dear Leader.

The media are too afraid of the Republican Spin machine, and well they should be.

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Oops.

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Dear Shakeyhands,

My impression, for what it's worth, is that the NO Mayor, Ray Nagin is going to turn out to be one of the heroes in this whole overwhelming tragedy. The reason I say that is if he had not publicly lambasted the federales for not doing anything, or not doing enough, who knows when help would have arrived from DC.

Some press are even suggesting they have not seen the Democrats so invigorated since Bill Cinton left the White House.

I guess this is out of Karl Rove's dirty tricks book. When Bush is asked about the federal responsibilities out the front door he say that you are playing the blame game, and then at the same time out the back door the Republicans are on this massive blame Louisaina and NO for the tragedy. All orchestrated and quite diabolical really when one thinks about it.

Bush may scorn blame game, but he has to play

Democrats Step Up Criticism of White House Response

Cheers,