Straight talk

The deterioration of the mainstream media is more than ever evident in the sloppy reporting about the deficit debate. Bullies like NJ Gov. Christie and Wisconsin Gov. Walker are reported as "straight talkers" because that's what they say they are. The hopeless Dana Milbank (will someone please take away his keyboard) calls Christie ugly but says that's appropriate because he speaks "ugly truths."

One blogger called him on that because the implication is that Christie is speaking the truth, when in fact he is simply telling one partisan side of the story and deliberately misleads his audience. The Post, with Milbank's fawning report on Christie's speech in Washington, and its consistently misguided editorial page, is the worst offender and is hastening its own demise. There is no conservative constituency for the Post and by alienating its liberal constituency, it is sealing its doom.

The Times today at least is playing up the backlash story. But anyone who thinks the reporting in MSM is in any sense objective is living in the past. There was a brief period when society was homogenous enough that narrowly balanced reporting held a semblance of objectivity. The current polarization in society has made that impossible. Reporters -- who apparently are no longer required to attribute most of their reporting -- choose sides by their very language, and even those who may be liberal in their own political leanings become ready tools of politicians who now see that lying pays.

To paraphrase the old saying: If there's anyone out there who thinks they're getting "straight talk" from Christie and Walker, I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in.