Charlie Don't Vote

Brent Bozell, head of the Media Research Center, opens up a can of whup-ass on the media. The piece also makes mention of the fact that, for Ted Koppel, when it comes to understanding Kerry's actions in Vietnam, former Viet Cong are more credible witnesses than decorated American veterans.

excerpt:

The decision of Sinclair Broadcasting to air an anti-Kerry documentary in late October is a nightmarish recipe of "creeping fascism, state propaganda, Big Brother and brainwashing." So says the unhinged Molly Ivins, giving voice to the outrage felt by her colleagues in the news media.

Liberals are positively panicked at the idea that somewhere, on some station, at some late date, someone will say something negative about John Kerry without a moment for balance on the other side. Let’s be blunt: welcome to our world, liberals. You’re all for propaganda and brainwashing when it’s Dan, Peter, Tom & Co. are spinning wildly in your direction. In your world, a free press is defined as what happens when so-called "news" professionals sell liberalism relentlessly like a kitchen gizmo on a late-night infomercial.

Conservatives are used to seeing our leaders hounded and our ideas pounded without any quaint notions of balance or fairness on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, and so on. This does not occur on one night every four years. It happens on a daily, even hourly basis. TV news stars have foisted Microsoft forgeries on President Bush (CBS), framed his face next to the letters "I LIE" (NBC), and composed internal memos declaring that the Bush campaign is a cavalcade of liars and must be exposed as such (ABC).

For most of this year, these left-wing journalists have portrayed John Kerry’s war years as if he were a combination of Private Ryan, Sergeant York, and G.I. Joe. They have touted his "chestful of medals," and swooned over every replay of his military home movies (yes, the ones he vowed he’d never use for political gain). Those who remember him differently – as a man who went to battle to polish his political resume and then returned home to smear his comrades in the war effort as vandals, rapists, and murderers – are not to be defined as "newsworthy." Their views are sometimes questioned, usually condemned, parceled out in half-teaspoons of Swift Vet ad clips. They are never invited to sit for extended interviews with Ted Koppel or Dan Rather.