Atlantic Monthly Death Spiral Watch (Clive Crook Edition)
Open Left:: A 2.2% McCain lead is greater than a 13.8% Obama Lead

THE AMERICAN PRESS CORPS IS WROSE THAN HILTER!!!11!!

Not really. But the media death spiral watch continues, led by the Politico.

You remember Paul Krugman's joke--that if Bush said the world was flat, reporters would write "opinions on shape of earth differ"?

Now we have Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin of the Politico encountering McCain saying "the earth is flat." And what do they do? They agree:

Exclusive: McCain to unveil more economic policies - Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin: As part of a plan to reinvigorate his flagging campaign, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is considering additional economic measures aimed directly at the middle class that are likely to be rolled out this week, campaign officials said. Among the measures being considered are tax cuts – perhaps temporary – for capital gains and dividends, the officials said...

Capital gains and dividend tax cuts are simply not "economic measures aimed directly at the middle class": the middle class doesn't collect capital gains, or dividends, in any material amount. Indeed, that's what makes you middle class--that even though you have a fair or a good income you work for it.

But there is not even a token "some Democrats say that dividend and capital gains tax cuts have no direct effect on the middle class" in ths story. McCain says the earth is flat--and the reporters swallow it whole.

Why oh why can't we have a better press corps?

Comments