I pledge allegiance, to the spin...

I am so sick of headlines like this one:

Democrats To Widen Conflict With Bush

No they aren't. They are going attempt to take some baby steps back to our basic American Values and the values of free people everywhere. Habeas Corpus? Yes, please. Close the stain on the legacy of American Democracy known as Guantanomo Bay Prison, which is where our country toss suspicious looking people that haven't been charged? Yes, please. An end to illegal government spying? Definitely. A return to government transparency? Please, thank you, can I have some more?

A couple of days ago, I read Glenn Greenwald's excellent, but depressing, commentary on the state of the American Media. Watching Chris Mathews, Richard Stengel, Norah O'Donnell and Gloria Borger yuck it up about whether or not getting Rove to tell the truth about his role in the DOJ attorney firings scandal is good or bad politically is a little like watching them chuckle about whether the child-diddling priests from Boston should be charged... HA! HA! Those kooky parishoners! I think they are just a little full of themselves, don't you Nora? HA!

You see, in a case like that, they would be talking about the facts of the case, not the political ramifications of action or inaction. Nobody is widening a conflict with Bush. He is an after thought compared to the real stakes - preserving some shred of liberty and decency for our country in the face of a set of values that does not hold them dear at all.