Eric Boehlert says the New York Times' Eavesdropping Story Wasn't The Only One Squashed For Bush During the 2004 Campaign.
Boehlert cites delays in the Valerie Plame case, the delayed assault on Falluja, delayed investigations of the yellowcake uranium story, and of course the infamous "Bush Bulge" story. A reader also cites the Coingate scandal, in the critical swing state of Ohio. Given the narrowness of Bush's victory, any one of these stories could have swung the election against him.
Sure, reporters should be careful what they write in the final weeks of an election cycle, when a single explosive story can swing the election - only to be revealed as a hoax later on (e.g. children overboard). But that doesn't mean that all genuine reporting should be put on hold. In a healthy democracy (and I am not suggesting the USA fits that criteria), voters will have a degree of scepticism and can properly be left to make up their own minds.
From the comments:
Back in previous times you could sort of expect the media to publish these kinds of stories because they would sell, but not now. Now they run a cost benefit analysis and have determined that being lapdogs for the Bush admin is "more profitable". Freedom be damned.And a lonesome lament:
Strange. I remember as a child, learning how much control the Soviet Union had over its people, organizations, media etc. It was thought to be such a bad thing and they were bad, evil rulers.
I wondered why the people didn't stand up to their government and speak out. I felt sorry for children my age at how much they were missing. I thought myself so lucky to be in America - land of the free, home of the brave, like I was taught in school.
Now, I understand how it can happen. It has happened. It is happening. But never in my wildest childhood dreams did I think it would happen in America - land of the free, home of the brave.
