Fox Schlock: Mickey Kaus Serves Up a Lukewarm ChopLogic Salad

Mickey Kaus is, like many who still suffer from "Obama Arrangement Syndrome,"** contorting himself enough to squeeze into a FedEx shipping envelope over the Fox News issue. In Kausfiles : What's Your Beef With Fox, Mr. Dem-Basher? he comes up with this key graph on why Fox News is the same but different.

I think Fox is also not neutral (which, again, doesn't bother me) but it's also not independent (which does). This isn't because it's owned by Rupert Murdoch--moguls are, typically among the more independent sorts. It's because it's run by Roger Ailes. I have zero faith that Ailes is independent of the Republican party or, specifically, those Republicans who have occupied the White House recently--the Bushes

Although he previously cites the New York Times as "not neutral" but independent, it's pretty easy to see that this variation of the graph above cleaves more closely to reality than perhaps Kaus, or any other "journolist" careful to always make nice to the New York Times would like it:

I think The New York Times is also not neutral (which, again, doesn't bother me) but it's also not independent (which does). This isn't because it's owned by the Sulzbergers -- media dynasties are, typically among the more independent sorts. It's because it's run by Pinch Sulzberger, no matter how much Bill Keller may believe he runs it. I have zero faith that Pinch is independent of the Democratic party or, specifically, those Democrats who have occupied the White House recently--the Obamas.

Atypically, Kaus goes on far beyond his usual one or two paragraph a day output on this issue. Signs that not only is his logic choplogic, but that his conscience is becoming more and more bothered by the lengths he has to go to to defend this administration.

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**Obama Arrangement Syndrome "The syndrome requires that people interpret or ignore events in a manner that reinforces their preconceived, and rigid, notions about Obama." Posted by Vanderleun at October 23, 2009 11:58 AM