The left-wing media kicking some proverbial butt, that is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo." Even if you believe the left is misguided, you have to admire the passion and organization they are bringing to their cause.
Today across the country, the left-wing media in a seemingly coordinated effort, attacked the nomination of Alberto Gonzales (search) to be the new attorney general. "The New York Times" ran a front-page torture story and two anti- Gonzales op-eds. "The Washington Post" ran a front page torture story and an anti-Gonzales editorial. "The Los Angeles Times" ran a torture story and an anti-Gonzales editorial. "The Boston Globe" ran a torture story, as did "The Chicago Tribune."
In addition, the far left Web sites took out ads that blamed Abu Ghraib (search), among other things, on Mr. Gonzales. All of this happened on a single day. Can you say coordinated attacks?
Of course, today, poor Alberto testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee (search). But no right wing groups took out ads. "The Wall Street Journal" defended him on its editorial page, but that was it.
The Bush administration hasn't really helped Gonzales very much either. And if you're a casual news reader or watcher, you would think Alberto Gonzales was Dr. Evil -- Mr. Torture.
The point is that the left-wing media is getting more aggressive and more organized. Their machine is very effective. And anyone they don't like is going to get it right between the eyes.
In just a few moments, we'll discuss the other side of the story, why Gonzales may indeed be looking out for us. But it's not my job to defend the man. The Bush administration should be aggressively doing that.
"Talking Points" realizes most Americans know the Geneva Conventions (search) do not apply to terrorists, and that coerced interrogation is necessary when killers are attacking civilians. But the left-wing media doesn't believe that. And their message is much more effective than their opposition.
The way the left frames it, if you support coerced interrogation -- as Gonzales does -- you support torture. The headline in "The New York Times" op- ed today: "We Are All Torturers Now." Ridiculous? Of course it is. But that's how the left is framing it. And that message has been effectively delivered.
And that's "The Memo."
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
As you know, I write a newspaper column, and hundreds of papers carry it from coast to coast. One of those papers was "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution," but now that paper has dropped the column after I confronted its editorial page editor yesterday for cheap-shotting me in one of her columns. It was awful.
Now I wouldn't mention this except that you should know a lot of things that go on in journalism are personal. There's no question the column is successful. Millions read it every week. But the editorial page editor down there, Cynthia Tucker (search ), really dislikes me even though I've never even met her.
So you "Journal-Constitution" readers, you might want to let that paper know what you think about that. But keep it pithy and cogent. To not do so would be ridiculous.
And, by the way, we really appreciate the papers that do carry my column. Many of them are listed on billoreilly.com , and you might drop them a line as well, give an attaboy, all right.
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