Sam Stein

Murphy, as a professional political operative, could not possibly be unaware of the racial implications of what he said, could he? He might as well have said, "stay in your place."

The mainstream media seems intent on confirming that it has so internalized the Right's framing and messages they have now become part of its DNA. The first of the latest round of exhibits proving this was offered into evidence during last week's ABC debate. This was followed by the New York Times' epic revelation of the unseemly complicity between the Pentagon and the media in delivering the Bush administration's talking points on Iraq via "a kind of Trojan media horse" -- Pentagon-approved, prepped, and financially-enriched "military analysts" dutifully parroting the Bush party line, with nary a raised eyebrow from the TV stations and newspapers offering these highly-decorated sock puppets their prestigious platforms. And it's not just the media. Witness Hillary Clinton repeating the Rove-promoted lie that MoveOn was against intervention in Afghanistan after 9/11.