Dan Rather is an asshole

Not to be confused with my June post, "Tom Brokaw is still an asshole". I don't know, there's something fun about referring to Rather, Jennings and Brokaw as assholes, since that's what they are.

The big scandal this week is that Rather & his 60 Minutes crew broadcast an anti-Bush story (yeah, big shocker), the whole basis of which may have been forged documents from Bush's time in the National Guard.

That's the cliff's notes version. The real story, as Say Anything so deftly points out, is that the New Media has exposed the Old Media for what it is - an antiquated, left-leaning tool for elite liberals based entirely on agenda and often in direct opposition to the truth.

It's not just the blogosphere - it's second-tier news sites like NewsMax, CNS News, World Net Daily. It's alternative news magazines like National Review, The American Spectator, and the like. It's talk radio - namely Savage, Boortz, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, et al.

I suppose you have to include the Fox News Channel as well, though I would probably lump them in with the mainstream. The only reason they're even called conservative is because they don't spout leftist talking points like ABCCBSNBCCNNMSNBC and the rest. They're NOT conservative, make no mistake about that. No network that hires Greta Van Vampire and Geraldo Riviera can call itself conservative.

The press used to be considered the "watchdog" for excesses and abuses by government, big business and other entities that deserved scrutiny. It's becoming increasingly clear that they are now the entity that most needs watching and this "memo scandal" is simply the latest shining example. It's the combination of all these "outsiders" that are going drum the Old Media out of relevance in the national debate.

Frankly, I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to fontgate, but many other bloggers have. Here is something short of a baker's dozen of them:

Allah

The Lovely Michelle Malkin

Powerline Blog - I think Drudge tried to intentionally crash their servers yesterday

My Pet Jawa

LGF, of course

INDC Journal - check out their hilarious Ratherisms

There's a bunch more out there - just go find it.

2:45 UPDATE: The Commissar has uncovered indisputable proof that Lurch was indeed in Cambodia during Christmas of 1969. For those of you who doubted Lurch, shame on you!

Thanks to E.N. for the tip