If John is right, and Bush really is spying on journalists, this may be the final nail in the coffin of his 5-year honeymoon with the media. Chomsky frequently argued that the press didn’t get outraged about Nixon’s abuses of power until his enemies list showed that they were on it. Until then, repression up to and including murder (Black Panther Fred Hampton) was regarded as no big thing. This may prove a test case of Chomsky’s argument. If confirmed, I’ll be happy, though it will only tacitly confirm the deep-seated corruption of a press that’s first and foremost concerned about its own powers and privileges, as Plamegate has already shown.

Now if they began outsourcing wire service jobs to Bangalore, we might be able to get some traction on that subject from our courtier class in Washington. If nothing else, the quality of the journalism would greatly improve. Since neither of these outcomes is in the interests of the people who actually control the media, however, Booby’s job remains secure.