The author says "The press corps works to hold the president accountable"

Since when?

I have yet to notice any level of accountability leveled against the Bush Administration. Of course that will change for Barak Obama. But it will be a new experience for the Washington Press Corps.

And, should John McCain be elected president, the Press will revert to his Base and complete lapdog behavior again.

I totally agree. It is amazing what the past Preisident and administration has been allowed to do without a word from the press. It is pathetic.

I hope they do hold Obama accountable. I hope they hold the Democrats accountable. I don't want any more political leaders forgetting who they work for.

It's remarkable to me that a statement like "the press corps works to hold the president accountable" could be made with hardly a notice by anyone. The press serves the public in a similar manner that entertainers and athletes serve the public. Entertainers pose as benevolent servants, always trying to help the common-folk. They wear pink ribbons, and red ribbons, and attend important events so that they can "get the word out" etc.

But in reality, the press, entertainers, and athletes serve ONLY themselves. In my view, the press is expected to hold politicians accountable, but almost none of that happens. The press in America is a joke. The joke revolves around the high minded ideals by which they pretend to work. They don't serve us, and we know it. So let's get on with what's really happening.

American citizens hold politicians accountable ONLY on election day. The press has almost nothing to do with any of it...

What an amazing disconnect between what the media think they are doing and what they actually deliver. They did not hold the last administration accountable in any possible way and were as complicit and enthusiastic about the Iraqi Invasion as Cheney. They take themselves so seriously when they deserve nothing but scorn.

If the press corps had really held the Bush administration accountable, why did the G.O.P. win again in 2004? Bush was the worst president in history & still Americans voted him in in 2004. Either the press corps didn't do it's job, or Americans are just plain stupid. I hope you don't make the same mistakes again.

If the press corp hasn't "held the Bush administration accountable" then how does Bush have the lowest approval rating in history. Are you suggesting the public has formed its opinion through telepathy? Perhaps the press has actually covered the Bush adminstration afterall, maybe?

Re: "If the press corp hasn't "held the Bush administration accountable" then how does Bush have the lowest approval rating in history."

At some point, even the free pass that the press has given George W. Bush wore out.

The media bought "We are turning the corner in Iraq" for three years. Finally the numbers took over, while the media was still repeating White House talking points into the election. (the lesson is that the Bush Team should have just lied about the number of people killed, or not reported them at all, like the number of Iraqis killed. No one in the press would have dug for the actuals).

You don't really address bsharporflat's question at all. How did "the numbers [take] over" and where did people get those numbers? Of course, there are no "actual" numbers for people killed because nobody has any idea how many Iraqis have died. You'll get vastly different numbers from Fox News than you'll get from the Nation or the Guardian.

Simply put, there is no "free pass" because a monolithic media doesn't exist. People on the right and left both somehow find bias in the media, which can't possibly exist. Just because media stories don't always reflect your opinion of Bush does not make them biased, nor do gray areas require all out assaults on the Bush presidency. Even-handed eporting has (fortunately) damaged Bush's popularity--there is no need for the demagoguery you demand.

the problem with the liberal press is that they always, and i mean always, overplay their hand so that no one listens to them anymore. chicken little landfill journalism i call it.

thank you Saru.