Eulogy for Journalism and a Little List

1. Driftglass:
   

   Once upon a time there used to be a profession that, at its best, brought exactly that kind of pressure to bear on powerful institutions that abused their positions of privilege to cheat the public and screw over its opponents. That profession was called "journalism" and people like David Gregory have killed it and until people like David Gregory learn to fear for their professional lives at the thought of using their positions of incredible influence and privilege to carry Conservative water and cover their crimes under an avalanche of Fake Centrist bullshit, the professional of journalism will remain dead.

2. Question: Why do Republicans hate Americans? AlterNet's Erin Gloria Ryan wants to know!

   According to people who have seen the thing in its entirety, it's the most conservative platform in modern history. Critics call it "angry," "fringe," and "extreme," as it calls for a constitutional amendment banning abortion in the case of rape, bars female soldiers from combat roles, blames sick people for requiring medical care, and officially declares gay marriage to be an abomination. In addition to being a policy compass — an indicator of what sort of laws we can expect from elected Republican officials over the next four years — the new platform is a giddy romp through all the reasons the grand ol' party might hate you.