Just a couple thoughts related to Todd's post below...

For years now, the online progressive movement has worked to hold the traditional media accountable and honest.

When Republicans tried to privatize Social Security, we beat up on the press for creating a false equality between the truth (SS is solvent for decades) and a lie (cat food tomorrow!1!!). And going back even further, the traditional media generally treated any Democrat who opposed Bush's war-making as an impotent weenie.

So I admit to experiencing cognitive dissonance watching McCain and his advisers attack the political media. On the one hand, it's ridiculous for Salter to accuse the media of putting a thumb on the scale for Obama - McCain can only blame himself for losing the media after he cut off their access and sequestered himself. And, you know, abandoned all his principles.

But on the other hand, I have no love for Andrew Sullivan or Joe Klein or anyone else ostracized by the McCain campaign. For years, Klein and Sullivan were some of the most prominent espousers of fact-free Village-think. And Sullivan still is largely wrong on the economy, if his recent 'personal responsibility' rant on Bill Maher is any indication.

So McCain's campaign looks ridiculous blaming the media for its downfall, and kicking members off the campaign plane is spiteful and immature. But can we find better representatives for journalistic freedom than Klein, Sullivan, and Dowd?