Last week, Republican Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn released “Summertime Blues,” a report listing what they say are the top 100 wasteful stimulus projects across the United States.There’s an interesting pattern buried in the 583 footnotes at the end of the report: More than 200 citations rely on stories published by news organizations. Many of the examples of questionable spending were first made public in news articles — including one by yours truly.
But wait a second. How is this possible?
I thought reporters are socialists who believe in Big Government. That’s what the Rush Limbaughs of the world claim. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas even said liberal bias in the media is the greatest threat to America.
But if they’re right, why are journalists spending so much time uncovering examples of wasteful government spending, publicizing the details, and holding officials accountable?
Related: Contact a San Antonio journalist
Think about it. You can pick up a newspaper anywhere in the country and chances are, there’s a story about some taxpayer-financed boondoggle. And if you’re not reading it in a newspaper, you’re probably watching the story on TV, or reading it online in one of the countless investigative Internet sites that are sprouting up.
The journalists I work with are obsessed with this watchdog thing, and it gets annoying after awhile. They totally forget how we’re supposed to be liberal radicals. A reporter might be talking to me about the nuances of the Texas Public Information Act, and I’ll be like, “Dude, I’m just here for the free Che Guevara T-shirt.”
Memo to my bosses: I have yet to get my T-shirt, please get on that.
Some people might say the critics who get worked up about liberal media bias conveniently ignore all the investigative stories that poke a gaping hole in their claims.
I, for one, would never say that. It’s so much more fun to be part of a vast liberal media conspiracy.
(Photo credit: Podknox on Flickr)
