Digby recently posted a diary about the brouhaha over Webb's interaction with Bush at the reception for incoming Congressmembers. George Will got his panties in a twist over the supposed lack of "deference" shown to Bush by Webb. An examinstion of the notion of deference forms the substance of Digby's post and it's a very good one, so please hit the link above for the full monty. On the flip I'll get to what I want to say about the issue.
The press continually comes under scrutiny and criticism here at Dailykos, and deservedly so. Many members of that profession are referred to as stenographers. Personally, I think "publicist" would be a better term, as it conveys the active aspect of their endeavor and bespeaks their true mindset. They're not simply repeating what the "ruling class" says; they're disseminating it with prejudice, just as a publicist would do.
Why? Because they, the members of the Washington press corps, see themselves as the true mantle-bearers of the American System. I say "American System" because I hesitate to attribute to these publicists any affection for or devotion to democracy. In fact, the publicists and those who want to be them disdain democracy and aspire to a place in the hierarchy not far beneath that of those "aristocrats" whose antics and wardrobes they so gladly trumpet.
Should we expect more of the press? Absolutely! Should we expect anything but publicity announcements from the Publicists in D.C.? No. Whatever you think of David Sirota's mindset, this piece about the location of the "opinion makers" is well worth a read and has a lot of merit.