Of course the purpose here is to continue pressing the right-wing campaign to redefine the word "liberal," not with any kind of precise, meaningful definition, but with vague associations to things that a large enough segment of voters regard as negative.

For example, this is the kind of tactic that Karl Rove used when he managed George W. Bush's campaign for governor of Texas:   associating one of the most popular governors in Texas history, the fairly liberal Ann Richards, with "promoting the homosexual agenda" in the minds of the large number of religious fundamentalist Texas voters. There was no basis in fact for this. Nevertheless, with his typical regard for the truth, Karl Rove had volunteer campaign workers descend on church parking lots on Sundays and stick fliers under windshield wipers saying that Ann Richards had a policy of hiring homosexuals in her administration. She had no such policy, either pro- or anti-homosexual. But "repeat an outrageous lie often enough and loudly enough and people will believe it."

Karl Rove (quite possibly the reincarnation of Niccolo Machiavelli) is still Bush's political advisor for obvious reasons.

The administration in power (no matter which way it leans, right or left) and the press should always be in fundamental opposition. The administration wants the public to go along with its policies, no matter how ill-advised. It is the job of the press to point out when and how the administration is trying to con the public. The more secretive and dedicated to special interests an administration is, the more it is the responsibillity of a free press to expose what the administration is up to. This makes government and a free press natural enemies. The administration complains bitterly whenever the press exposes its sculduggery and it invariably accuses the press of being biased in favor of the "out-cumbents."

Occasionally the press goofs, and that's the administration's opportunity to pounce on them like hyenas. Dan Rather and CBS should have checked the provenance of the documents about Bush's National Guard service (or lack thereof) more carefully, and Newsweek should have done more digging on the Koran incident and other abuses at Guantanamo and Abu Graib. But--you will note that the administration's (or its supporters) response to this is to attack the "liberal media," not actually dig into the truth or falsity of the allegation. The point is to muddy the waters and divert the public's attention from the real issue.

One of the current administration's policies is "The truth be damned!"

Don Firth