It’s always been the case that the mainstream media acts as a defense attorney and P.R. agent for Democrats and liberals and as prosecutor for Republicans and conservatives. Chip Reid offers a perfect example of this in his defense of Obama’s vacationing.
He makes the observation that Obama has been on vacation fewer days than Bush at the same stage of their presidencies. That’s a fair point. But it fails to take into consideration the difference between Bush’s working Crawford Ranch stays and Obama’s hanging out at resorts.
Reid proceeded to assure CBS Evening News viewers that Obama is on the job despite video of him walking up a mountain path and licking an ice cream cone: “Since the President’s been here, even though he’s technically on vacation, he’s received numerous briefings on everything from the economy to national security to the oil spill.”
That’s a fair argument for Reid to make. But during the last administration it had to be made by Bush’s staffers. No reporter was voluntarily making it for him. That’s the difference.
