The White House “Daily Show”

Frank Rich has a fascinating take on the recent disclosure that a fake reporter (who was allegedly actually a high-priced escort) writing for a “fake” web news site (which was actually an arm of the GOPUSA), had credentials for the White House and regularly worked the press room there:

"By my count, "Jeff Gannon" is now at least the sixth "journalist" (four of whom have been unmasked so far this year) to have been a propagandist on the payroll of either the Bush administration or a barely arms-length ally like Talon News while simultaneously appearing in print or broadcast forums that purport to be real news."

So we have a "real" Daily Show with a fake reporter and fake news, but with real access to the White House (which means someone had to be in collusion with him, or else our security process is really messed up). I worry that we are getting to a point where there will be no agreement on the facts at all between conservatives and progressives, and that these kinds of strategies on the part of the White House are simply accelerating that process.