BAD FOR THE TURKEY, GOOD FOR THE PANDER

I admit my turkey blog was a little over the top -- probably not to vegetarians -- but Radio Free Mike’s charge that I went “utterly fucking nuts” over the ceremonial pardoning of a fowl is, well, hurtful to a sensitive person such as myself.

Forget the topic, if it’s offensive or silly, and consider the subtext of the post, which is about the photo op itself. It is simply embarrassing for the White House press corps, which is supposed to comprise the best of the best of American journalism, to run with junk such as the pardoning of a turkey for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow’s Boston Herald has a giant picture of Bush dropping his glasses while wrangling his puling little dogs. News value? None.

Others have noted that, in fact, the White House press corps is so paranoid about missing The Story -- something awful happening to the president -- that it does not tend to stray very far from the president. It shows little initiative; it waits for handouts. A picture of a turkey-pardoning is surely the worst example of that, worse than a doggie photo because it’s hackneyed and posed.

So even if you don’t buy the image (here’s a similar one) being a sick joke on the American people, as well as on turkeykind, at least you must acknowledge that it’s pathetic for the media to pander as it does.