Former Harper’s editor Lewis Lapham tells the truth about Tim Russert:
“There was a time in America when the press and the government were on opposite sides of the field,” Lapham said. “The press was supposed to speak on behalf of the people. The new tradition is that the press speaks on behalf of the government.”
“Tim Russert was a spokesman for power, wealth, and privilege,” Lapham said. “That’s why 1,000 people came to his memorial service. Because essentially he was a shill for the government. It didn’t matter whether it was Democratic or Republican. It was for the status quo.”
He’s right about Russert, but I’m not sure how “new” this phenomenon is.
From Politico, quoting New York magazine.
11:22 am on July 7, 2008
