Journalism Lite...

On Sunday evening I tuned into the venerable "60 Minutes" and saw Katie Couric's interview with Secretary of State Condelezza Rice. I thought I was watching a Barbara Walter's Special. This was a puff piece, a collection of smiley chatter between two sorority sisters, that might only be appropriate if it aired in times of peace. The interview, as well as Couric's similar effort with President Bush, unfortunately cemented Couric's status as at best lightweight, at worst a boot polisher. For whatever reason, she is unable or unwilling to bring any heat. That two of the archtitects of our current debacle would be allowed to dissemble completely unchallenged (at one point Rice stated that we are not imposing our will, just "assisting" those who yearn to be free) by what we are supposed to believe is a top drawer journalist is simply unacceptable. (One recalls a satirical piece of Chinese lickspittle journalism titled "Mao Is More deserving Of Our Veneration Than Previously Thought")

What substance there was to the piece was focused entirely on Rice' s personal life: her workout routine, her love of music, her search for Mr. Rice. What became apparent is that Secretary Rice has always been a loyal soldier to the powerful men she has served. She has upset no apple carts and taken a dim view of the apple cart upsetters. She has carefully walked in the footsteps laid out for her by older, wiser and more powerful men. I am not sure this type of biography is really what the job calls for anymore...