Now that's tough journalism

I love our broadcast media in America; they know how to hit hard. Our print media is tough enough, but this morning on ABC's Good Morning America I was blown away by the tenacious reporting of Elizabeth Vargas.

I really do know better than to expect anything other than absolute fluff from such a show. But this morning's segment on President Bush was nothing but a joke. At a time when more than 2,200 American soldiers and countless thousands of Iraqis are dead in a war with no visible end and the president's approval rating is understandingly plummeting, we get a story as hard as Bob Dole before Viagra. My favorite moment was when the camera pans over to the photo of his daughters. I nearly cried. It was so touching. He explains that he knows it was hard on them, having their father in the White House; he just hopes they understand why he did it. I wish he'd explain it to the rest of us.

Here's another of my favorite moments, taken directly from the transcript.

VARGAS: Your desk is so clean Mr. President.

BUSH: Yeah, well, you know that is what happens when you have desk cleaners everywhere.

VARGAS: Do you spend a lot of time here?

BUSH: I do. This is where my main office. I've got an office here obviously, and I've got one upstairs in the White House on the second floor, right down from our bedroom. It's called the treaty room. I like to work here 'cause I like how open it feels.

VARGAS: It is … very.

They don't teach that in journalism school. That's the kind of tough approach a reporter only learns on the mean streets of Realityville.

Not to be outdone, NBC's Today Show had their own ground breaking story this morning. Keep in mind, this is a network that lists "Access Hollywood" as a "news" program on their web site. Anyway, we were treated to a wonderful story on Condoleezza Rice's workout routine - it's Condi-Robics! It was gripping, folks. If you missed it, don't worry. "Today" will be featuring her workout for two more days.

For the love of god and everything holy! What is happening here? This is the coverage of the President of the United States and the nation's top diplomat? No wonder our nation is floundering in a sea of ignorance. Serious issues face us. We are at a critical time in our history and we are counting on these jokers to give us the necessary information we need to critically judge what is occurring? We are most certainly doomed.