COMM 386 Friday: Linkers, thinkers and stinkers

Somebody once said weblogs come in two categories -- "linkers" and "thinkers." Today I'm going to be a linker.

A better name for that kind of blog is "aggragator," by the way. Fark is an aggragator. So is Real Clear Politics, at http://www.blogger.com/target=.

Today I'm going to link to four stories in The Washington Post.

The first is on today's bailout of financial markets, headlined "Citing Grave Financial Threats, Officials Ready Massive Rescue." The subhead gives the angle I find most remarkable: "Lawmakers Work With Fed, Treasury To Try to Restore The Flow of Money." It's bipartisan, and it involves several government institutions that don't always work together. Link here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091804200.html

The second is a very good writeup on the bureaucrats who cobbled together the deal. Link to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091804211.html

And now for the campaign news. The headline says it all. "Obama, McCain Trade Shots Over Responses to Financial Meltdown." No, it doesn't say it all! It gives the tone of the article. Read it and see if it's called for. Link to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803822.html

Finally, Howard Kurtz' media roundup, "In Search of Fighting Words." Link to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100587.html

I think there's something trivial and about the campaign stories. Or is there? Is it my imagination? You decide. What do you think? If there is, whose fault is it? The candidates? The media? The system? All of us? To borrow a phrase from Matt Frei of BBC World News, Blimey!