Has Frank Rich Ever Left New York?

Or even the Upper West Side of Manhattan? Can anyone truly be as out of touch as Rich is? And can there be any doubt that the editorial page of the New York Times is now as credible as Michael Jackson's defense team? Rich's latest tiresome screed is (what else? It's the only story he knows how to write) a criticism of the Bush Administration and its relationship to the press, all dressed up and pretending to be about Deep Throat.

My God, not again...at what point will someone with authority at the Times tell Rich to can it already, you've done 73 retreads of this same column? Rich brings up the Downing Street Memo, is if that's some kind of equivalent to the Watergate smoking gun...it's not even close; next he pretends that the Pentagon has somehow vindicated Newsweek, completely ignoring the fact that it was the DETAINEES WHO TRIED TO FLUSH THE KORAN DOWN THE TOILET, already! (And of course, Rich and his ilk would never, ever think of criticizing those who quite literally urinate on our flag).

I have a question for Frank Rich, and I'm quite serious: in what way is the Bush Administration comparable to that of Nixon? Has Bush broken into any offices? Has he ordered retaliatory IRS audits against his enemies? Are there any charges that he has bugged the home telephones of journalists he doesn't care for? Has he obstructed federal investigations? I'm not joking, Frank...your whole column is an infuriating insinuation...put up or shut up, pal, 'cause your brand of garbage is starting to smell...

UPDATE 06/12/05 5:21 p.m central: The Minuteman has a much more thorough response to Rich, while Eric at Classical Values salutes Rich's journalistic acumen in uncovering the plot of the blogging lynch mob...