Observation...

The New York Times and Washington Post this morning have a spread of quotes from US politicians and observers about how Bob Gates (DOnald Rumsfeld successor) represents a fresh start for the Pentagon, as a reasonable, moderate voice and a bridge builder. The Blogs on the other hand are focused on re-working his Iran-Contra connections, looking into his stake in a voting machine company and speculating about his CIA role in regard to other Middle East countries. The Confirmation hearings should be interesting.

(I need to explain why I find this interesting. It's not to suggest that one constituency is right and the other wrong. I don't see that the press are in some way complicit with a political "remake" of Gates image or that the blogs are somehow irresponsibly peddaling half truths to blacken a reputation (or whatever - I overstate in both cases). Both constituencies are using the tools and processes they have - access to politicians and opinion formers in the case of the press, internet research and networked knowledge in the case of the blogs. What's interesting is the gap in the image that emerges - a gap that hopefully the Senate hearings will close. )