Last night Bill Moyers came out swinging on The Daily Show, lacing into Republicans for their precedent-setting attacks on public broadcasting:

"Until now, in the 35 year history of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting -- which is divided, given the administration, between Republicans and Democrats -- no one at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has attemped to work from the inside to undo public broadcasting. That's the difference. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is supposed to be a firewall between journalists and the government. This is the first time in my history - I've been with it 35 years, I was present at the creation - that from inside they've tried to dismantle the firewall."

"What doesn't have credibility tody is the truth," said Moyers. The administration doesn't even mind the truth, he says, because they just flood the zone with their own side on talk radio (he said 90% Conservative) and with "their own Fox News Channel" so "they can just batter it down until it's dying of want." He then vowed to keep up the good fight (see quote above). Methinks Bill Moyers might be a Liberal.

A sidebar: Moyers made an interesting observation about The Daily Show. When he commented that "there is some world-class journalism going on in this country," Jon Stewart broke in and thanked him for a laugh (the interview had been joke-free thus far, but gripping nonetheless). Stewart then joked further that he'd never gone so long without going for a gratuitous joke. But Moyers demurred, agreeing that The Daily Show was, in fact, the kind of world-class journalism to which he was referring: "You are one of the few people who can get the truth insinuated into the conscious people. If Mark Twain were back today, he'd be at Comedy Central, I'm convinced of that."

Did you hear that, Jon Stewart? So no more begging off your responsibilities, claiming that as a "fake" newscaster the bar is lower. So what if your lead in is puppets making prank phone calls. You do not report fake news, you deliver commentary on the real news that is incisive and cutting, and it is hilarious and smart and real and for that you are very popular. With that popularity comes responsibility. On that Tucker Carlson was right, and you were very wrong. So no more softballing Colin Powell and your other big-time guests. And no more hiding behind the mantle of comedy. Funny is only one of the things you do.

That's the Fishbowl soapbox of the day. We now return to random 80's musical references and words with "wiki" in them.