RASMUSSEN: 55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem Than Campaign Cash. “The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 55% believe media bias is more of a problem than big campaign contributions. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree and think that campaign cash is a bigger problem.”

IOWAHAWK RECEIVES A threatening letter from “Accountable America.”

OKAY, my passing description of Britain as America’s “best ally” the other day produced some disagreement in email, with a lot of people suggesting Australia, or Israel, as stauncher allies. Good points, though neither has the global reach of Britain. But I figure it’s an excuse for another poll:

RICK HILLS: Are Law Students Lazy? I find them to be rational effort-minimizers. Is that the same thing?

STEPHEN GREEN: How the Press is Still Screwing Up the Edwards Story. “Reille Hunter didn’t get half the screwing that news consumers got these last few months.”

THERE ARE OLD PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE FAT PEOPLE, but there aren’t that many old, fat people. Though my grandmother made it to 91, and she was never skinny.

MICKEY KAUS: “Would it really hurt Obama if John Edwards went to Denver? The more he publicly defends himself, the more honest and upright he makes Obama look by comparison. And the smarter he makes Democratic primary voters look.”

TIGERHAWK ON GEORGIA: “Where are the anti-war groups?”

Hey, they’re not against all wars. Just ours!

STRATEGYPAGE: Why Georgia Lost the War.

HOWARD KURTZ: “The whispered allegations about John Edwards were an open secret that was debated in every newsroom and reported by almost none. . . . When critics, especially on the right, accused the media of protecting a Democrat because of liberal bias, journalists were unable to respond, because to do so would be to acknowledge the very thing they were declining to report. . . . In the end, the much-derided MSM were superfluous, their monopoly a faded memory. People have hundreds of ways to obtain information in today’s instantaneous media culture, and are capable of reaching their own conclusions about what is reliable and what is not.”

I find Kurtz’s claim that there’s no political angle unpersuasive, as discussed here. Meanwhile, I’ll repeat my earlier question: “What else are they not telling us for fear it will hurt the Democrats’ prospects?”

IS GERMANY CHANGING ITS MIND on phasing out nuclear power? They’d better.

UPDATE: Link was wrong before. Fixed now. Sorry!

AUSTIN BAY: Two Short Book Reviews.

ANN ALTHOUSE: “It’s weird — isn’t it? — that Obama is letting himself appear so downbeat.”

What, him worry?

OH, GOODY: Shale Oil To Be Developed, But Not Here.

BOBBY JINDAL on Georgia, from This Week.

MORE MEDIA PAIN:

For all the discussion of new media’s role in hurting profits and revenues at traditional media outlets — newspapers, magazines, broadcast television and radio — the sharp downturn in the auto industry is another big culprit, and is taking an increasing toll on the advertising revenue generated by the media.

In the first quarter alone, the auto industry spent $414 million less on advertising than in last year’s first quarter, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

And it’s not just the local newspaper or television station that is hurting from cutbacks in advertising by the local car dealerships.

In recent earnings reports from the major media companies, like Viacom and Time Warner, executives mentioned the downturn in the auto industry as one reason for lagging revenue at cable networks and magazines.

Well, with story after story on how cars are polar-bear-killing inventions of the devil, you’d think they’d be glad to be rid of all that dirty money.