A BUNCH OF READERS are mad because the major networks didn’t cover Bush’s speech last night. (The emails are along the lines of this blog post.) But it’s my understanding that the White House didn’t request the airtime.

True, the networks could have covered it anyway. But I don’t think it’s fair to blame them for not doing so, under the circumstances.

UPDATE: Tim Conaghan emails: “I suspect the White House has developed a rather sophisticated, below-the-radar media strategy in which one component is to allow the major, mainstream media to self-isolate themselves.”

Hmm. That would be consistent with some other reports. Are they that smart?