71, 73

Consider yourself lucky as an American. In Canada, the mass media would have continued to deny and ignore no matter what, and it would have stuck. One day, your mass media may try the same trick, in concert with your left-wing government (of course, they never try this with a right-wing one). I think part of the issue is that they have convinced themselves that the Internet news sites are more far reaching and strong than they perhaps really are. The trick of denial and obfuscation is still pretty effective. Of course, for them to believe that the Internet sites aren’t as effective would require them to believe that places like Moveon and daily kos have a similar lack of effect.