Thanks for posting this, Dean! And for playing a lead role in drafting it, too. Just one thing about my signature -- I'm at Penn State, not U Penn. Out here in the heartland, not on the coast with those decadent elites.

Sorry Michael,

i corrected that one.

Dean

Where is Josh's name?

it's wrong of me to dismiss you because you can't spell, isn't it?

Please understand that I am in compete agreement wih the sentiment expressed in the letter about the sorry state of news industry mangagement of our public discourse. But can someone please explain how a petition of liberal writers can possibly have any positive effect on the American Broadcasting Company, the shareholders of its parent company Disney, or generally upon a comfortably deregulated broadcast/cable industry that will obviously do anything it needs to do to stay that way.

Hillary should never have jumped into the fray. Someone needs to tell her and her operatives that she has not mastered the art of mud slinging. Boomerang slinging? Yes indeed.

I heard Andrea Mitchell yesterday say that this Ayers thing has been something the Clinton camp has been talking about in the background and have been trying to push for quite some time in the hopes that it would get a broad public airing which they in turn could play to the hilt. No legitimate press organization bit. But ABC News did - making all but certain it would be heard along in one fell swoop to an attentive viewing audience of 11 mill.

Thank you, Dean.

Just when we desperately need real journalism, we get corporate whores -- Gibson and Stephanopoulos.

That 'debate' sickened me to the core of my soul.

I would like to see Gibson and Stephanopoulos' claim regarding the "electability" issue more thoroughly examined. Why should this *ever* be the focus of a journalist in a debate format? For that matter, why should it be the focus of a journalist in any context. As I see it, there's absolutely nothing in such a discussion that might advance serious consideration of important matters of public policy. How has this come to pass as even a gesture toward serious journalism? Is this linked to the ubiquity of polls?

To me what abc did was stage an ambush! (interesting that word contains the word "bush")

This outrage and offense to both candidates and voters must stop!

A debate should be moderated by people who are not invested in raising viewership. It should be moderated by people who do not badger or hector the debators. Questions should come ideally from normal voters or a survey of such voters.

And the two who participated in this week's ambush should be forced to apologize and then disciplined.

As a citizen and a voter I remind them both that they are not aristocrats and we are not peasants. Mocking audience ire was particularly offensive to this writer.

I applaud all those who have signed this letter. And I look forward to seeing additional names in the near future.

At a time when our nation is in peril and a near dictatorship has led to untold national damage, it is intolerable that the press and media have failed in their duties to the citizenry, instead pandering to those who have supported a dictator.

This is not the first Democratic or Republican presidential debate to emphasize gotcha questions over real discussion. However, it is, so far, the worst.

Where has journalism been for the past umpteen years? I'm concerned that the thrill of competition and/or drive to maximize profits have corrupted the profession. I would like to think journalists are insightful and savvy of how easily they are manipulated and how they are co-opted by politicians with particular agendas. With all due respect, many of you look foolish and stupid, e.g., Stephanopoulis and Gibson or the worst journalist of the supposed "best political reporting team on television," Wolf Blitzer.

This just adds to the growing impression of Obama as a victim. That kind of approach didn't help Jesse Jackson. So far, at least, when it comes to presidential politics, Americans prefer fighters to victims.

Hillary's response:

"Can I say that I’ve been through, what, 23 of these debates? And as I recall, I was asked some pretty tough questions in nearly every one of them. That goes with the territory. Having been inside the White House, I know the pressures inside the White House; I know how hard it is every single day. When the going gets tough you can’t run away. And it’s going to be tough going to deal with these hard problems; getting out of Iraq in the right way, turning the economy around, getting universal health care, ending our dependence on foreign oil. The special interests are going to be a lot tougher than 90 minutes of questions from two journalists and we need a president who is going to be up there fighting everyday for the American people and not complain about how much pressure there is, and how hard the questions are."

I'm glad some real journalists are making a stand against ABC. For us non-journalists, MoveOn is circulating a petition and FAIR also has a good action item for this one (http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3347).

For 53 minutes, we heard no question about public policy from either moderator.

Since BHO and HRC have miniscule policy differences, there seems little point in debating with two "debaters" on the same side of the question.

Say NO to NEWS -- Media Black out

Turn off the TV sets....

I am soooo sick of this gotcha TMZ crap. This is newsworthy. Welcome to the dumbing down of America. How about we "black out" them all between April 23rd - May 5th? Can we campaign junkies handle it? Every single network is getting these idiotic shots in, because we the masses are feeding on it. Say NO to NEWS between PA - NC/IN!!!

Well done, I agree with you entirely. The debate was pathetic, the questions stupid and cheap. Prime example of how the media is totally out of touch with public and keep harping on beat up issues that no one has an interest in any more. Shame on ABC, shame on Charlie & George.

As someone who voted for neither Obama nor Clinton in the primary, I have no vested interest in who "won" the debate. And it's true that it's difficult to have a debate between two candidates when the differences in their positions wouldn't fill a thimble.

But flag pins!!! Flag pins!!! How many people even notice whether someone's wearing a flag pin unless it's really big and sparkly or clashes with someone's tie? (No flag pin with brown--ever.)

The whole thing was embarrassing and I wished I'd spent the two hours weaving instead.

Not one of the four people on that stage was wearing a flag pin. How important was it?

Blind mouthes! that scarce themselves know how to hold A Sheep-hook, or have learn'd ought els the least [ 120 ] That to the faithfull Herdmans art belongs! What recks it them? What need they? They are sped; And when they list, their lean and flashy songs Grate on their scrannel Pipes of wretched straw, The hungry Sheep look up, and are not fed, [ 125 ] But swoln with wind, and the rank mist they draw, Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread: Besides what the grim Woolf with privy paw Daily devours apace, and nothing sed, But that two-handed engine at the door, [ 130 ] Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.

I was disappointed to see Katrina vanden Heuvel's name revealingly missing from the journalist list of those "slamming" the recent ABC debate moderators. Conflict of interest because you're a regular round-table guest of "This Week"? If you're concerned about being invited back to the round-table where you are, at least to me, the only reasonable voice of dissent, don't be. I can't think of a better way to protest the performance of these ABC debate moderators than to forgo further participation in "This Week" where you regularly have to deal with the condescension of Stephanopoulos, George Will, and Cokie Roberts.