I’m certainly guilty of paying attention to the Sarah Palins and Rush Limbaughs and the Glenn Becks of the world. Scrutinizing them to ridicule them. They are the pied pipers that cynically manipulate their stupid followers into the hijacking and re-framing the debate on health care reform in such a way that it shanghais the nightly news. They certainly are villains. Their misinformation has caused some lawmakers to want to yank out the death panel section of the reform, even though death panels weren’t even in the bill.

But the real enemy is the corporate interests who maneuver unseen, who influence congressmen, who pour millions into lobby groups. Money and assurances are how things get done in Washington. These meetings and phone calls and handshakes don’t get on the news and that’s exactly how these profit-motive forces want it.

I don’t know how to advise the reporters, news anchors and humorists to go after these companies and make it as interesting as zinging the conservative media’s buffoonery, but someone should try. If anyone is, it is probably the foreign press. I should go check. Excuse me.