Who's accountable? Not the press.

The press has been congratulating itself "that the national press corps has finally awakened from its five-year, self-induced slumber, opting to play hardball with the Bush administration by actually holding officials accountable in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe."

How's that again? How is blaming the entire problem on some officials, while ignoring the nonfeasance of those with the primary responsibility "holding them accountable?" It looks more like partisan demagoguery to me. When did the object of journalism become to "play hardball?" Who besides Fox News is really holding anybody accountable? The rest are just part of a lynch mob.

Followup: OK, I may have been too sweeping in my description of "the press." The Anchoress points to some notable examples of balanced reporting from unexpected sources, and one less so.

She adds Austin Bay's post about how the NYTimes didn't really miss the opportunity to accuse Houston of profiteering from Katrina's victims. It just printed the slander in its overseas edition.