Thomas's brief article today regarding Mr. David Alston and the further unraveling of John Kerry's self—appointed hero status, brings up, at least referentially, a terribly important point.  Partisan politics and the upcoming election aside, the old days of centralized media power are over.  Period.  The "Swifies" story has not gone away despite the mainstream media's best efforts at wishful thinking. 

What has kept this story going, given it "legs", and ultimately forced the MSM to slowly start paying attention and reporting, is the internet, and in particular, the "blogs."  The ability of Joe Sixpack and Little Suzy Creamcheese to pick and choose the news as they wish it, when they wish it, from whatever viewpoint(s) they'd like has literally changed everything. 

The consumer of information is now firmly in control of the process, and slowly but surely, week by week, month by month, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Washingtion Post, and all the rest become more and more irrelevant. 

The paradigm, as the cognescenti used to say, has shifted.  Rather??  No thanks... I'd rather not.