The Apocalypse might be upon us
... because Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Fumo, a politician who has been lit up by the Philadelphia papers, is now trying to prevent looming cuts in news jobs at those papers:
"I’d rather withstand the intensive media scrutiny and criticism that I have from the Fumo Desk at the Inquirer, than have that desk eliminated. I think if I would let my heart rule, I would probably be dancing around with glee [at the cuts]. But I truly believe what I say, that without a free press you don’t have a free society."
He's even contacting other politicians and trying to meet with the publisher in an attempt to save the jobs. "My doing this is like Nixon going to China," he said at a news conference. More like Alice going through the looking glass, I think -- and I mean that in the nicest possible way.
Never mind that the papers seem intent on going ahead with the cuts, and never mind that the papers' accepting help from a politician to keep people employed (in News or any other department) would raise all kinds of ethical questions. I'm just stunned to find a politician left, particularly one who has been the subject of unflattering coverage, who a) understands the role of a free press in our society, b) thinks it's worth fighting for and c) isn't ashamed to say so. Well, OK, maybe not stunned. Maybe just refreshed. But still.