Howard Kurtz's Obsession With Lara Logan

Jon Stewart asks Lara Logan if she watches American news coverage of the Iraq and Afghanisthan wars.

"No," Logan said. "If I were to watch the news you hear in the United States, I would just blow my brains out because it would just drive me nuts."

Logan answers critics that make the silly accusation that her war coverage is hurting America.

Jon Stewart: Have we lost our humanity with the entire situation?

Lara Logan: Yeah, we have.

Logan: I was asked once, "Do you feel responsible for the American public having a bad view, a negative view about the war in Iraq." And I looked at the reporter and said, "Tell me the last time you saw the body of a dead American soldier? What does that look like?" Who in America knows what that looks like because I know what that looks like. And I feel responsible for the fact that no one else does. That's what I feel responsible for that nobody really understands.

Logan: And the soldiers feel forgotten. They do. No doubt. From Afghanisthan to Iraq they absolutely feel...

Logan's exasperation with her media colleagues is understandable. The interview Howard Kurtz did of Logan started with the question if she is helping terrorists spread their message. Kurtz then asked her why she isn't covering more positive stories. Logan told Kurtz that it is hard to be all sunshine when so many American and Iraqis are dying. Logan rightfully told Kurtz she "resented" people questioning her reporting.

Logan called it "an outrage" for critics question her coverage, when journalists can not travel without military or private security. It's clear that Logan is angry with Kurtz. Her voice and body language becomes increasingly agitated. The latter defended Laura Ingraham attacks on Iraq war correspondents by pointing out the conservative talk show host spent eight days in Iraq. Logan sarcasticly retorted, "For Eight days."

It is bizarre for a media critic wanting journalists like Logan to do Iraq fluff stories. Kurtz publicly criticized Logan for refusing to do a story about female sailors keeping virtual online pets. Kurtz complaint as a media critic is that Logan is not furthering the White House's fantasy-based narrative.

In case you haven't figured it out: Howard Kurtz is the unnamed journalist Logan spoke of to Jon Stewart. I have watched the Logan/Kurtz interview several times. Kurtz's passive-aggressive anger on Logan staggering. Logan looks like she wants to get on the next plane from Baghdad to personally smack the shit out of Kurtz. John McCain was publicly laughed at for stating the streets of Baghdad were safe for Americans to go on a stroll. Kurtz hammers Logan Fox News-style for not promoting such propaganda.

The most cowardly thing about Kurtz's attack is he hides behind so-called "critics" of Logan. It is Kurtz whom is obsessed about Logan's reporting. No one on in the Bush administration has publicly condemned Logan for not doing more virtual pet stories. At least Bill O'Reilly will personally lambast Bill Moyers. Kurtz cites unnamed conservatives against Logan to mask his personal contempt. Ingraham did not personally go after Logan. (I can't find an Ingraham quote before the Kurtz interview.) Howard Kurtz did and behind a woman to attack Logan. Kurtz hardly displayed the kind of moral courage that would actually go into a warzone to find those feel good stories.