The rules are obviously different if you are a Republican. If you are a Republican you can commit treason, betray your country’s security by revealing classified intelligence information to the enemy, bribe Congessmen, commit fraud and any number of other offenses.

But heaven forbid if you are a Democrat who gets a blowjob…

This pretty much spells out the difference between then and now in terms of what our media thinks is important.

All told, on January 22, 1998, the Times and the Post ran 19 articles (five on the front page) dealing with the Clinton investigation, totaling more than 20,000 words and reflecting the words of at least 28 reporters — plus the editorial boards of both newspapers.

In contrast, on December 17, the Times and the Post combined to run five articles about the NSA spying operation, involving 12 reporters and consisting of 6,303 words.

On February 25, 1998, 35 days after the story first broke, the Post ran four articles and an editorial about the Clinton investigation, totaling 5,046 words, involving 11 reporters, and the paper’s editorial board. The Times ran four articles, two opinion columns, and an editorial — seven pieces in all, totaling 5,852 words and involving at least six reporters and columnists, in addition to its editorial board. The papers combined for 12 articles, columns, and editorials, involving 17 reporters and columnists, as well as both editorial boards.

On January 20, 35 days after the NSA story first broke, the Times ran one 1,324-word article about the NSA operation written by two reporters. The Post ran one 945-word article written by one reporter. Combined: two articles, three reporters, 2,269 words.

We could go on and on with comparisons like these, and bring in other news organizations, but it should be clear by now that the nation’s leading news organizations haven’t given the NSA spying story anywhere near the coverage they gave the Clinton-Lewinsky matter. And, based on available evidence, they haven’t dedicated nearly the resources to pursuing the NSA story that they dedicated to the Lewinsky story.