There are those who believe that there is some secret room somewhere in Washington or New York, where key media news producers all get together to determine how key political figures are to be treated this week. Sorry, you could spend the rest of your life looking for such a place, you would never find it. Rather the media does what it does by virtue of cultural affinity. They are mostly educated in the same schools. They have the same social attitudes. And they are lazy. Thus they look for clues about how to treat a political figure to leaders among journalists. David Broder of the Washington Post fulfilled that leadership role until recent years when moral revulsion against Bill Clinton has caused him to be viewed as old-fashioned and somewhat reactionary.

So Eleanor Clift of Newsweek and Mara Liasson of National Public Radio have tended to rise to become leaders of the pack for this modern age when anything goes. Syndicated columnist Joe Sobran correctly labels the rest of the media core "the hive." Yes, as in "bee hive."

They all just stick together and follow their leader. No questions asked. Well, the hive always likes an enemy. They had a real problem during eight years of the Clinton Administration. His scandals forced the hive to treat Clinton himself as far less the hero they would have desired. A good many in the hive actually covered Bill Clinton rather aggressively, seeing Nobel prizes in journalism lurking in the background.

Now it is different. George Bush has produced no scandals. The Administration, with so many straight arrows, isn't likely to do so. Thus the media has to conjure up a dark and sinister figure to present to the American public. Someone who is responsible for policies which are anathema to the American people. This, they will allege, is the face behind the facade of "compassionate conservatism," whose desire it is to starve little children, to freeze old people in the Winter and, of course, to see to it that school children don't have hot lunches.

The nomination by the hive for this sinister character is one Mitch Daniels, the OMB Director for Bush 43. Daniels came to Washington in 1976, having served as chief of staff to Richard Lugar, the Mayor of Indianapolis. Lugar got elected to the Senate that year and Daniels came with him, assuming the same post. He served Lugar very well, keeping him out of political trouble. Then, during Ronald Reagan's second term, Daniels went over to the White House to be political director. Most observers agree he did a good job for Reagan and Bush but in due course he had had enough and returned to Indianapolis where he oversaw the political and philanthropic interests of the vast Eli Lilly Corporation.

Daniels' move back here when Bush 43 got elected was somewhat of a surprise because of his devotion to family. Indeed, Daniels has kept the family back in Indianapolis and he commutes home every weekend he can spare.

Daniels is a principled man who knows how to get things done. Almost alone now, Daniels is standing in the doorway saying "no" to the Cabinet members on one hand and the Members of Congress of both Houses and both parties on the other hand. Many in the Administration and Congress have taken the events of September 11th as the green light to introduce every big spending measure imaginable cloaked as emergency legislation, and it is

Daniels who must play traffic cop by raising the stop sign. Daniels knows that we have already spent down the surpluses we had for such a short while. He knows that going back to big deficits is not wise. He is trying to keep some semblance of fiscal order.

Cabinet Members inside the Administration curse his name because he has to say "no" to them. Members of Congress, especially the appropriators, hate him passionately because he whispers "veto" at their spending schemes. What a perfect figure for the hive to villianize.

So as you watch the TV clips trying to make Daniels into a terrible demon, and as you read the newspaper or internet clippings quoting all sorts of sources, both on the record and off, about what a bad guy Daniels is, remember this. In Washington, no good deed goes unpunished. Almost without exception, those who do the Lord's work are vilified. It is those who sell out who are made into saints and heroes. You can be sure the more you hear about Mitch the Terrible, the more good he is doing. Knowing him as I do for over a quarter of a century, I don't expect this to happen, but if ever the hive begins to praise Daniels, it means he has "grown in office."

Right now, though, Mitch Daniels is the media whipping boy, so you can be assured he continues to do mighty good work.

Paul M. Weyrich is president of the Free Congress Foundation.

© This column is the property of the Free Congress Foundation and may not be reproduced without their permission. For comments and inquiries, contact Angie Wheeler at awheeler@freecongress.org Visit our website at www.FreeCongress.org

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