Newsweek's Eleanor Clift: Drones 'Are a Blessing'

Throughout her tenure at Newsweek, Eleanor Clift has been one of the national media's most consistently dovish, anti-war figures.

On Friday, while appearing on PBS's McLaughlin Group, Clift twice said drones "are a blessing" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

ELEANOR CLIFT, NEWSWEEK: Well, first of all, drones are here to stay. They are the 21st Century modern tool of war. And in many ways they are a blessing. Much better than bombers because they can be more effective and targeted than bomber planes just raining bombs down. With an enemy that is harbored in various places, in countries where we are not at war with the country, it’s the only way you can really get at them short of invading that country which we did and discovered that isn’t so hot. So I would say they are, they are a blessing.

But, they bring all sorts of ethical and moral concerns, and there should be some sort of judicial review. And the program that appears to be the most troubling is the one run by the CIA. And that’s the one that’s been targeting Afghanistan and Pakistan.

So hawkish on this issue was Clift that she a few minutes later actually debated Pat Buchanan who maybe for the first time in their history together took a more dovish position than she did.

The obvious conclusion from what we've seen this week is the Obama-loving media have gone so far in the tank for this president that they're willing to throw all their once strongly-held beliefs overboard to defend him.

There's no way in the world Clift would have talked about a killing machine being "a blessing" with Reagan or Bushes Junior or Senior in the White House.

That she could make such comments with a straight face indicates just how far Obama's media are willing to go to protect him from scrutiny.

It really is a grave new world we live in when the press are quite literally willing to do or say anything - even if it completely goes counter to their previously stated beliefs - to protect this President.