Murrow be damned!

Another broadcast journalist has to be credited for lowering the already low standing of the ol' news profession.

After recently serving softballs to John McCain, Florida WFTV anchor Barbara West interviewed Joe Biden with a series of question right out of the Fox News talking points. Ayres, Acorn, you name it.

Fair play aside, she even went as far as to ask if Obama's fairly mild economic proposals didn't make him a Marxist for wanting to 'spread the wealth around.' (This 'redistribution' thing is more than a little silly, since both Obama and McCain just voted to redistribute $700 billion in taxpayer dollars to the big banks.)

But really, Marxist? She actually quote Karl, and Biden asked the obvious question -- is this a joke? -- but she was instead serious, or thought she was.

Now, I learned in journalism school about Edward R. Murrow, the broadcaster who helped take down Joe McCarthy and bring an end to the redbaiting of fine Americans for political gain.

Ms. West probably did, too, but now it sees she's joined the right wing brigades who want to bring this back. We've come to expect this from Fox and politicians like Palin and Bachman, the woman who called for loyalty investigations quite recently.

But from a local newscaster? Shameful.