f you want proof that the media lies through its teeth, take the case of Michael Moore and the Dixie Chicks.

As recently as a few days ago I heard that a 'regulation blond' talking headlet on some kiddie version of Entertainment Tonight (I think it was called Access TV or something like that) was still gushing about how horribly suicidal the Dixie Chick's condemnation of Bush was (despite Maine's intimidation-forced apology). And how very wise Madonna was not to risk such a nosedive in popularity (Madonna delayed the release of her latest video, which was apparently an angry statement on the Bush Reich). The "if you dare to criticize Bush you commit box office suicide" line is what all the mules in the rightwing radio stable are also braying. But this is sheer propaganda - an outright lie, in fact. Here are the facts::

In the few weeks since Natalie Maines made her comments, the Dixie Chicks' latest album has shot from number 6 to number 4 on Entertainment Weekly's pop charts. New York Times pundit Frank Rich says that tickets to all upcoming Dixie Chick shows are solidly SOLD OUT. If that's box office suicide, then the DCs will die rich and popular!

As to Michael Moore, who was depicted via skillful video and audio editing by newscasters as having been soundly booed for his comments at the Academy awards, his book "Stupid White Men" and movie "Bowling for Columbine" have done a U-turn, allright - a U-turn right BACK to the top of the charts! In the week after the Award show, attendance at "Bowling" rose 110% across the nation, according to Daily Variety/Box Office stats, while the number of theaters showing the film has increased. This month, "Stupid White Men" went BACK to number one on the NY Times bestseller list, after being bumped very temporarily by the asshole Michael Savage's book. By the way, the Savage book's brief stint at number one was courtesy "book sale magic" (the counterpart to the "editing magic" used in newsrooms to make standing ovations look like booing. In this scam, the rightwing corporate front groups backing a puppet author will buy up thousands of copies of a book in advance, either themselves (they probably use them as doorstops back at the Heritage Foundation or wherever) or via one of the many media giants they are in cahoots with. Because newly released book rankings are based on advance sales, using "book sale magic," a book can, theoretically, shoot to number one without a single real off the street reader ever seeing it. By contrast, Michael Moore's book was suppressed by its publisher Harper Collins. At first HC delayed the book ostensibly due to 9/11, then it pressured Moore to rewrite sections unfavorable to Bush, then, finally, HC did not make the book readily available to stores. The breakthrough came when sites like Democrats.com and Buzzflash.com started offering the book directly at their sites. The rest is publishing history. But the books position in the top 10 for nearly a year now was earned fairly and squarely - unlike Savage's "bought and paid for" success.

Bottom line - yet another piece of hard cold evidence that America is being lied to...repeatedly and with malicious intent, by its media. d