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It's hard for me at times to not think of the mainstream media as this monolithic Borg-like hive mind designed merely to keep the status quo and tell you how you should think. And sadly, too few people have the time or inclination to do more than passively accept the information given, even if simply makes no sense. Case in point, Cokie Roberts during the panel segment of This Week with George Stephanopoulos. When Katrina Vanden Heuvel tries to bring up A Responsible Plan and the netroots/alternative media's attempts to really force the discussion of withdrawal from Iraq from the candidates they are supporting, and Roberts openly laughs at her. To Roberts, polls be damned, Americans are more concerned with winning (a concept still vaguely and defiantly undefined five years into the occupation) than leaving Iraq.

Is it any coincidence that this very subject will be of great debate this week on Capitol Hill? Vanden Heuvel tries to frame the debate to match the mood of the majority of Americans and Roberts scornfully rejects it and basically gives a preview of Petraeus's testimony, right down to the stupidly semantic defense of Cheney.

dday at Digby's Hullabaloo has more...transcripts below the fold.

VANDEN HEUVEL: …important point, and that’s why, listen, The Nation has endorsed Obama…

STEPHANOPOLOUS: I was just going to ask you…

VANDEN HEUVEL: …critically, critically. But we have also contested his framing of withdrawal. We…but this will be…

STEPHANOPOLOUS: But this is going to be a split in the party. You all are backing a plan that a lot of Congressional challengers are backing saying immediate withdrawal, unconditional...

VANDEN HEUVEL: that's right...

[cross talk]

VANDEN HEUVEL: There are 42 Congressional challengers...

ROBERTS: But no major Presidential candidates are saying that, because they're sitting there saying, “look, we've been there, we've seen it, we think it's an irresponsible thing to do.”

VANDEN HEUVEL: It is not, but you know what, the responsible thing to do is withdraw. [Roberts chuckles] If we withdraw responsibly, the region would be more stable in the long term, America will be restored as a responsible global leader, and there are 42 challengers, you are absolutely right Cokie, who have a responsible plan to withdraw.

ROBERTS: Convincing the electorate of that, I think would be very difficult, and I also agree that the notion that Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham you heard this morning putting forward, that Americans would prefer to win, is…

VANDEN HEUVEL: But what is winning? This war is unwinnable. There are no military solutions. And Cokie, Americans are already behind this, 2/3 of Americans believe this war was a mistake to fight. And when Dick Cheney said to ABC's Martha Raddatz last week, "I don't care what Americans think." …

ROBERTS: That’s not exactly what he said. He said “So.”

VANDEN HEUVEL: …The contempt, the disdain for Americans and for what this war has done to the military, to our economy, and to our future as a nation. If you care about responsible...