It's so boring to hear this trite conservative crap repeated over and over again - they've been saying this since the 1970's. Why not come up with your own thoughts instead of automatically repeating this nonsense?
In case you don't realize it, mainstream media works in a pack mentality and, up until the last few months, the mentality has been very conserative. No high profile Washington reporter wants to jeoparidze their contacts by rocking the boat. By getting branded as a 'liberal journalist', you lose your contacts and career prospects especially given the higly vindictive group in power now.
Come on already and open your eyes - the so-called 'very liberal NY Times' just publicly apologized and reported on their own indiscretions admitting that white house mis-information was essentially printed word for word on the front page without any verification in the lead up to the Iraq war. These stories helped to fuel the fire for the war, justifying it and helping to build support for it. they essentially admitted to being stoolies for Bush in the run up to the war. 'Liberal media' my ass.
As far as the HBLR goes, just madness, but not all that new - I got hassled by LIRR cops for taking pictures of a LIRR freight train (remember those?) from a street in Queens about 20 years ago...