I've repeatedly made the case that journalists would be better off if they admitted their political leanings and did their best to report fairly and objectively and let readers adjust as they see fit for the, to borrow a golf term, lie of the green. I made the case most extensively in this letter to Mark Halperin which he either never saw or chose to ignore.

With Tuesday's election contest as the news hook, there were quite a few articles about journalists personal participation in the election process.

Poynter's "Everyday Ethics" column asked if journalists should declare party allegiance -- especially in states where there are closed primaries or caucuses. If you read the comments, you'll find a familiar name responding.

Los Angeles Times columnist Dana Parsons held fast to the almost comical old media line that reporters are not human and have undergone special training (I'm guessing it's something like the Scientologists go through) in order to ensure that their personal beliefs don't creep into their writing. Unfortunately, the Times doesn't allow for comments on their Web site, so he'll likely never know the scorn and derision he earned for this laugher.

Finally, also from Poynter, you had the journalists-as-victims column, blaming the public for not trusting journalists to use their superhuman powers to cleanse any bias from their reporting. The solution, of course, is not to admit that journalists are human, but, to borrow a phrase, double down on stupid.

The old media is ill, and too many of the self-appointed doctors seem to think the solution is to keep insisting that they must be hypochondriacs.