So now the National Security Administration’s (NSA) long-running practice of collecting phone metadata on just about everyone has come to light. Who broke that story? Was it CBS? ABC? Was it even Fox News?

It was Glenn Greenwald writing for the UK paper The Guardian.

As Breitbart pointed out Thursday, almost no mainstream media in the U.S. has been in front of any of the many, many scandals that have emerged in the early sledding of President Barack Obama’s second term.

With the exception of some dogged reporters who’ve essentially had to go rogue within their own organizations in order to delve into the Benghazi scandal (like CBS’ Sharyl Atkisson and CNN’s Jake tapper) – and been persecuted by their own employers as a thank-you – there’s been precious little issues-based reporting, and a truckload of damage control, emanating from the American mainstream press over the IRS scandal; the AP scandal; Benghazi and now Verizon.

Leaks, scoops and whistle-blowing on all these scandals have come either from within (as in the case of the IRS), from members of Congress who realize how subservient the Legislative branch is becoming to the Executive branch (as in the case of Benghazi) – or from newsgathering outfits that lie well outside the American mainstream (as in the case of Verizon).

“Well, if it is Thursday, there must be a new Obama scandal,” writes John Nolte. “But one thing is for damn sure, whatever that scandal is, you can bet the American mainstream media will be playing catch up and not carrying the glory of breaking a story…”

Fact: Over the past few weeks, four major scandals have broken over the Obama administration, and it is a very sad (and frightening) truth that our pathetic, American, lapdog mainstream media is not responsible for breaking even a single one. … And do you want to know what makes this realization especially pathetic? In three of the four scandals (the AP being the exception), had our media been less interested in protecting Power and more interested in holding Power accountable, these huge, career-making stories were right there for their taking.

Contrast that with the George W. Bush Administration (which opened the door of expanded executive surveillance power that Obama is now exploiting), when the White House Press Corps relentlessly dogged the President and his cabinet at every turn.

“[A]t least Power knew it was being watched,” observes Nolte. “Today, it is the complete opposite and the result is an administration run amok.”