Politicians have courted the media for around 40 years now and somewhere along the line the balance shifted-to the point where the media now calls the shots.

We can see how the News of The World actually got the Sarah's Law introduced using it's influence. There has been no proven value to this law and it's based upon emotion. That isn't the way to govern a country. But these laws can provide copy for the media and at the same time divert precious resources from real child care.

It's doubtful Blair & Bush could have invaded Iraq without the full support and war-mongering of the media, especially Murdoch's News Ltd empire and sadly the BBC.

But there are cases of politicians standing up to the media and like all bullies, they scatter or show their true colours.

Although I may harp on examples in Oz it's like watching a smaller version of the UK.

As I thought, the infamous 'utegate' non-scandal that allegedly involved a millionaire PM borrowing a 13 year old truck for a campaign, and then using his influence to get the car-dealer access to a billion dollar auto bailout which he wasn't entitled to and didn't get anyway, is collapsing in such spectacular fashion it may claim the scalp of the Opposition Leader instead who used a phony email as proof.

And where did he get that email?. Why, News Ltd mewspapers who have been on a rampage all week with their so-called political editor's words still ringing clear and condemning the innocent PM as they are hastily remove copy from their websites.

They've been after the PMs head since his unexpected election and every bit of mud they throw just makes him more popular as economists declare the country has avoided the world-wide recession.

It could be more complex-perhaps the intended target is the Opposition Leader-a former Kerry Packer lawyer who advised Packer in clashes with Murdoch over carving up the media.

I took part an experiment last week with 5 other people. We were up in the early hours and posted dozens of different replies each from dozens of computers and ISP addresses. Replies to stories with factual information and taking the opposite view to political reporters claims.

It was to aid a writer for a political blog who is doing a story on News Ltd's rumoured insidious censoring of readers views that don't follow a prescribed line.

Not one was published. We particularly targeted News Ltd's new Punch on-line magazine which they hope to also print.

With Punch we all found the ISPs eventually blocked.

It's pretty well prooves what many have said for ages-that News Ltd can't handle the truth. Not only do they manuipulate the news they censor their readers.

Barak Obama has refused to appear on Fox News or take questions from their reporters. In return Fox have gone on an obscene frenzy attacking Obama repeatedly but it's having no effect.

The NSW government has courted News Ltd & Murdoch for years and is never investigated over scandals that involve property developer donations and favoured treatment from everything to street signs and the white elephant of the 2000 Olympic site-London will soon have it's own.

No surprise that Murdoch got the state owned inner city site for his Fox Studios where the Star Wars series was made for a pepper-corn rent of $1.

The usual claims of 1000's of jobs created ignores the fact that there were 1000's of jobs created there every year when the place was used for events, shows and conferences.

I've often commented how the Fox Studio tourist shopping plaza is built like a village centre-just waiting for hundreds of apartments to spring up around it should the movie-making business fail. And all that free land !

Government by Murdoch-everyone should be alarmed.