Man, we hate this Mary Schmich woman over at the Chicago Tribune! Who the fuck does she think she is, questioning the media's willingness to take freebies during the convention? Why else would anyone cover this unsexy RNC business were it not for the complimentary goodies? Look how she rides her high horse around the Time-Warner party, bursting everyone's bubbles:

I felt churlish feeling anything but gleeful here in the gleaming glass and metal of this self-celebration, surrounded by so many shops—shops open just for us!—where we could check out things to buy with our discount coupons.

And I ate. And drank. Until it finally sank in: This isn't right.

We were covering this, all of this. Covering a convention is about covering the city—the mayor, the restaurants, the stores, the corporations such as TimeWarner. And the media don't take stuff from people we cover. Right?

Let me get this right: she's making a call for journalistic ethicism now? Where the hell has she been for the past 5 years? Sweetie, there's no going back — might as well self-medicate on your complimentary Grey Goose until you can handle the swag.
Bite By Bite, Media Eat Away Own Credibility [Chicago Tribune (reg. req'd)]