[ColinWright]

Politicians don't say anything useful because everything they say is fodder for the media to find something to excerpt, distort, and then replay endlessly out of context as an attack. The media has forced politicians not to say anything.

    Qu'on me donne six lignes écrites de la main
    du plus honnête homme, j'y trouverai de quoi
    le faire pendre.

        If you give me six lines written by the hand of
        the most honest of men, I will find something in
        them which will hang him.

    -- Cardinal Richelieu (attributed)