Bread and Circuses

This is CNN:

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

WASHINGTON (CNN) — National Republicans turned the tables on their political counterparts Wednesday by redirecting angry telephone calls coming into their switchboard to the Democratic National Committee.

The DNC released a Web video early in the morning accusing the GOP of inciting mob activity at town hall meetings.

At the end of the video, the DNC instructs people to call the Republican National Committee to express outrage. Callers who dial the RNC's main number to voice their concern about the DNC's charges are told to press 1, which sends them to the DNC's main switchboard.

Not exactly Lincoln and Douglas, is it? I cannot help fearing that politics, and media coverage of same, becoming mostly this kind of thing is a symptom of the last days of once-great republics.