On this morning's edition of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program (if you're one of the handful of people who actually watches MSNBC, perhaps you saw it) host Joe Scarborough, aided by Time Magazine's Peter Beinart, blamed the growth of blogs and online networks for hyper-partisanship in Washington, DC.

Said Scarborough:

I wonder, is it new media? Is it the Internet? Is it the cable networks in primetime that are savaging moderates like Evan Bayh who say, "Forget this."

Beinert added:

We now have these kind of media and blog ghettos where conservatives listen to conservatives and liberals listen to liberals. And we don't have Walter Cronkite figures anymore.

Really?

The Internet has brought democracy to the fingertips of millions of Americans — allowing them to learn more about the political process and political news, and make their voices heard, easier than ever — but this involvement in the political process is bad?

Perhaps this type of navel-gazing by old media hacks like Beinert is the reason that old media is, well, old and failing.  And most likely the reason that MSNBC's audience could fit inside a Volkswagon Bug.

People like Beinert and Scarborough don't like the fact that they are no longer in control. Ordinary Americans have the ability to tune out these blowhards and search out the news that suits them on their computers or mobile phones.  They have the ability to email their elected officials, or forward important political news to their friends via email, Facebook or Twitter.

The fact of the matter is that Washington, DC has always been partisan. History is full of cases in which members of Congress savaged each other (both physically and verbally) on the floor of the House and Senate.  New online tools now allow us to learn about these instances in real time.  We can now read about legislation online.  We know what our members of Congress are saying from the House or Senate floor — in real time.

This isn't bad for America.  It's good.  It empowers citizens.  It allows us (if we so choose) to become more informed than ever.  It lets us make our voice heard.

It's good for America.  Bad for old media — and a threat to the failing talking heads at MSNBC.