Random thought which just occurred to me as the news is on in the background while I put rc together ... it's interesting to see the (negative) spin various news agencies are now putting out about Benedict XVI ... while yesterday I was thinking the 'ancient analogy' might be the principate of Nerva, today I'm beginning to think that this is the same sort of thing which Tiberius must have had to deal with. Coming to power after a very popular emperor, his reputation was doomed from the start by the ancient spinmeisters ...