From Salon -- Bob Eckstein
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
AP Falsely Reports on Troopergate
The Associated Press through selective ommissions implies that the Troopergate investigation is a partisan Republican versus Democratic conflict. This is not true.
The following is an item I sent to the readers' representative at the San Francisco Chronicle concerning an AP story today. An appropriate link is included.
====Message follows====
Dear Mr. Rodgers,
I would like to direct your attention to the following AP story on SFGate.com:
Alaska Supreme Court takes up 'Troopergate' case
By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, October 4, 2008
linked at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/04/politics/p001900D73.DTL
This story is misleading through the selective inclusion and omission of party affiliations and I expect it violates The Chronicle's standards. The relevant material is quoted below.
"The court accepted an emergency appeal late Friday filed by six Alaska lawmakers....
"The independent investigator conducting the probe plans to turn over his conclusions by next Friday to the Legislative Council, the body that authorized it.
"The six Republican lawmakers, who are not on the Legislative Council, filed the emergency appeal after....
"[Defense attorney Peter] Maassen represents Senate Judiciary Chairman Hollis French, the Democratic project manager of the investigation; Sen. Kim Elton, Democratic chairman of the Legislative Council; the investigator, retired prosecutor Steven Branchflower; and the Legislative Council."
In this way the article subtly indicates, as alleged by the plaintiffs, that this is a partisan dispute between Republican plaintiffs and Democratic defendants. This is incorrect. The party affiliations of the Legislative Council membership, other than Chairman Elton whose Democratic affiliation is stated in the article, are 10 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Accurate reporting would recognize this as an allegation of partisan bias by 6 Republicans against 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats, ideally with Prosecutor Branchflower's affiliation also included.
We now have a much different story. The story no longer implies that there is partisan bias on the part of the defendants who initiated the investigation prior to Governor Palin's nomination. In fact, the allegation itself now appears partisan given the plaintiffs filed suit after Governor Palin's nomination for Vice-President and not before.
It is misleading to omit the party affiliations of only one side in an accusation of partisan bias.
Thank you,
Michael Brent
The following is an item I sent to the readers' representative at the San Francisco Chronicle concerning an AP story today. An appropriate link is included.
====Message follows====
Dear Mr. Rodgers,
I would like to direct your attention to the following AP story on SFGate.com:
Alaska Supreme Court takes up 'Troopergate' case
By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, October 4, 2008
linked at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/04/politics/p001900D73.DTL
This story is misleading through the selective inclusion and omission of party affiliations and I expect it violates The Chronicle's standards. The relevant material is quoted below.
"The court accepted an emergency appeal late Friday filed by six Alaska lawmakers....
"The independent investigator conducting the probe plans to turn over his conclusions by next Friday to the Legislative Council, the body that authorized it.
"The six Republican lawmakers, who are not on the Legislative Council, filed the emergency appeal after....
"[Defense attorney Peter] Maassen represents Senate Judiciary Chairman Hollis French, the Democratic project manager of the investigation; Sen. Kim Elton, Democratic chairman of the Legislative Council; the investigator, retired prosecutor Steven Branchflower; and the Legislative Council."
In this way the article subtly indicates, as alleged by the plaintiffs, that this is a partisan dispute between Republican plaintiffs and Democratic defendants. This is incorrect. The party affiliations of the Legislative Council membership, other than Chairman Elton whose Democratic affiliation is stated in the article, are 10 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Accurate reporting would recognize this as an allegation of partisan bias by 6 Republicans against 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats, ideally with Prosecutor Branchflower's affiliation also included.
We now have a much different story. The story no longer implies that there is partisan bias on the part of the defendants who initiated the investigation prior to Governor Palin's nomination. In fact, the allegation itself now appears partisan given the plaintiffs filed suit after Governor Palin's nomination for Vice-President and not before.
It is misleading to omit the party affiliations of only one side in an accusation of partisan bias.
Thank you,
Michael Brent
Friday, September 19, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Congratulations Mr. President, you've made it to number 1!
Our hearts go out to our fellow citizens who suffered tremendous losses in New Orleans. We hope and pray for their recovery from the disaster that befell them and I ask that you give what you can to the reputable charity of your choice for their benefit.
Today we continue a presentation of people who profess to be conservatives but espouse very non-conservative views. While I therefore do not personally believe these people are conservatives, they claim themselves as such and so I am obliged to title this blog, Why Do Conservatives Hate America. And now ...
For Totally Not Getting It
George W. Bush
is a
Conservative Who Hates America
George W. Bush
is a
Conservative Who Hates America
Well we knew it had to happen sooner or later. And after the hurricane this week, the President proved he is as phony as a $200 bill. Face it, this man does not stand for smaller government, does not support the free exercise of the rights of the states and is unable to truly lead. Today, proving his failure, the President invoked 9/11 in support of his failure to adequately address issues in New Orleans in a timely fashion. He then has the gall to remind us, the American people, of our duty when so many of us responded as he sat on vacation neglecting his duty. After listening to his mother, Marie Antoinette, this week, it is clear as Bill Maher put it so well, "The moron doesn't fall far from the tree."
By his inept behavior both personally and in the people he appointed who dropped the ball this week, for his inability to hold anyone responsible for, well, anything, and for giving so much less than was needed when what was needed was so much more, President Bush displays his hatred of America and Americans.
Congratulations to President Bush this week's Conservative Who Hates America
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Our Second Conservative Who Hates America
Today we continue a presentation of people who profess to be conservatives but espouse very non-conservative views. While I therefore do not personally believe these people are conservatives, they claim themselves as such and so I am obliged to title this blog, Why Do Conservatives Hate America. And now ...
On June 21, 2005 Karl Rove suggested in remarks to the New York Conservative Party that liberals did not heed the call of national security. His comments that conservatives calling for war was pro national securtity and liberals calling for indictments was anti national security shows a blatant disregard for American values.
On September 11, 2001 a terrorist group attacked the United States. In this country running a jet plane into a building is against the law and we are a country that believes in the rule of law. The perpetrators should be brought to justice. To date, we have may have detained some of the people responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, but we have not yet brought them to justice. In order to detain these people we needed to invade another country that harbored the criminals and would not cooperate, Afghanistan. President Bush did this with the support of conservatives and liberals as shown by adoption of Public Law 107-40, "To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States," with bipartisan sponsorship and votes on House Joint Resolution 64 (passed 420 to 1) and Senate Joint Resolution 23 (passed 98 to 0). To say, as Mr. Rove did, that liberals did not heed the danger and to impugn the patriotism of liberals is a lie. Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, your statements show that you hate America.
For Impugning the Patriotism of Liberals
Karl Rove
is a
Conservative Who Hates America
On June 21, 2005 Karl Rove suggested in remarks to the New York Conservative Party that liberals did not heed the call of national security. His comments that conservatives calling for war was pro national securtity and liberals calling for indictments was anti national security shows a blatant disregard for American values.
On September 11, 2001 a terrorist group attacked the United States. In this country running a jet plane into a building is against the law and we are a country that believes in the rule of law. The perpetrators should be brought to justice. To date, we have may have detained some of the people responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, but we have not yet brought them to justice. In order to detain these people we needed to invade another country that harbored the criminals and would not cooperate, Afghanistan. President Bush did this with the support of conservatives and liberals as shown by adoption of Public Law 107-40, "To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States," with bipartisan sponsorship and votes on House Joint Resolution 64 (passed 420 to 1) and Senate Joint Resolution 23 (passed 98 to 0). To say, as Mr. Rove did, that liberals did not heed the danger and to impugn the patriotism of liberals is a lie. Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, your statements show that you hate America.
Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Impugning the Patriotism of Liberal Americans is Deplorable!
Congratulations to
Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove
our second
Conservative Who Hates America
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