These are classic discussions published back in August 2008
Did McCain Just Win the Election?
Barack Obama’s many amazing talents might or might not qualify him to be a good President. John McCain, in order to win, must point out that Sen. Obama lacks experience and substance. He might have just done that, by introducing Gov. Sarah Palin into the mix.
Gov. Palin’s experience (for the number 2 spot) easily matches that of Sen. Obama (the top of the ticket). If you dispute that, I’d suggest that you might be missing how much a Governor oversees and how little an individual Senator actually oversees. And, come to think of it, though the Lefties, (for the good of the nation, mind you), are deeply worried that Gov. Palin’s experience is problematic, they didn’t fretted much about that issue when first-term Virginia Governor Tim Kaine was being considered for the Democratic ticket. Could it be that Gov. Kaine simply is doing a more manly job of governing? My bad. Poor choice... (read more)
C’mon, People, It’s Nie Nie Day!
Rep. Steve Clark’s daughter, Stephanie Nielson (author of the absolutely amazing NieNie Dialogues), and her husband Christian were in a plane crash and face a tough – and expensive – road to recovery.
My sis-in-law Gabby Blair (author of the absolutely amazing Design Mom) has declared today Nie Nie Day! and has helped organize over 165 auctions to help raise money for the beautiful Nielson family. (Check out all the participants listed at Design Mom, and marvel at the goodness that exists in this world!).
When tragedy strikes, people often wonder how they can help. Well, folks, here’s how! Check out the totally cool stuff being auctioned and part yourself from a few dollars. Many of the auctions close on 8/31/08.
And, please, outbid me on some stuff, or I’ll have to sell a kid to pay for it all. Start here, at Oh Happy Day – (the absolutely amazing blog of another sis-in-law Jordan Ferney). FYI, I’m gonna steal a tricked out... (read more)
Deseret News Declares War on Legislature
In late-June/early-July, the Deseret News and the Tribune submitted records requests for documents. The Trib’s request was broad. The D News asked for a specific document.
The Trib’s broader request netted documents that led to a story. No documents matched the specific document requested by the D News. John Fellows, legislative general counsel, explained the situation to Lee Davidson of the D News, when Davidson called in a dither. Davidson exploded that Fellows “knew what they wanted.” Fellows explained that all sorts of liability could flow from releasing sensitive documents that were never actually requested. And, I’d imagine that Fellows might have wanted to add that it’s not his job to divine what a big, well-lawyered organization (that trades in words, for heaven’s sake) wanted, despite what it actually requested.
Davidson threatened Fellows, saying that his refusal to relent to the demands of the Deseret News would “constitute a declaration of war.” Fellows told him to redraft his request.
Immediately thereafter, the D... (read more)
D News Runs Further With Admittedly Fake Story
Any minute now Ashton Kutcher is going to tell me I’ve been Punk’d. I hope. If not, the D News is punking Utahns big time. Here’s the summary.
1. On 8/19, the D News reported that GOP legislative leaders were going to take on the referendum process. The story was made up. Just the day before, legislative leaders told the D News editorial board the opposite – that Utah’s referendum process was sound.
2. On 8/20, editorial board members admitted to legislative leaders that the story was inaccurate. D News reporter Bob Bernick apologized to President John Valentine for acting unethically in writing the story. Bernick said he’d run a retraction.
3. On 8/20, Bernick did not run a retraction. Rather, he wrote a second story, suggesting that legislative leaders had decided against challenging the referendum process – a significant misrepresentation.
4. Since the beginning of this faux story, Bloggers pointed out that Bernick and the D News made up the referendum story.
5. On... (read more)
Deseret News Opposes Transparency
Deseret News reporter Bob Bernick laments,
“I am often these days attacked by bloggers, and while I make an effort NOT to read the misinformation about me and my work (just keep on plugging away), I know for a fact how inaccurate and unfair blogs can be.”
Yet again, Bob fares poorly when fact checked. Let’s look at the who, what, and how of his claim.
Who are the bloggers attacking Bob and his work? Searches on Technorati and Google Blogsearch reveal surprisingly little discussion about Bob. So, it seems Ric Cantrell mostly sums up Bob’s blogging critics.
What are those bloggers saying about Bob? The bloggers are saying that Bob made up a story about Utah’s referendum process.
How are those charges “misinformation,” “inaccurate,” or “unfair?” It would be simple for Bob and the D News to contradict these charges. They recorded the editorial board meeting at issue. Open it to public scrutiny. If I’m wrong, I’ve offered to eat my blog. I’ll double... (read more)
Deseret News Fabricates More News
Bob Bernick and the D News were caught in an outright lie. On Monday, Utah Senate leaders met with the Deseret News editorial board. In a broad ranging conversation, they discussed the State’s referendum process, concluding that it was in the right place.
Instead of reporting those facts, Bob Bernick and the D News made up a story. In complete contradiction of the facts, they reported that GOP legislative leaders were going to make a run at changing the referendum process. Again, that was a complete lie.
When called on the lie, the editorial board was forced to acknowledge it. They, then, forced Bernick to write a retraction. He didn’t. Instead, he furthered the lie.
Though Bernick admitted privately to President Valentine that he’d acted unethically, he publicly lied again. The D News didn’t publish anything approaching, “We made it all up.” Instead, Bernick wrote that Legislative leaders weren’t going to change the law after all – as if they’d seen the light... (read more)
Deseret News Fabricates Story
In my last post, I noted that Big Media’s stories largely are “made-up stuff or very-poorly-sourced-and-heavily-slanted stuff intended more to incite or excite than to enlighten.”
Right on cue, the Deseret News completely made up a story today. No one in Legislative leadership is talking about changing the referendum process. Here, for example, is what I last publicly said about the process. Yet, the Deseret News, um, “reports:”
Get ready for GOP legislative leaders to take on the state’s referendum law – and a big fight with Democrats who vow to protect the current system.
It’s 100% fiction. There won’t be a “big fight,” because no one is proposing a change. The D News completely made that up. Facts aren’t important to Big Media. The thing that is important to veteran reporter Bob Bernick – is that there will be an election. And anything he and other cracker jack reporters can do to influence it against Republicans – including making up stories –... (read more)
Governor Palin and Foreign Policy