Jul
27
2012

URLs du Jour

2012-07-27

  • Liberty Granite State-based freedom fans may want to check out the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance's 2012 Liberty Rating of state legislators.

    One of my reps, Kirsten Larsen Schultz, managed to eke out a B! That's not bad in comparison with the other Strafford 2 folks (C+, D+, D, D-).

    And my senator, Amanda Merrill? In a four-way tie for last place with an F. Fortunately, she's retiring. It looks as if her replacement will be either David Watters (English prof at the University Near Here, Liberty Alliance grade: D-) and Phyllis Woods (not a professor, not currently a legislator). Unfortunately for Ms. Woods—and also unfortunately for liberty—this is a heavily Democrat-weighted district.

  • Via Michelle's site, we have ABC News's latest word about its attempt to link the Aurora, Colorado mass murderer with the Tea Party. A Mr. Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News, said:

    “It was a mistake, we recognized it immediately, owned it immediately, Brian has reached out personally to the individual in Aurora. We have learned from it as an organization. I know that moment did not live up to the standards and practices of ABC News. The news division knows how displeased I am about it.”

    Were I to respond directly to Mr. Sherwood, I would say:

    "Look, Ben. This was not a "mistake." A "mistake" is when, for example, you say that Egypt's new prime minister got advanced degrees from one place, when he actually got them from two different places. Mistakes are easy to make—especially when you're sloppy—but they're also easy to fix.

    "This was, instead, a vile slander. Not just against the "individual in Aurora" but also the Tea Party. You're "displeased"? That's bullshit. If you had any kind of professional ethics, you would be irate, and you would say so."

    It got worse though. George Stephanopoulos, one of the willing participants in the slander, also weighed in, repeating the "mistake" claim, and going even farther into self-deception:

    “I think it was a mistake made in good faith.…”

    What's completely obvious to everyone else: the "mistake" was not made in good faith. It was, instead, made out of a kneejerk reflex rooted in political bigotry. Stephanopoulos and Sherwood should either own up to this ugly streak or leave the business. Or both.

  • You really should subscribe to Jonah Goldberg's weekly newsletter. From today's:

    When a politician takes out an ad saying, in effect, "What I meant to say was  . . ." It's like sending your girlfriend flowers with a note that begins, "When I said you could lose a few pounds I didn't mean . . ."

    Jonah provides chuckles and insights in equal measure, sometimes simultaneously.


Last Modified 2012-07-29 6:08 AM EDT