Sibby Online

Let me be clear

In case anybody is confused about my position on the blogger report that is expected to be published by the Argus Leader, let me repeat myself:

I too doubt the editors at the Argus Leader will spike the report.

Based on prior experience, I do believe they will try to downplay, if not remove, the criticism directed at their bias. I would be stupid not to expect that. Randell Beck has made it clear that he does not like bloggers…especially the ones who have his number.

The only faith I have that the report will be honest is that I will blog the heck out of it if it is wrong. I know the editors of the Argus Leader know that...or else they are really stupid.

Tony Dean critical of blogs

Tony Dean hypocritically attacks political blogs:

A big part of the problem is that both sides go to such extremes to make moderates look extreme, that most moderates stay out.

Consider how vicious the political game has become. I know from my experience during the last US Senate race in South Dakota, how mean they can get. It's a wonder anyone wants to run for political office.

Extremes? Take a look at the political blogs on the web these days. These people are whackos with no respect for views that are counter to their own.

What a hypocrite! I have a post on my first meeting with Tony Dean at the Mitchell Cabela’s store on February 22nd. He not only refused the documentation I offered him, he refused to shake my hand. Here is the email I received a couple of days later:

You trample on the truth so often, you cannot recognize it. It was a pleasure not shaking your hand, a gesture I reserve for those I am pleased to meet and those I respect. You're neither.

Perhaps Tony Dean is so delusional that he doesn’t realize that his web site promotes the view point of environmental extremists who refuse to tolerant those who disagree with them. For more on Tony Dean, review my Tony Dean index.

NRA deals with censorship

The NRA has confronted the Campaign Finance Reform censorship with an Internet radio program featuring Cam Edwards. I have added NRAnews to my links and Cam Edwards to my blogroll.

DVT on censorship

Earlier this week I posted several comments about censorship. Now DVT has commented on that issue regarding the Argus Leader’s possible spiking of a report that was prepared by Jennifer Sanderson on blogging. Although hesitant, I spent a couple of hours with her a week ago Friday.

I too doubt the editors at the Argus Leader will spike the report. But I do believe that the report is getting a major make over in order to fit their world-view. The world-view idea was brought forward by Jason Van Beek doing the same interview.

Why can’t the editors allow Jennifer to report it the way she sees it? She put a lot of effort in interviewing us, and I have also noticed that her ad watch reports demonstrate that she has done a lot of research and is capable of bringing forward facts. During the interview I even argued that David Kranz should be afforded the same free rein. Dave is a talented writer, passionate about politics, and a joy to visit with. But I believe he as a different role.

Like my post that analyzed the fine report Sanderson prepared on Daschle taking credit for funding he voted against, Dave’s role is one of a political analyst instead of a reporter. His work deserves to be printed, but on the opinion page. If the Argus Leader really cared about fair and balance, they would then allow a conservative the same space and free rein. Then let the readers decide what is right or wrong, not the editors.

Argus Leader’s double standard

Here is an excerpt Randell Beck made on July 23rd:

One more thing: Some of you may recall that we started, early on, forcing the candidates to talk for themselves, rather than their campaign machinery, in stories on the races. My personal feeling is that's been a big success. Folks I encounter in the community tell me they appreciate being able read what Daschle or Thune are saying, rather than their handlers. I think it will help, as we get closer to November, notch down the tone a step or two. The longer I'm in journalism the more I realize that people who hitch a ride on a candidate's coattails tend to be far more strident - in substance and tone - than the candidates themselves. Of course, we have learned the spin doctors are really irritated they're being cut out of the loop. I told one guy recently: ''Hey, when you actually run for some office, we'll quote you. But not before then.''

Now take a look at today’s Argus Leader:

Daschle was unavailable for comment. His campaign staff said there's no reason to yank the commercial and has no plans to interrupt its statewide airing.

On June 26th, I noted that the Argus Leader reported stated, "John Thune, Daschle’s Republican challenger, was unavailable for comment Friday." This was in regard to Daschle’s decision to delay action on a defense spending bill in order for the Democrats to attend the Fahrenheit 9/11 premiere. I also noted that David Kranz contributed to the report.

The day before I was at the John Thune pancake feed in Mitchell. So was David Kranz. I posted a picture of David Kranz interviewing John Thune. This was after I had a discussion with Kranz about Daschle’s impression of the Moore movie and how the people of South Dakota probably would be interested in hearing about this issue. David Kranz could have easily gotten a comment from John Thune regarding the Moore-Daschle issue. Instead Kranz focus was on how he could help the Daschle campaign by painting Thune in a negative light.

Clearly there is a double standard regarding Beck’s policy regarding campaign staff comments. In June, even though a Argus Leader reporter had an interview with Thune and the Thune campaign issued a press release, the Argus Leader reported Thune wasn’t available for comment. Two days ago, Daschle was in Mississippi raising money from trial lawyers. Yesterday, we don't know where Daschle was, so the Argus Leader allowed his staff to speak for him.

Here is the photo of Kranz interviewing John Thune the day before the Argus Leader reported Thune was unavailable for comment.

Daschle, lawyers & deceit

DVT noted, along with SDP, that Tom Daschle was in Mississippi raising money with trial lawyers instead of attending an education forum. DVT also notes that the Democrats (including Daschle) are using lawyers to intimidate the media in an effort to prevent ads that voice dissent toward the Democrats. The Democrats claim the ads contain false information.

Since hypocrisy is a staple of the Democrats, I was not surprised to see DVT note that it is Daschle who is under the gun for false ads by claiming credit in TV ads on funding Daschle voted against. Jennifer Sanderson also reported on this in today’s Argus Leader:

A campaign ad about distance learning featuring Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle is misleading and should be pulled, South Dakota Republican lawmakers say.

More than 50 state legislators signed their names this week to a letter that questions Daschle's involvement regarding a distance-learning center in Madison.

Among the ad's critics is former South Dakota Sen. Larry Diedrich, who's running against Democratic incumbent Rep. Stephanie Herseth for the state's seat in the U.S. House. In lending his name to the effort, he inserts himself into the nationally watched U.S. Senate match between Daschle and Republican challenger John Thune.

Meanwhile, at least three Democratic lawmakers serving the Madison area have rallied around Daschle, calling their colleagues' claims "irrelevant."

Daschle was unavailable for comment. His campaign staff said there's no reason to yank the commercial and has no plans to interrupt its statewide airing. [Note that this breaks Randell Beck's promise to only include comments from the candidate and not their staff.]

In the 60-second TV spot, a Rapid City woman earning her master's degree through Dakota State University thanks Daschle for securing nearly $900,000 for the school's program.

Daschle added the funding during Senate appropriations hearings for the 2003 Omnibus Bill. He ultimately voted against the overall bill, saying its $3.5 billion drought-relief package was half the needed amount and effectively cut the farm program by taking money from other areas, including conservation.

The real issue, Diedrich said, is not party politics but intellectual honesty.

The Democrats can call Daschle’s voting record irrelevant, but I don’t believe that most South Dakotans do. In the third issue of The Bird I actually detailed the voting record regarding the drought issue and the 2003 Omnibus bill.

On January 22, 2003 an amendment to the 2003 Omnibus bill that provided over $3 billion in drought relief passed 59 to 35 . Both Daschle and Tim Johnson voted against that. Later Daschle introduced an amendment that increased the funding to $6 billion. It failed 39 to 56. So much for Daschle's clout.

The next day the entire Omnibus bill passed 69 to 29. Both Daschle and Johnson voted “Nay”. But check out the press release Tim Johnson issued. Excerpt:

Washington, DC-U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Tom Daschle (D-SD) announced the Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2003 (FY03) Omnibus Appropriations Bill tonight and said some 60 South Dakota projects within the bill have fared well.

"Despite major budget cuts from Republicans, I am very pleased that South Dakota projects are receiving almost full funding," said Johnson. "South Dakota has never been in such a powerful position with my seat on the Appropriations Committee and Senator Daschle as Democratic Leader. This can been seen in how well our South Dakota projects have fared in the Omnibus bill that will fund economic development initiatives, water projects, transportation improvement and critical projects that will help improve the quality of life on Native American Reservations across South Dakota."

"I am ecstatic that Tim and I were able to work together to deliver funding for so many essential projects all across South Dakota," Daschle said. "From the Lewis and Clark Rural Water Project to Wakpa Sica, these funds are truly an investment in South Dakota's future prosperity."

After listing some of the funding, Johnson ended with this:

"Clearly I am pleased that very few of our projects received cuts," said Johnson. "This is good news for South Dakota. Despite Republican control Senator Daschle and I have continued to fight to have South Dakota's priorities heard. I look forward to passing this legislation."

At least Johnson keeps his word. After conference with the House, the bill was voted on for the last time on February 13, 2003. Johnson was among the 76 that voted “Yea”. Daschle was among the 20 that voted “Nay”.

As 27 Democrats, including Tim Johnson, voted for this bill and only 20 voted against it, read this excerpt from the Argus Leader report:

Rep. Gerry Lange of Madison, also a professor emeritus at DSU, defends Daschle's claims. Rep. Dave Gassman of Canova and Sen. Dan Sutton of Flandreau joined him in signing a letter of support. The three Democrats write that Daschle was "directly responsible" for the DSU money and call the GOP's request "the worst kind of election-year politics."

"We felt we needed to defend the college," said Lange, who taught history and politics at Dakota State before retiring in 1990.

He backs Daschle's "no" vote on the 2003 Omnibus Bill, as do Gassman and Sutton.

27 Senate Democrats including Tim Johnson disagree with those three partisan Daschle supporters. To be intellectually honest, you cannot support Daschle's no vote, and also give him credit for the funding the bill provided. The Argus Leader report ended with an outstanding quote from Larry Diedrich:

But Diedrich said action and intent cannot be separated.

"We become less than honest when we distort someone else's record," he said. "To distort your own record is taking it to a whole different level."

Now Daschle's lawyers my decide to start chasing Diedrich.

Catholics in Political life

From the Archdiocese of Atlanta:

As bishops, we have the obligation to teach and guide the Catholic Faithful whom we shepherd in the Body of Christ. A fundamental teaching of our Church is respect for the sacred gift of life. This teaching flows from the Natural Law and from Divine Revelation.

Life is a gift bestowed upon us by God, a truth underscored by the commandment: "You shall not kill" (Deut 5: 17 ). The Old Testament also teaches us that human life in the womb is precious to God: "...I formed you in the womb..." (Jer 1: 5). The right to life is a value "which no individual, no majority and no State can ever create, modify or destroy, but must only acknowledge, respect and promote" (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium vitae, 71a). A law, therefore, which legitimizes the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion is intrinsically unjust, since it is directly opposed to the natural law, to God's revealed commandments, and to the consequent right of every individual to possess life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

Catholics in political life have the responsibility to exemplify in their public service this teaching of the Church, and to work for the protection of all innocent life. There can be no contradiction between the values bestowed by Baptism and the Catholic Faith, and the public expression of those values. Catholic public officials who consistently support abortion on demand are cooperating with evil in a public manner. By supporting pro-abortion legislation they participate in manifest grave sin, a condition which excludes them from admission to Holy Communion as long as they persist in the pro-abortion stance (cf. Canon 915).

Which county is Sag Harbor in?

So Tom Daschle is busy going to all 66 South Dakota counties this month. It seemed like he couldn’t wait to get started, so he left the Democrat Convention early. Now check out this from the New York Post:

The Democratic elite have been pouring into the East End since the end of the party convention, attending benefits, seeking donations and planning fund-raisers.

Last Sunday, Sens. Tom Daschle and Jon Corzine and former Dem prez hopeful Wesley Clark attended a gathering at Gail Furman's Sag Harbor home looking to raise cash for Daschle's tight South Dakota re-election contest.

So which county is Sag Harbor in?

UPDATE: Remember this excerpt from a David Kranz column:

Clark for Daschle

Gen. Wesley Clark is telling supporters in a letter that he will be campaigning "as much as I can" in South Dakota with Daschle.

Daschle did not support any candidate for president this year, but some of his key staffers, including campaign manager Steve Hildebrand backed Clark. Paul Johnson, who managed Daschle's 1986 victory against Sen. James Abdnor, ran Clark's campaign this year.

So which county is Sag Harbor in?

Censorship?

There is a liberal who has taken issue to my use of the word “censorship” as he relates to the operations at the Argus Leader, due to their private property rights. My dictionary defines censorship as, “the institution or practice of censoring”. It defines censor as “a person empowered to suppress publications or excise any matter in them thought to be immoral, seditious or otherwise undesirable”.

Yes, the Argus Leader is a private entity who has the right to censor…and so does your employer…unless the Federal government says it is discrimination in regard to certain protected classes.

Of course the liberals believe they have a right to enforce political correctness through the government, even when it is conducted on private property. So much for free speech and property rights.

In addition I reserve the right to complain about the Argus Leader's censorship on my own blog. Also, the liberals have a right to complain about my complaints on their own blogs. Isn't free speech great!

And finally, let me argue that the Argus Leader's rignt to censor is a tool they use to indoctrinate us with their liberal bias. I do not believe a law be passed to change that...I am simply asking their readers to demand them to change or change where current Argus subscribers get their news...that is what free market's are about.

Blogger convention August 14th

DVT has details on the upcoming blogger convention in Sioux Falls, SD.