Sibby Online

Sibby versus Hemmingsen continued

Here is Steve Hemmingsen’s email response I received yesterday morning:

Man, gimme a break. Readers aren't editors and in the case of many bloggers, they become victims. Who verfies your (generic reference) stuff? Nobody. Want an example of one too few editors? Dan Rather's mess. No I don't think the rest of you are stupid. In fact I think some may be too smart for the public good. You know the old saying: "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Enjoy your power...and use it wisely instead of vicariously. Steve H.

Here is the email response I sent back this morning.

Another open email to Steve Hemmingsen:

To be sure, readers have emailed about problems in my post. I have reacted by adding updates at the bottom of the posts if the issue warrants it.

Your blogger opera column had missing spaces between some words. I suppose an editor would have pointed this out to you. As a reader of your web site, I am pointing them out to you now. Correct them if you want.

That column also brought up the issue of David Kranz and Tom Daschle while attending SDSU in 1976 [correction: they were at SDSU during the 60's, it was 1976 when Kranz wrote about it in the MDR]. Instead of responding to my position on that issue, you bring up Thomas Paine. Then you mentioned "generic reference" in regard to the stuff I post. Do you consider a 1976 David Kranz column published by the Mitchell Daily Republic to be "generic reference"?

Here is the portion of that column that does not support your belief that Kranx "barely knew" Tom Daschle:

More familiar faces are returning from other parts of the country to South Dakota. Tom and Laurie Daschle, aides to Sen. James Abourezk in Washington have been reassigned to Abourezk’s Sioux Falls office.

Daschle is formerly of Aberdeen and his wife is the daughter of PUC commissioner Mrs. Norma Klinkel. We went to college with Daschle at South Dakota State University and worked together on a mock political convention.

Daschle masterminded one of the most successful participation events by students of an unrequired nature when he headed the political science department’s convention project. Well over 650 students got involved in the event which was patterned after the Democratic convention that year because of the general interest.

I remember our tireless search to find a renowned public speaker to address the convention such as McGovern, McCarthy, Humphrey or some other prominent Democrat. With no takers, we finally found a popular young state senator from Salem to address the group. His name was Richard Kneip

(End of column)

During the same 1976 time period, Jason Van Beek found documents in the James Abourezk archive at the I.D. Weeks library in Vermillion that also showed strong ties to Abourezk’s Mitchell office. He has them on the South Dakota Politics blog on the left sidebar [correction: right sidebar] under "The Kranz Bombshell Memos".

These are not "generic references", but documents that Randell Beck refuses to provide to its readers. In fact my attempts to reference them in my letters to the Argus Leader have been met with removal by the "editors" of that paper. Is that what you mean by editing?

Hope you can respond to the facts I have brought to your attention.

Regards,

Steve Sibson

Jon Lauck weighs in

Jon Lauck weighs in on the discussion I am having with Steve Hemmingsen:

Hemmingsen is concerned about SDP and I being consultants and worries about if we're "objective." Um, no, that's the thing about blogs. They have points of view. Hemmingsen is concerned because the blogs might "look like news." They do? It looks like an opinionated blog to me. Here's the thing--blogs never claimed to be "objective," but the Argus Leader did and still does. That's why the Argus became a pinata, because they're aren't "objective" either, thus the blog criticism. And note that Hemmingsen never addresses the substantive evidence that the Argus was not objective during the campaign. Let's have that debate.

What Jon has said bolsters this point I made in the open email to Hemmingsen:

Perhaps its time you take a serious look at all the stuff we have uncovered regarding David Kranz’s previous activities. That doesn’t make Dave a bad person. It only makes him like us bloggers…biased and partisan. The only difference is that we can and do freely admit it. I feel bad for Dave.

I did get another response from Hemmingsen this morning, but I don’t have time to discuss it now, but I will after work tonight. I think this is a very important debate to have. I hope Hemmingsen is up to it...Randell Beck was not.

Diedrich not selected

Jon Lauck has reported that the Governor of Nebraska, Mike Johanns, was selected as Secretary of Ag instead of Larry Diedrich. No thanks to Tim Johnson.

Hemmingsen responds

Steve Hemmingsen responds to my open email:

I've said all I have to say on the subject.  Sorry your ego is bruised.  I didn't seek out the bloggers; they sought me.  I suppose one could say Thomas Paine was a blogger in his time.  Maybe the tea barons paid him.  I don't know.  Maybe a brewer paid him.  I don't know.  Maybe a large insurance firm of the time paid him.  I don't know.  I'm just saying it stinks that so-called honest blogs have gotten thousands of dollars from the causes they are trying to perpetuate.  I get paid by Kelo, period, and my stuff goes through at least one editor.  Does yours?    Steve H.

Here is my response:

Yes Steve. My stuff goes through hundreds of editors. My readers. Like I said, you old media elitists think only you an only you can determine what is and isn't true. You must think the rest of us are too stupid.

Sibby

I have faith in all of you to keep me honest. That is much different than the attitude of the mainstream media elitists.

I am so glad I started this blog. I have learned so much about what's really going on in today's newsrooms. 

Socialists are pro-abortion

From the Socialist Worker:

In 1997, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) led the “opposition” to the Republicans’ attempt at a federal “partial-birth” ban--by proposing legislation that banned even more late-term procedures. “We ban abortion; they ban a procedure,” Daschle said. “They allow all the other abortive procedures available--dilation and evacuation, induction, hysterotomies, hysterectomies--those are still legally available. What we ban are all of those procedures--all of them.”

As a senator, John Kerry voted for Daschle’s “alternative.”

Despite all this, the strategy of liberal women’s organizations has been to elect supposedly pro-choice Democrats. So even when the Bush administration went after abortion from its first days in office in 2001, groups like NARAL never mobilized--except for last April’s March for Women’s Lives, which was little more than a campaign rally for Kerry.

The anti-abortion bigots can be stopped--if they’re opposed.

You can forget about groups like NOW and NARAL leading this fight. The opposition will have to be built from the bottom up.

More on Hemmingsen

I sent an email to Steve Hemmingsen regarding the column he wrote on bloggers. (see my recent post) He did respond and below is my followup:

Open email to Steve Hemmingsen:

Thanks for your response. Before I begin, let me be clear. I don’t mean this to be a personal attack. I have much respect for both David Kranz and Randell Beck. But that has not stopped me from aggressively challenging their positions. The same goes for you.

My mention of Hitler is based on those, such as Linda Ronstadt, who have demonized Republicans by calling us Nazis. My take was that you were doing the same to bloggers with your column. Randell Beck made that mistake not long ago. If I was wrong, then I stand corrected.

By the way, my ego was not bruised because you did not know who I am. But that revelation did confirm to me your lack of knowledge in regard to the issue of bloggers, including the two you mentioned in your column (or blog). If you had spent the time researching their sites, you would have run across links to Sibby Online many times.

Your email did not respond to the 1976 David Kranz column I found. The content does not collaborate your statement that Kranz "barely knew Daschle" at SDSU. Like Randell Beck, you refuse to deal with the issues conservatives and/or Republicans raise and instead resort to attacking us in some way. You argued that just because Hitler liked it doesn’t make it bad. I say that just because a conservative and/or Republican says it, doesn’t make it wrong. Perhaps its time you take a serious look at all the stuff we have uncovered regarding David Kranz’s previous activities. That doesn’t make Dave a bad person. It only makes him like us bloggers…biased and partisan. The only difference is that we can and do freely admit it. I feel bad for Dave.

In addition, if researchers, who just because they received payment for their work, were deemed not credible…we would have no research. What would America be today, if we never had research?

Perhaps you should do more research before you judge us bloggers. We may not have barrels of ink to respond with, but we have more…we have the Internet. We will not be intimidated by journalists who think they are the only ones who can determine what is or isn’t true. Just ask Dan Rather.

Would love to discuss this matter further with you in person,

Sibby

Afterthought: The part about feeling bad about David Kranz has stuck into my mind. I have enjoyed the times I have spent with him. There is nothing wrong with him being a passionate Democrat. I have told Randell Beck that he deserves to write because of his passion and his talent. If Randell wants fair and balanced, then the Argus Leader should find a passionate conservative and give that person equal ink to Dave’s. Not only would this be beneficial to the readers of the paper, it would be even more beneficial to Dave. Then Dave would be free at last to say what he wants without pretending to be objective. I don’t think it would be hard to find a conservative who would like to be paid to write on what they feel passionate about. It’s too bad that journalists like Steve Hemmingsen have been trained to believe this important part of the democratic process is somehow wrong.

Diedrich lacks Johnson’s support

(Editor's note: The Club For Growth linked to this post. Welcome to Sibby Online)

The Rapid City Journal is reporting that Larry Diedrich, Republican's unsuccessful 2004 candidate for South Dakota's only U.S. House seat, is on the short list for the Secretary of Ag position. Here is what South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson thinks:

"I have not seen his name on any lists talked about by the Washington establishment," Johnson said. "That doesn't mean his name won't come up, either for secretary or some other office. But I would guess Larry is not going to be our next secretary of agriculture."

Why doesn’t Johnson send a letter to the President urging the appointment? He has done so many times before on various issues. I believe Johnson cares more about Democrats than he does South Dakota. If Diedrich were a Democrat, Johnson would be on top of his whining routine.

Now contrast Johnson’s comments with John Thune’s:

Diedrich said Thune has been talking with members of the Bush administration on his behalf. Thune said Tuesday that he does not believe the Bush administration is close to making a decision on Veneman's replacement.

"This is one of those positions vacated without a clear-cut replacement in mind. They didn't have a clear frontrunner," Thune said. "My argument was, he's a real farmer, he's got legislative experience, he's been the head of a national farm organization and he's led trade missions. He's somebody from the Upper Midwest who understands agriculture here, grains and the livestock industry. In light of all the other names that have been advanced, he brings a lot to the table."

Perhaps Johnson’s biggest problem is that he feels John Thune would get most of the credit. The last thing Johnson wants is for a member of the Taliban wing of the Republican Party getting credit for something positive for South Dakota. Looks like Tim Johnson’s recent move to work as a team with the South Dakota delegation was nothing but show.

Democrats critical of Daschle

The Hill has a report titled, "Reid makes it clear he’s no Daschle". Excerpt:

Reid "understands we’ve had a problem communicating our position to the American people, and he’s tired of having us defined by the other side," said David DiMartino, press secretary to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

The charges became specific:

Implicit in some of the calls for a more "aggressive" press operation is a criticism of Daschle’s organization.

"I don’t think there’s a perception that there was necessarily anything wrong with the way Daschle was doing it," said one Senate Democratic aide. "There was a perception that we are up against a very, very aggressive message operation that in fact puts message above all else and in fact is willing to say things that aren’t true in support of their political goals. That requires a ramping up of our effort to get accurate info out there."

Some Democratic aides say Daschle’s organization became too focused on home-state concerns as Daschle’s own Senate seat became increasingly in peril.

"The way Daschle press shop was set up, it was too slow," said one Democratic press secretary. "It was too narrow. They just didn’t do enough for other members. The message always just seemed to be Daschle’s message — as opposed to the message of the party."

All of this gives substance to the argument that Daschle was no longer the Democrat leader in the Senate even if he had won re-election.

Here is insight on the footage the Thune campaign ran of Daschle saying he is a DC resident:

For now, Reid plans to discontinue the practice of giving dugouts, when previous leaders have taken questions from the press on a number of policy and political issues without TV cameras present.

Daschle has expressed regret for getting away from the practice during the last year as his campaign heated up. At one point during his Senate race, Daschle had TV ads run against him based on a clip from a dugout session where he had claimed to be a D.C. resident.

Sibby out in the cold

(Editor's note: I have added updates to this post)

Steve Hemmingsen’s column mentioned the impact two of the DBA bloggers (Jon & Jason) had in the 2004 South Dakota Senate race. Like the National Journal column a couple of weeks ago, he took issue with the money they received from the Thune campaign.

I did not get one red cent from the Thune campaign. This is not a complaint. I did not start Sibby Online in search of money. As it says at the top, I am in search of the truth. It's the truth that Hemmingsen and the mainstream media can't handle.

But I do have a problem with not being mentioned by Hemmingsen and the National Journal. It’s a good thing I put my clothes on before reading Hemmingsen’s column. I certainly feel like I have been left out in the cold. It seems like the old media doesn't want Sibby Online to get into the way of a good story. Because I did not receive money from the Thune campaign, I do not fit into their world view of bloggers and therefore, I am ignored as they put out their biased propaganda.

Hemmingsen tried to down play the Kranz-Daschle college connection:

That prairie fire included an effort to unhorse Dave Kranz from the KELOLAND/Argus Leader sponsored debates.
Jason Van Beek's blog http://southdakotapolitics.blogs.com, also with money from the Thune side of the fence, tried to paint Kranz as a college cohort of Tom Daschle's going back to their student days at SDSU in the late 1960's. Kranz says he barely knew Daschle in those days. And since Kranz and I are old friends going back to the budding of our careers in Austin, Minnesota, I tend to believe him.

For the record, I was the one who found the Kranz-Daschle college connection. Here is what I found (and posted on May 30, 2003) in a 9/4/1976 David Kranz column published by the Mitchell Daily Republic:

More familiar faces are returning from other parts of the country to South Dakota. Tom and Laurie Daschle, aides to Sen. James Abourezk in Washington have been reassigned to Abourezk’s Sioux Falls office.

Daschle is formerly of Aberdeen and his wife is the daughter of PUC commissioner Mrs. Norma Klinkel. We went to college with Daschle at South Dakota State University and worked together on a mock political convention.

Daschle masterminded one of the most successful participation events by students of an unrequired nature when he headed the political science department’s convention project. Well over 650 students got involved in the event which was patterned after the Democratic convention that year because of the general interest.

I remember our tireless search to find a renowned public speaker to address the convention such as McGovern, McCarthy, Humphrey or some other prominent Democrat. With no takers, we finally found a popular young state senator from Salem to address the group. His name was Richard Kneip.

Steve Hemmingsen can ignore me. Steve Hemmingsen can ignore what David Kranz said in 1976. But I am not going to ignore Steve Hemmingsen. More to come on this issue.

UPDATE: Hemmingsen mentioned the Ride Of The Valkyrie. Here is another connection to Hitler:

This piece is based on an old Germanic legend, a practice that was highly approved by the Nazis. Its bold and uplifting music is a part of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Wagner's sense of the importance of Germanness, as well as his expressed antisemitism, made his music popular with Nazis.

Another Update:

Jason at SDP is wondering why Hemmingsen thinks the DBA is "mildly anti-Hemmingsen". I think I am responsible for that. In April I mentioned the Kranz-Hemmingsen connection with regard to South Dakota’s liberal media. Then just November 10^th I said Hemmingsen needs to join Elitists Anonymous.

Jason & Jon need to wake up. Hemmingsen just proved he is in the same camp as Randell Beck. It’s just that Beck uses a more straightforward approach. Hemmingsen is much more subtle. The difference is shown by how they accuse bloggers of being Nazis. Also note that Hemmingsen did not specifically point me out when he mentioned "mildly anti-Hemmingsen". He is a sly one. Jason thinks he is a "good guy", but I don't trust him...yet.

One more update: Ryne McClaren decided to help Hemmingsen out with his lack of understanding a Blue Dog Democrat. Here is more.

Pajamas versus nude anchors

Sherrie Gossett has a column titled, "Pajamas Versus Nude Anchors" that responds to an Eric Engberg column. Here is the opening:

On November 8 Eric Engberg, a retired former correspondent for CBS News, wrote a column on CBSNews.com that was highly critical of blogging, a form of do-it-yourself journalism on the Internet. It was bloggers who first discovered CBS had used faked documents for a "60 Minutes" story that accused President Bush of neglecting his Texas Air National Guard service. Other mainstream media recognized a good lead when they saw it, and saw that CBS was in the middle of a horrific scandal. The bloggers had struck gold.

Soon the Washington Post, ABC News and others were after CBS. CBS initially stonewalled. Finally, Dan Rather, host of the controversial broadcast, issued a belated mea culpa. An internal investigation is now underway into what happened. CBS and Rather had been forced into humiliation by people wearing pajamas in front of their computers, which is how a former CBS executive had described bloggers.

Here is her ending:

One wonders what Engberg would say about Cleveland anchor Sharon Reed of WOIO, who decided to go naked for a story in a craven race for ratings during November's sweeps. Her news station, Channel 19, says Reed "didn't just report the story, she became part of it…" Are bloggers supposed to be a step below this kind of thing? Is Sharon Reed's nudity supposed to be legitimate journalism? We'll take the bloggers any day.

I just turned on the coffee and am about to take a shower. I am blogging this post in the buff. Now does this make me liberal mainstream media worthy?