In his most recent column for the Baltimore Sun, Gregory Kane (who I’ve never read) criticizes me. Of course, following in the footsteps of those in the entrenched media, Kane does not have the actual guts to use my name in his defense of Maryland Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett’s vote against the SCHIP bill:
Democrats — who voted overwhelmingly for the expansion, along with some Republicans — tried to paint themselves as the “party of the children” and Republicans as old meanies who have a bee in their bonnet when it comes to poor kids. One Maryland blogger even targeted Bartlett, calling him “the scourge of Maryland” and accusing him of taking pride in being “the only member of Maryland’s congressional delegation to vote against health care for poor children.”
Is it any wonder renowned Newsday columnist and editor Les Payne has called the blogosphere “the Wild West without any sheriffs”?
I am, of course, the “one Maryland blogger” operating without a sheriff who accurately called Rep. Bartlett the “scourge of Maryland”. And of course, what I said about Roscoe G. Bartlett is the truth. Maryland’s entire congressional delegation – including a Republican – voted for increased funding for SCHIP, which provides medical care for poor children. It’s not my fault that Bartlett decided to vote against Maryland’s children and other poor kids in America. I’m sorry the facts cause Gregory Kane to swoon at the offense to his tender sensibilities to point these things out.
The column goes on to have Kane reprint Roscoe G. Bartlett’s spin – he’s looking out for the folks, don’t you know? Kane buys hook, line, and sinker Bartlett’s nonsense that he has an alternative plan, but the vote on the floor is the bill in question. Bartlett is in the minority, and when his party was in control he somehow neglected to bring up this plan of his. Bartlett had a choice – either he was going to vote for SCHIP or not, and he didn’t. This Wild West blogger called him out for it, and now he and his dance partner at the Baltimore Sun are doing the lambada!
Roscoe Bartlett voted against a health care program for poor children, a program that is popular nationally, and I’m sure even more so in this progressive state. The other members of his congressional delegation voted for it. It isn’t my fault he’s made himself such an outsider, and a columnist for a relatively major newspaper should know better.
(via Free State Politics)
Is it any wonder renowned Newsday columnist and editor Les Payne has called the blogosphere “the Wild West without any sheriffs”?
What he means, of course, is “How dare that blogger be allowed to say that and not be punished for it!”
Irrelevant side note: clicking the comments link displayed a football ad by Dane Cook. Given Oliver’s opinions of the man, that’s kinda funny.
Kane has been a conservative columnist at the Sun for many years. Yes, he routinely says stupid things like complaining (or echoing complaints) that the blogosphere does not have armed cops to prevent hard-nosed criticism of his allies.
As if far more piquant commentary was once a feature of his newspaper. Were he to read H.L. Mencken’s columns from 80 year ago, Kane would realize that journalists have increasingly made the transition from holding politicians accountable to giving them warm backrubs and hot tea, due in part to the economics and challenge of doing actual journalism. Hence now one is more likely to find actual journalism on the pages of Josh Marshall’s Talking Points Memo than from anything that Howard Kurtz ever smelled, let alone touched.
The Sun itself has fallen mightily since Mencken’s day, becoming not so much liberal or conservative as an establishment toilet tissue roll of subooptimal width and texture since the News-American folded in the 1970’s, rendering Baltimore until very recently a one-daily town.
Whenever these old coots start talking about the Internets, you know you’re in for a treat!
Is it just an odd coincidence that the thumbnail photo of Bartlett on the front page is right next to the thumbnail of the noose?
Is it just an odd coincidence that the thumbnail photo of Bartlett on the front page is right next to the thumbnail of the noose?
“becoming not so much liberal or conservative as an establishment toilet tissue roll”
No journalist should fight for the establishment. The establishment can fight for itself, it is the little guy that needs help and that’s who journalists should look out for.
Corporate news media is one of the worst things to happen to America.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1451/gbugly.wav
Bruce, the News-American died in the mid-1980s (1986, IIRC), by which time it was largely an advertiser.
Otherwise you’re right. The Sunpapers went down the shitter after A.S. Abell sold them to Times Mirror, then got even worse under Tribune Media. However, there’s hope: with the impending breakup of Tribune, some local groups have been trying to buy what’s left of the Sun.
–RB
What does he use to trim that moustache? A broken gin bottle?