Star Tribune: Right-wing letter to editor rebutted FOUR times the next day

[gristy]

For the first time that I have noticed, the editorial page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune published a letter (actually, 4 of them) which is critical of a right-wing letter. I have frequently been frustrated when, in an attempt at being "balanced", the Tribune often publishes shrill, right-wing diatribe in their letters section. I always thought that they would never publish a rebuttal, thinking that they didn't want to be the forum for a flame war. Until today.

Here's the right-wing letter from yesterday:

Recall the editorial writers

Your editorial on Vice President Dick Cheney is reprehensible. You folks who sit in the editorial ivory palace at the Star Tribune have gone on the record as being anti-American.

Your hatred toward the Bush administration has prequalified every one of you for charter membership in the Department of Homeland Hatred.

I have but one question for you. Which one of the 10 Democratic dwarfs paid you to shill for their anti-American presidential campaign? Frankly, Joe Lieberman is just about the only one who wouldn't have paid you off, because the rest of that sleazy lot are just as anti-American as you.

You folks are a disgrace to journalism. I just wish there were some way to recall all of you from any position of authority at the Star Tribune. You have no credibility.

And here are the FOUR rebuttals published today. Read and enjoy!

Humorous harangue

Here I was, reading the Sept. 18 Letters from readers, when I get to the tongue-in-cheek letter, "Recall the editorial writers." And they say that folks backing our Fearless Leader have no sense of humor!

We must thank the writer for the depth of his insight, listening to his inner voice and speaking out so eloquently.

A few words of advice: Don't give up the day job, but do keep working on your punch lines. Humor such as yours is so scarce on these pages.

Who's the patriot?

In response to the hysterics of the Sept. 18 letter, "Recall the editorial writers":

- Disagreeing with someone is not grounds for recall. Even editorial writers.

- Holding public officials accountable for their words and actions is not anti-American.

- Unquestioningly taking a politician's every word at face value is foolish and lazy.

Insults, but no facts

I saw a telling similarity in the letters taking you to task for your "Iraq" editorial of Sept. 17. They didn't dispute the facts you laid out, just your right to print it. The only tools in their kit -- name-calling and vituperation -- are the tactics of people who are afraid. But what exactly do they fear?

A badge of honor

If, according to a Sept. 18 letter writer, loving our country with the intellect of a human being rather than that of a lemming makes me "anti-American," then I will be grateful every day to be anti-American. Keep up the good work.

And, finally, here is Wednesday's editorial on Cheney's lying ways which started the whole thing:

Truth / Too little of it on Iraq
Published September 17, 2003

Dick Cheney is not a public relations man for the Bush administration, not a spinmeister nor a political operative. He's the vice president of the United States, and when he speaks in public, which he rarely does, he owes the American public the truth.

In his appearance on "Meet the Press" Sunday, Cheney fell woefully short of truth. On the subject of Iraq, the same can be said for President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz. But Cheney is the latest example of administration mendacity, and therefore a good place to start in holding the administration accountable. The list:

- Cheney repeated the mantra that the nation ignored the terrorism threat before Sept. 11. In fact, President Bill Clinton and his counterterrorism chief, Richard Clarke, took the threat very seriously, especially after the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000. By December, Clarke had prepared plans for a military operation to attack Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, go after terrorist financing and work with police officials around the world to take down the terrorist network.
<snip>
- Cheney said that "we don't know" if there is a connection between Iraq and the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. He's right only in the sense that "we don't know" if the sun will come up tomorrow. But all the evidence available says it will -- and that Iraq was not involved in Sept. 11.
<snip>
- In trying to make that link, Cheney baldly asserted that Iraq is the "geographic base" for those who struck the United States on Sept. 11. No, that would be Afghanistan.
- On weapons of mass destruction, Cheney made a number of statements that were misleading or simply false.

MORE

In an attempt to keep this thread kicked, I have this final comment: What's up with Dean and Minnie Mouse?

[bif]

1. Excellent.

Thanks for posting.

[RobertSeattle]

2. Thanks - Great Summary

I especially like the "Who's the patiot"

"Who's the patriot?

- Disagreeing with someone is not grounds for recall. Even editorial writers.

- Holding public officials accountable for their words and actions is not anti-American.

- Unquestioningly taking a politician's every word at face value is foolish and lazy."

[Brucey]

3. I saw the letters and loved them.

The original rightwing letter was godawful and deserved at least 4 responses. I wonder how many the Strib got altogether if they published four?

[alphafemale]

4. Newspaper editors take umbrage at having their ethics challanged.

It really sets them off. They may well print even more letters refuting and mocking the first one.

And Dean only wants a health plan for all "toons." :P

[RandomKoolzip]

5. Dean broke up with Minnie because she was fucking Goofy.

Good to see the tide turning. Here in Nashville, you get a lot of LTTE's that sound shrill and right wing and use phrases like "America-haters", "Traitors, etc. and they all seem to be written by the same guy, some dude named Rollow Mickle. His name appears at the bottom of 80% of those letters. Why do the editors feel compelled to print every fucking letter this asshole writes?

[gristy]

6. They keep printing letters from one guy?

That's pretty lame. I think newspapers usually limit letter writers to one published letter per month or so. You should write them a letter about that. :)