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July 23, 2008
Thus, the bias
by Eric Earling, 09:53 PM, 26 Comments
A note from an otherwise interesting P-I article on the environmental activism/beliefs of some fervent Christians: Even opposition from evangelicals, the Christian group considered least likely to embrace warnings of climate change, might be lessening. This is the problem with... [read more]
Coverage Of Veterans For McCain Rally
by Jim Miller, 02:09 PM, 17 Comments
You can find it here and here. The first post has more pictures, the second a better description of what was said, including a powerful quote from Mark Halpern.... [read more]
July 19, 2008
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:03 PM, 22 Comments
Dorothy Parvaz is applauding Seattle initiative I-97 ("Divest from War"), "An ordinance to divest Seattle Employees' Retirement System funds from stocks and bonds funding war and occupation in the Middle East". I-97 is a one-sided campaign to both undermine the... [read more]
July 18, 2008
The Solution Is Obvious
by Jim Miller, 12:10 PM, 55 Comments
Today, on KUOW's Gang of Four show, Eli Sanders (subbing for Knute Berger) was complaining that Republicans had mocked Al Gore and John Kerry, and are now — horror of horrors — beginning to mock Barack Arugula Obama.... [read more]
An interesting coincidence
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:54 AM, 18 Comments
Seattle Times editorialist Bruce Ramsey is complaining about the US. DoJ's efforts against Peter Egner, the Serbian-born Bellevue resident who is accused of lying on his U.S. citizenship application to conceal his membership in a Nazi death squad which slaughtered... [read more]
July 16, 2008
Now that is funny
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:33 AM, 37 Comments
Lynne Varner of the Seattle Times editorial page says, without irony, that "The Obamas are not that funny"It is difficult to spoof the couple who may occupy the White House because they do very little that could be deemed ha... [read more]
July 14, 2008
A modest proposal
by Stefan Sharkansky, 02:29 PM, 63 Comments
The Seattle Times applauds Greg Nickels' proposal to tax disposable grocery bags, both plastic and paper:The mayor goes further by including the fee on paper bags, arguing it takes a lot of energy and resources to make paper bags as... [read more]
July 12, 2008
The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 12:46 PM, 0 Comments
May need another proofreader. The death of James Paroline is a sad story, which didn't need this comic touch. According to police, the girls were in a car and argued with Paroline to move the cones. He refused. Things went... [read more]
July 11, 2008
Kudos To Don Gulliford
by Jim Miller, 05:09 PM, 22 Comments
For catching an error in this op-ed by University of Washington assistant political science professor, Christopher Parker. Here are the first two paragraphs of Gulliford's letter. As a U.S. Air Force veteran, I thought University of Washington political science professor... [read more]
July 08, 2008
More Historical Mistakes From Joel Connelly
by Jim Miller, 06:24 PM, 8 Comments
Hoping, perhaps, to spoil my July 4th celebration, the Seattle PI columnist produced this reminiscence on World War II, and managed to get several facts wrong. Even so, I probably would have not have bothered to do this post except... [read more]
July 01, 2008
Yes we can!
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:56 AM, 24 Comments
Seattle Times: "Puget Sound-area commuters are getting creative to avoid rising gas prices"Feeling the pinch at the gas pump, local workers and employers are not waiting for City Hall, the federal government or OPEC to ease the pressure. Instead, they... [read more]
June 30, 2008
The journalism is as objective as the scholarship
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:01 PM, 37 Comments
Today's Seattle Times insinuates that Dave Reichert's well-deserved reputation for independence is merely a facade, and gets supporting quotes from three supposedly objective scholars:"If he can't represent himself as a moderate Republican, he's dead in the water," said [UW communications... [read more]
June 29, 2008
Laying in that Bed You Made
by Eric Earling, 09:12 AM, 21 Comments
The flip side of the PC-infused discourse many on the left have promulgated is that pillars of the MSM Establishment tend to hold everyone accountable for failing to adhere to such standards. Hence, today's very public scolding of the state... [read more]
June 28, 2008
"7 simple ideas to help solve global warming"
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:01 PM, 29 Comments
Today's Seattle Times has an excerpt from the Sierra Club book Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet: Everyday Things to Help Solve Global Warming. As could be expected, the 7 ideas aren't really all that simple, and the article offers... [read more]
June 26, 2008
Let's Help Dave Ross
by Jim Miller, 10:15 AM, 12 Comments
During his discussion of the Supreme Court Heller decision, talk show host Dave Ross said that the United States has the "largest standing army" in the world. That's such an revealing mistake that I thought we should help Ross correct... [read more]
June 25, 2008
Let's Just Call a Spade, a Spade
by Eric Earling, 10:38 PM, 7 Comments
David Postman offers some coverage of the looming spending coming from a PAC of Democratic interests (past Sound Politics coverage of the group here and here). Without saying it directly, the underlying message is that a collection of "powerful special... [read more]
Blame The Candidate
by Jim Miller, 01:32 PM, 6 Comments
As you may recall, on Sunday, the Seattle Times editorial page editor, James Vesely, said that you should not blame the candidates, for breaking a promise to use public financing for the general election, and other sins. (I may be... [read more]
June 24, 2008
A Drink at the Bar of Things Left Unsaid
by Eric Earling, 08:04 PM, 25 Comments
Shot: Chaser: "Many top hedge fund managers back Obama" More here. UPDATE: the comment thread at Horsey's cartoon reminded me of something I almost forgot: Chelsea Clinton works at one.... [read more]
Hey, I Know That Guy
by Eric Earling, 07:28 PM, 12 Comments
One of my most trusted friends in politics, former Slade Gorton chief-of-staff Tony Williams, has an op-ed in today's Seattle Times examining the implications of Obama's youth vote. Williams says Obama voters are more likely to either not finish their... [read more]
June 22, 2008
"Don't Blame The Candidates"
by Jim Miller, 01:04 PM, 50 Comments
When they break their promises, and defy the spirit of our campaign finance laws. So says the Seattle Times editorial page editor, James Vesely. Don't blame the candidates. They are not fully in charge. They are as much the creatures... [read more]
June 21, 2008
Speaking of Joel Connelly and Global-warmist hypocrisy...
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:08 AM, 13 Comments
One wonders how many tons of greenhouse gasses the professedly anti-gasoline Connelly blows out of his automobile every year while commuting between his neighborhood in Seattle and his "REAL home" on Whidbey Island.... [read more]
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:00 AM, 18 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly reports that the Anti-Defamation League has condemned the BIAW for a newsletter article that compared environmentalists to Nazis. The BIAW article, which Connelly doesn't link to, is here on p. 8. Reasonable people can debate... [read more]
It is in the P-I
by Eric Earling, 09:54 AM, 5 Comments
NASA's recent activity on Mars may have caused a slight realignment of the celestial order, because today's P-I contains a remarkably fair story discussing outside money on both sides of the Governor's race. The coverage does a more than reasonable... [read more]
June 20, 2008
Violin Teacher?
by Jim Miller, 08:27 AM, 49 Comments
Or convicted ecoterrorist? The Seattle Times prefers the first label, but the second label is more appropriate for this story. Briana Waters, a California woman convicted in March of assisting in the 2001 arson that destroyed the University of Washington's... [read more]
June 06, 2008
KUOW's Gang Of Four Gets More Politically Diverse
by Jim Miller, 01:50 PM, 12 Comments
By bringing in a supporter of Hillary Clinton, Erica Barnett* from an alternative newspaper, the Stranger, to join the usual four, all of them supporters of the candidate who must not be middle-named, Barack Obama. One can't say that the... [read more]
May 30, 2008
The KUOW Gang Of Four Gets Even More Partisan
by Jim Miller, 05:10 PM, 15 Comments
Those who have followed this occasional series will recall that the show seldom has much partisan balance. But with the Democratic nomination contest approaching an end, and the general election contest starting up, the gang has become even more partisan.... [read more]
May 27, 2008
P-I Editorial Board: Call your office!
by Eric Earling, 11:07 PM, 8 Comments
The liberals of Elliot Ave are fond of lecturing us that Iran isn't really a threat to the United States or the West, the mullahcracy is simply misunderstand...or something like that (past coverage here, here, and here). Perhaps recent confirmation... [read more]
The Revolving Door Between the Media & Democrats
by Eric Earling, 09:40 PM, 16 Comments
KING-5 political reporter Robert Mak is the latest to take the plunge from journalist to political operative, signing on as Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' Communications Director. Recall that Seattle Times reporter Alex Fryer jumped to Mayor Nickels' team in 2007,... [read more]
Catching Up on Your Reading
by Eric Earling, 07:42 AM, 30 Comments
Notable stories, if you missed them over the holiday weekend: 1) The Seattle Times profiled both state party spokespersons, including former blogger and current WSRP wearer of many hats, Patrick Bell (P.S. does Steele look like a non-obese Michael Moore?).... [read more]
May 21, 2008
No, Former Army Chaplain James Yee Was Not Exonerated
by Jim Miller, 12:42 PM, 28 Comments
Even though the Associated Press says so. The Associated Press is up to their usual tricks with this one. According to our post back on March 20, 2004, Yee was certainly not exonerated or cleared; the charges were dropped, according... [read more]
May 19, 2008
Appeasement redux
by Eric Earling, 07:41 AM, 106 Comments
Bruce Ramsey has a follow-up post to his original discussion of appeasement that caught Stefan's attention as well as that of a number of national blogs, including HotAir. I'll have more to say on this later as a broader point... [read more]
May 18, 2008
Gary Chittim, Ignorance, and Bias
by pudge, 11:51 AM, 32 Comments
Last year I wrote a piece criticizing reporter Gary Chittim of KING-5 in Seattle, exposing his bias in uncritically, and ignorantly, accepting the claims of "environmentalists." At the time what set me off was his blind acceptance, and repetition, of... [read more]
May 16, 2008
Bruce Ramsey: "Hitler's demands were not unreasonable"
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:17 PM, 74 Comments
Seattle Times editorial writer Bruce Ramsey on the Times editorial blog today:Democrats are rebuking President Bush for saying in his speech to the Knesset, here, that to "negotiate with terrorists and radicals" is "appeasement." The Democrats took it as a... [read more]
May 15, 2008
60 Million Dead? No Big Deal
by Jim Miller, 02:05 PM, 0 Comments
This morning I was listening, briefly, to local talk show host Dave Ross. Ross is what you might call a member of the Defeat Now! caucus. He wants an American defeat in Iraq, and he wants it now. I came... [read more]
May 14, 2008
Welcome to the Northwest, Red County!
by Eric Earling, 07:01 PM, 7 Comments
Right-of-center website and magazine Red County has branched out into our lovely backyard with a Washington State offering. From talking with them, it looks like one can expect focused coverage of the Governor's race as well as state initiatives too...plus... [read more]
May 12, 2008
Did Somebody Drink My Kool-Aid?
by Eric Earling, 06:46 PM, 13 Comments
Coverage of Obama so bizarre it even raises an eyebrow over at the Stranger. Very cute.... [read more]
May 05, 2008
Unintended Comedy
by Eric Earling, 07:55 AM, 26 Comments
Danny Westneat offers an anecdote-rich view of trying to "go green" with the family automobile, confirming that whatever the merits of lessening dependence on oil, the current biofuel phenomenon appears headed toward its own entry in the unintended consequences hall... [read more]
April 28, 2008
Credit For President Bush
by Jim Miller, 02:17 PM, 28 Comments
From the Seattle PI. Which is not in the habit of giving President Bush (or any other Republican) credit for anything. President Bush's great achievements in fighting the HIV pandemic need an early, decisive extension by Congress. That would send... [read more]
April 23, 2008
The Heart of the Issue
by Eric Earling, 09:29 PM, 35 Comments
Lynne Varner's column today is worth a read, since it digs deeper into the story of a Seattle-area teacher refusing to administer the WASL. The crux of Varner's point: arguments about the WASL aside, ongoing inertia from the status quo... [read more]
April 21, 2008
Global Warming, The Scientist, And The Incurious NPR Host
by Jim Miller, 02:19 PM, 71 Comments
First, the basic data for the last ten years, which I have taken from this open letter.... [read more]
April 15, 2008
Behold, the Fruit of the Bigger Dance
by Eric Earling, 07:31 PM, 8 Comments
Yes, that Bigger Dance. The famous - or infamous - KJR AM contest mimicking the NCAA tournament, where the winner of the official bracket contest wins a trip for two to a sporting event anywhere in the world. Regular readers... [read more]
April 14, 2008
Obama Should Have Lied
by Jim Miller, 01:12 PM, 89 Comments
Even if he was speaking privately. Or so Dave Ross says. This morning, while waiting for Eric Earling to speak his few lines, I listened to about half an hour of the Dave Ross show. As you might expect,... [read more]
April 13, 2008
Blogger Radio
by Eric Earling, 08:01 PM, 9 Comments
Tune in tomorrow/Monday am to KUOW for a bloggers hour from 10-11, as part of the regular Weekday program. You can listen via radio, live online, or via MP3 at the Weekday webpage after the fact. The line-up, as moderated... [read more]
April 09, 2008
Three Cheers for Alex Alben!
by Eric Earling, 09:24 PM, 20 Comments
No joke. Read his op-ed calling the bluff of Republicans and Democrats alike who ascribe the President - or the federal government for that matter - with decisive powers over our national economy. Well said, Alex. The federal government, and... [read more]
April 08, 2008
Now That Cartoonist Michael Ramirez Has Won His Second Pulitzer Prize
by Jim Miller, 09:19 AM, 11 Comments
Maybe editorial page editors Mark Trahant and James Vesely will consider running some of his cartoons. (In recent years, most Pulitzer prizes in journalism have been best viewed as reprimands, since they usually go to journalists who have done shoddy... [read more]
April 03, 2008
Democrats & Trade
by Eric Earling, 07:58 AM, 42 Comments
The Seattle Times editorial board takes the Democratic Presidential contenders to task for their selective and convenient positioning on trade. It's about time.... [read more]
March 30, 2008
... the worst of Times
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:45 PM, 70 Comments
Today's Seattle Times calls for more candidates to run for state Supreme Court:An intriguing choice would be Ronald Cox, who has quietly built a solid reputation on the [state Court of Appeals]. Cox is African American.Why is Cox's ethnicity even... [read more]
March 26, 2008
Kudos To The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 08:06 AM, 0 Comments
For publishing Captain Aaron Bert's blog, The Other War, describing his experiences in Afghanistan. As I write, there are just two entries, but both are interesting. In the first, he makes this surprising comment: There is an abundance of fresh... [read more]
March 24, 2008
Time to play "Name that Party!"
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:43 AM, 94 Comments
The Seattle Times website currently carries an AP article on yet another political sex scandal:Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit's youngest elected leader, was charged Monday with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages contradicted... [read more]
March 23, 2008
It's In the P-I
by Eric Earling, 07:53 PM, 1 Comments
What a splendid day to view what passes for critical thought in some liberal circles. Behold today's P-I opinion page: 1) An unsigned editorial expressing utter befuddlement about the situation in Iraq based on the number of US & Iraqi... [read more]
March 16, 2008
Some Advice For The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 05:47 PM, 15 Comments
Don't imitate the Los Angeles Times. Not if you want to stay in business, anyway.... [read more]
March 10, 2008
Time to play "Name that party!"
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:47 AM, 0 Comments
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer website has a breaking news story from the Associated Press: "NY governor linked to prostitution ring" The New York Times is reporting that Gov. Eliot Spitzer has told senior advisers that he had been involved in a... [read more]
March 05, 2008
On the radio - link updated
by Eric Earling, 07:05 PM, 2 Comments
I took a timeout from being a salary-slave to the man today to hop on KUOW's "The Conversation" with some fellow local bloggers. You can listen here. I came on second after the Stranger's Eli Sanders dissected yesterday's Democratic exit... [read more]
Bring Back Tammany Hall!
by Jim Miller, 02:07 PM, 10 Comments
From time to time, I have argued that most leftists are actually reactionaries. That would explain, for instance, their support for 19th century forms of transportation, such as rail transit and trolleys, or their support for the kind of government... [read more]
March 04, 2008
Innumeracy At The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 10:50 AM, 37 Comments
Yesterday's newspaper had an op-ed by Gary Locke and Sue Donaldson with an astonishing mistake. Low-wage workers pay a disproportionate share of their incomes to taxes. Even if they don't pay any federal income taxes, they pay sales taxes and... [read more]
Finally Saying It Publicly
by Eric Earling, 07:19 AM, 11 Comments
Liberal columnist Joel Connelly says in print what many politicos have been saying for years: the Sierra Club is not a fair-minded, issue advocacy group. It's a partisan front-organization. And Connelly defends John McCain. The notion of the presumed GOP... [read more]
March 02, 2008
Let's Not and Say We Did
by Eric Earling, 07:15 PM, 30 Comments
An editorial in today's Everett Herald was depressingly parochial and careless in expressing dismay about Boeing's failure to win the much-anticipated contract to replace the Air Force's tanker fleet. Now, there are reasons to raise questions and expect related answers... [read more]
February 29, 2008
WFB Tribute (Update)
by DonWard, 12:48 AM, 12 Comments
Erstwhile Sound Politics commenter Scott St. Clair "Piper Scott" took time away from his bagpipes - and baiting emotionally handicapped trolls on HA - to pen a eulogy about William F. Buckley's passing; explaining how the founder of National Review... [read more]
February 24, 2008
The Wrong Line of Defense
by Eric Earling, 02:11 PM, 12 Comments
David Horsey doesn't think much of critics of the New York Times's recent attempt at an expose on John McCain. His reasons why leave something to be desired. He says critics allege the Times "concocted" the story. That really misses... [read more]
February 22, 2008
Kudos To The Seattle PI
by Jim Miller, 07:45 AM, 61 Comments
And Managing Editor Dave McCumber. For what they didn't print. I chose not to run the New York Times story on John McCain in Thursday's P-I, even though it was available to us on the New York Times News Service.... [read more]
February 21, 2008
Poor Timing
by Jim Miller, 07:04 AM, 22 Comments
Two examples, one from each Seattle newspaper. On Monday, the Seattle Times editorial board made this prediction. How will he do it, how will President Gen. Pervez Musharraf rig Pakistan's parliamentary elections today to ensure his hold on power?... [read more]
February 16, 2008
Open "Stefan Sharkansky" Thread
by pudge, 05:49 PM, 102 Comments
A lot of people have been asking about Stefan Sharkansky -- the proprietor of this establishment -- most particularly why he is posting without allowing comments. I have no answers; I don't really care. My guess is that he doesn't... [read more]
February 15, 2008
The Gang Of Four Get Obamania
by Jim Miller, 01:54 PM, 22 Comments
Today, there were two substitutes in KUOW's Gang of Four. KUOW's Marcie Sillman was filling in for host Steve Scher, who is ill, and Naomi Ishisaka of Colors Northwest was filling in for Danny Westneat of the Seattle Times. The... [read more]
Coming Next: the Page 3 Girls
by Eric Earling, 07:20 AM, 27 Comments
It not a bad guess to presume the P-I will end up becoming a liberal tabloid-style newspaper or an online-only publication at some point. Today's Joel Connelly's column on our tight local race for Governor hastens the move toward the... [read more]
February 13, 2008
That Insight Madrassa Story Pops Up Again
by Jim Miller, 05:05 PM, 12 Comments
Today, the Seattle PI published Joel Connelly's column listing errors by other pundits in the region. Amusingly, Connelly makes a mistake of his own in the column. Here are the key paragraphs: The conservative online magazine Insight "reported" last year... [read more]
Some Perspective From 2004
by Jim Miller, 03:32 PM, 8 Comments
As I suspect most of you have done, I have followed the controversy over Luke Esser's release of partial caucus results, and his claim that McCain was most likely the winner, with some bemusement. For one thing, as a number... [read more]
February 11, 2008
McCain Media Press Conference
by DonWard, 04:29 PM, 11 Comments
As promised here is the audio from the rolling press conference aboard McCain's Magical Media bus. After the Arizona senator touched down at Boeing Field he parried questions from Seattle's finest political writers for 30 minutes. A lot of presidential... [read more]
Not Bad
by Jim Miller, 09:36 AM, 22 Comments
But he should have asked some follow-up questions. As regular readers know, I am quite critical of most "mainstream" journalists. (For an example, see this post.) But I had a good experience with one local journalist, KOMO Radio's Charlie Harger.... [read more]
February 09, 2008
I'd Like No Sense of Humor for $400, Alex
by Eric Earling, 08:03 PM, 7 Comments
Dan Catchpole, intern reporter and contributor to the P-I's Strange Bedfellows Blog evidently thinks cracking jokes with a Biblical reference isn't funny. Um, if a former Southern Baptist minister - typically considered one of the most fundamentalist denominations in the... [read more]
February 07, 2008
Some Help For Local "Mainstream" Journalists
by Jim Miller, 12:52 PM, 21 Comments
The Democratic candidates for president, and their surrogates, will be visiting Washington in the next few days, hoping to capture the hearts of the party apparatchiks, and the votes of the Democratic caucuses. Some of our local journalists may have... [read more]
Quote of the Day
by Eric Earling, 07:41 AM, 20 Comments
From an Everett Herald story on the questions that will be asked of Democratic caucus attendees: "We're not as obsessed with categorizing Americans as our Democratic friends," state Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser said.... [read more]
February 06, 2008
Game Changer
by Eric Earling, 10:42 PM, 16 Comments
Casey Corr has single-handedly made me more enthusiastic for the GOP Presidential ticket this fall: the notion, remote as it might be, that Jay Inslee could be the Democratic nominee for Vice President. No. Thank. You.... [read more]
February 04, 2008
Washington's Caucuses
by Eric Earling, 09:31 PM, 25 Comments
There's some truth to the P-I's story on the possible impact of the Evergreen State caucuses on Saturday. That impact is likely to be more serious on the Democratic side, with both candidates looking for wins in what looks to... [read more]
The Seattle PI And The Stranger Agree With Me
by Jim Miller, 11:23 AM, 43 Comments
Tacitly. Both the PI and one of our local alternative newspapers have endorsed Barack Obama. (You can find the PI endorsement here; I generally don't link to the Stranger because it is not suitable for sprogs, but you should be... [read more]
February 03, 2008
Please stop saying foolish things
by Eric Earling, 10:08 PM, 15 Comments
I've been generally disappointed with the overall quality of local news coverage via newspapers, radio, and TV of Presidential race topics, but this article from the P-I really takes the cake for amateur analysis. Equating number of donors to projected... [read more]
February 02, 2008
P-I Presidential Endorsements - UPDATE: Times for McCain too
by Eric Earling, 04:36 PM, 94 Comments
Sunday's editorial discussing their chosen ones for both is online. Barack Obama for the Democrats. No surprise. John McCain for the Republicans. No surprise. Key reasons for the McCain endorsement: "very sensible positions on immigration, fiscal policy, global warming and... [read more]
January 31, 2008
KIRO cancels Goldy
by DonWard, 01:08 AM, 44 Comments
As the Western Union of local radio show cancellations here at Sound Politics I have the duty to inform you of the demise of the "David Goldstein Show" on KIRO 710. Personally I am rather sorry. It is obvious that... [read more]
January 30, 2008
Worried About Even the appearance of Conflict of Interest
by Eric Earling, 09:54 PM, 8 Comments
I think the story of the Seattle Times encouraging all newsroom employees not to participate in the upcoming party caucuses and primaries is fascinating. Encouraging the political reporters to stay out of it is one thing, though I don't see... [read more]
I Won't Miss John Edwards
by Jim Miller, 01:43 PM, 36 Comments
Now that he is leaving the race. Here's what the New York Times had to say about his exit: John Edwards, the progressive Democratic candidate who made a populist, antipoverty message the centerpiece of his campaign, announced his exit... [read more]
January 27, 2008
Endorsements Away
by Eric Earling, 08:57 AM, 69 Comments
The Seattle Times has endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President. Their GOP endorsement is forthcoming next Sunday. I would like to place a wager that we'll see the Times backing John McCain, with many a kind word... [read more]
January 23, 2008
Good Point
by Jim Miller, 12:28 PM, 32 Comments
The Seattle PI approves of banning plastic bags at "large chain grocery stores", but thinks the ban should be more general. Letter writer Patricia Warren replied, suggesting that the PI give up its own plastic bags. (Don't count on that... [read more]
January 14, 2008
Connelly in Nevada
by Eric Earling, 07:45 AM, 10 Comments
In the era of dwindling newsroom budgets, the P-I has again stepped up to the plate by sending Joel Connelly to cover the Democratic caucuses in Nevada. We have our disagreements with Connelly here at Sound Politics, but I applaud... [read more]
January 04, 2008
Are You Talking?
by Eric Earling, 10:17 PM, 25 Comments
Ryan Blethen has a column lamenting that the also-ran Presidential candidates are finally starting to be excluded from Presidential debates. Blethen says this does "voters a disservice by excluding serious candidates." Specifically, he is troubled by these criteria: The limits... [read more]
Re: Locally Known Pollster A Big Part of National Story
by Eric Earling, 08:27 PM, 8 Comments
There appears to be confusion about the story discussed below. Davis Postman's reporting discusses the issue in terms of Moore Information being accused of "push polling," which they deny. Josh Feit's liberal heart leaps with the joy at the hope... [read more]
January 01, 2008
Joel Connelly Does Iowa
by Eric Earling, 04:56 PM, 20 Comments
We here at Sound Politics often find ourselves in disagreement with the P-I's Joel Connelly, but props to that paper for actually investing the resources in sending its top political reporter to Iowa to cover the political story dominating the... [read more]
December 21, 2007
KUOW's Gang Of Four Get Religion:
by Jim Miller, 05:41 PM, 29 Comments
Well, not really. But last Friday, the Gang of Four did spend much of the Weekday program discussing religion and politics. Since none of the four has any religious beliefs, the discussion reminded me, at times, of four monks discussing... [read more]
December 18, 2007
Something to Like About Joel Connelly
by Eric Earling, 10:13 PM, 68 Comments
He's been beating the anti-Jim McDermott drum for quite some time. The latest installment is here.... [read more]
Hide the Kids, the Apocalypse is Upon Us
by Eric Earling, 08:19 PM, 5 Comments
Michael Hood over at blatherwatch spoke truth recently, chiding the gray-bearded thinking over at KUOW. The idea of getting past the supposed sages of the dead tree press and hearing from the new media is, however, seemingly beyond the scope... [read more]
December 14, 2007
This Morning I Saw Something Extraordinary On A Local TV Station
by Jim Miller, 02:12 PM, 0 Comments
Q13, the local Fox affiliate, ran a positive story on the war on terror. It is the first positive story I can recall seeing in months on a local news program, though I have once or twice seen reports that... [read more]
December 12, 2007
Read This Article
by Eric Earling, 08:00 PM, 1 Comments
On a bit more serious note than the below post, but along the "we heart Obama" theme, do take the time to read Eli Sanders's coverage of Obama in Iowa that I linked to yesterday. I've had the time to... [read more]
Why Campaigns Give Papers Exclusive Interviews
by Eric Earling, 07:52 PM, 6 Comments
They often get turned into the journalistic equivalent of fellatio. Sometimes twice in the same paper. Makes for nice afterglow from the campaign's perspective as they blow town.... [read more]
December 11, 2007
Reason #7,453 I don't trust the MSM
by Eric Earling, 10:02 PM, 24 Comments
This one is a bit in the weeds, but an example of when journalists get significant facts in stories I know a lot about wrong, it makes me not want to trust they stories I know less about before reading... [read more]
December 05, 2007
Lurking Behind the Scenes...
by Eric Earling, 07:34 AM, 26 Comments
Beyond the actual words of today's Seattle Times editorial on Iran, one gets the feeling from its argument - and others of like mind - that the author honestly thinks against all logic that a number of people in the... [read more]
December 04, 2007
Some Stories I Would Just As Soon Skip
by Jim Miller, 06:18 PM, 26 Comments
Such as this one. A member of U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell's staff has been charged in federal court after a sting operation in which he allegedly solicited sex from what he thought was a 13-year-old boy. James Michael McHaney, 28,... [read more]
November 30, 2007
Great Column By Nicole Brodeur
by Jim Miller, 01:39 PM, 68 Comments
No, really. Here are the first two paragraphs. You don't want to go down there. Not even in broad daylight, and certainly not alone. That was the warning I got from some Seattle Parks and Recreation employees the other day.... [read more]
November 25, 2007
I'll Take Captain Obvious for $200, Alex
by Eric Earling, 09:23 AM, 23 Comments
Today's Seattle Times breaks the stunning story that persons and organizations with issues before state government are donating to an incumbent Governor after spreading their money around when the seat was open four years ago. Campaign hands across the state... [read more]
November 24, 2007
The Sunday Funnies - Impeachment Edition
by Eric Earling, 12:43 PM, 66 Comments
The P-I's website is kind enough to provide them a day early.... [read more]
November 20, 2007
Modest Fellow, Isn't He?
by Jim Miller, 03:14 PM, 27 Comments
Near the end of this column by the Seattle Times editorial page editor, Jim Vesely, is this claim: Media companies, especially newspapers, are by default nearly the lone agents of the democratic form of government.... [read more]
Headline of the Day
by Eric Earling, 07:12 AM, 18 Comments
From the P-I online: Angelina Jolie is the antidote to despair Even my wife agrees. Oh, wait, that's not what the column is about...... [read more]
November 17, 2007
Another radio host bites the dust
by DonWard, 03:23 AM, 54 Comments
Fall is upon us. And it looks like it isn't just the Thanksgiving turkeys that are getting their heads lopped off around here what with the string of local radio personalities given the axe. Apparently 770 KTTH no longer needs... [read more]
November 16, 2007
Who Are Those "Anti-War Protesters"
by Jim Miller, 08:30 AM, 87 Comments
The Port of Olympia has had a long series of protests, targeting the movement of military equipment. Our local news organizations commonly refer to the often violent demonstrators as "anti-war protesters", as you can see in this example. Five anti-war... [read more]
November 14, 2007
Outrage Continues Over Flaying of Archbishop Murphy
by Eric Earling, 07:27 AM, 39 Comments
High school sports writer Craig Smith, aka "Sideline Smitty," took a swing in yesterday's Seattle Times sports page at the Archbishop Murphy debacle. Smitty expresses the stunned disgust I have yet to see disputed by any soul I've spoken to... [read more]
November 13, 2007
Update: Bryan Suits MIA?
by DonWard, 06:50 PM, 91 Comments
It looks like Bryan Suits left a message in the comment thread of my last post. So it isn't lost in the midst of the Sound Politics readership mourning and wake I've copied it here. 160. You can contact me... [read more]
November 10, 2007
Bryan Suits MIA?
by DonWard, 03:34 AM, 229 Comments
It looks like Bryan Suits is no longer hosting the 3-6 p.m. drive-time slot at 570 KVI. In fact it looks like he is no longer working at the radio station period. After attending the FCC Hearing on Media Ownership... [read more]
November 08, 2007
Some Stories Are Important, Some Aren't
by Jim Miller, 07:37 AM, 12 Comments
That's the lesson of this op-ed by journalism professor Andrea Otanez. In the middle of the column, Otanez makes this admission: Still, the mainstream media are condemned for not reporting successes [in the Iraq war], and maybe rightly so. Maybe?!?... [read more]
November 05, 2007
Chuckle
by Jim Miller, 01:13 PM, 43 Comments
A month ago, I put up this post to encourage people to understand what "neoconservative" means, rather than just to use it as a term of abuse. (And cross-posted it here, in the hope that we would get more knowledgeable... [read more]
November 03, 2007
Wonder If She Has Ever Read Any Heinlein?
by Jim Miller, 12:42 PM, 42 Comments
That was my reaction to this piece by Nisi Shawl, who "reviews science fiction for The Seattle Times". Her piece begins with this paragraph: The face of fantastic fiction is changing. More than just its face: This former locus of... [read more]
November 02, 2007
KUOW's Gang Of Four Gets Another Republican Sex Scandal
by Jim Miller, 02:07 PM, 34 Comments
And they were delighted. In my description of these four journalists, I say that "nothing delights them more than a Republican sex scandal". Today's Weekday Program illustrated that point, one more time. Today, there was more good news on the... [read more]
October 31, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 04:33 PM, 23 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly reveals today why he doesn't like initiatives, e.g. I-960, which put the brakes on runaway state taxing and spending:The ferry system recently has experienced an upward spiral of rates, part of it brought on by... [read more]
D. Parvaz Can Understand Why Someone Might Commit Arson
by Jim Miller, 06:22 AM, 23 Comments
If they select the right target. It's one thing to set fire to The Man at the Burning Man festival a few days early -- at least the effigy is built to be burned, albeit at a specific hour. But... [read more]
October 30, 2007
Things that make you go "hmmm" (II)
by Stefan Sharkansky, 04:36 PM, 17 Comments
A working journalist e-mailed regarding my previous post about journalists who have gone on to work for politicians:You're missing the forest for the trees. If you look at the same page you linked to, the other contact person is listed... [read more]
Things that make you go "hmmm"
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:42 PM, 16 Comments
Earlier this year Seattle Times reporter Alex Fryer persuaded his management to run an advocacy series on climate change. I just noticed today that Fryer is now a spokesman for Greg Nickels (in the Office of Sustainability and Environment). His... [read more]
Because Joni Balter doesn't like other people encroaching on her turf?
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:52 AM, 3 Comments
Seattle Times editorial: "Stop the slime, Della"... [read more]
October 29, 2007
Crosscut announces blog
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:24 AM, 17 Comments
Crosscut announced today that it is starting a blog. Huh? I thought that Crosscut already was a blog.... [read more]
October 28, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:38 PM, 17 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly has posted a simple desultory philippic against independent-minded political commentary:interim King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg gets pummeled by a popular Republican-aligned Web site, whose proprietor can't stand his moderation or that he gets support from... [read more]
October 27, 2007
It's (no longer) in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 08:54 AM, 11 Comments
Word comes that some P-I staffers are upset that independent columnist Ted Van Dyk ended his seven year association with the newspaper last week after editors spiked his column -- because it repeated his criticism of Prop. 1. Van Dyk... [read more]
October 26, 2007
The Democracy Paper
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:06 AM, 6 Comments
Today's Seattle Times editorial against I-25 is so puerile that it (unwittingly) presents the perfect case for I-25:Electing an elections director will politicize the office because the individual in office may operate in ways that lead to re-election.That's the whole... [read more]
Reporters ask the least interesting things
by DonWard, 06:52 AM, 23 Comments
I generally try to avoid commenting about the foibles of my fellow press jackals. Glass houses, burning bridges, that sort of thing. Plus I'm a native Washingtonian; because of my breeding I'm usually pretty laid back. Yesterday, though, all my... [read more]
October 25, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:58 PM, 15 Comments
Editorial I: "Climate Change (part I): Age of mega-fires"Today, California's burning. Tomorrow, who knows? The wildfires and the unprecedented evacuations are a phenomenon that is likely to grow across the West as unchecked climate change wreaks havoc with temperature and... [read more]
October 24, 2007
Reminder To The Editors At The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 02:21 PM, 8 Comments
You still haven't corrected this error. (Unless your search routine isn't working correctly.) It was an embarrassing mistake, and the longer it goes uncorrected, the more embarrassing it will become. Cross posted at Jim Miller on Politics.... [read more]
October 23, 2007
Media Bias You Say?
by Eric Earling, 09:09 PM, 13 Comments
Personally, I think a lot of what we conservatives see as bias in the MSM is unintentional, the product of group-think, conducted in a cocoon of similar minds, devoid of more ideologically diverse perspectives. The Seattle Times was kind enough... [read more]
October 19, 2007
Oops!
by Jim Miller, 01:05 PM, 4 Comments
A sharp-eyed emailer spotted this mistake in today's Seattle Times. Washington state last went for a Republican presidential candidate in 1988, picking George H.W. Bush over Michael Dukakis, 54 percent to 46 percent.... [read more]
Joel Connelly Makes Progress
by Jim Miller, 12:16 PM, 9 Comments
No, I am not being sarcastic. Today, in an unexceptionable column on candidates and personal morality, he said this: By 3 p.m. Thursday, [Venus] Velazquez was being written off by bloggers left (the Stranger) and right (Sound Politics). I expect... [read more]
October 18, 2007
Open Thread On Power Outages
by Jim Miller, 05:01 PM, 27 Comments
And other storm damage. (I have seen no damage from where I live in Kirkland, which is south of downtown and a few blocks from Lake Street. Though I haven't seen a hummingbird visit my feeder today.) Update: I had... [read more]
October 15, 2007
How Did The Times And The PI Cover Lieutenant Murphy's Medal Of Honor?
by Jim Miller, 08:06 AM, 43 Comments
After reading that the New York Times has, so far, completely ignored Lieutenant Michael Murphy's Medal of Honor, I wondered how the two Seattle papers had covered (or not covered) the same story.... [read more]
October 14, 2007
Congratulations To The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 09:27 AM, 12 Comments
And to reporters David Heath and Hal Bernton, for this fine article on earmarks. First, some bottom line numbers: People who benefit from earmarks generally give money to those who deliver them: Of the nearly 500 companies identified as getting... [read more]
October 12, 2007
KUOW's Gang Of Four On Al Gore And Light Rail
by Jim Miller, 03:32 PM, 10 Comments
Today,the second half of KUOW's Weekday program began with a commercial for the station. It is fund raising time for this NPR affiliate. The plea reminded me why I don't contribute, and why I urge others not to contribute, either.... [read more]
October 11, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 08:41 AM, 12 Comments
Thursday's P-I says vote NO on I-25. The only arguments against I-25 are weak, but the P-I's arguments are completely bankrupt. The P-I admits that the question of electing an elections director "could be a good discussion item". But rejecting... [read more]
October 10, 2007
Danny Westneat's stunningly childish argument for light rail
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:30 PM, 62 Comments
Today's Danny Westneat column is stunningly childish: "Light rail: We will love it". Westneat reports on his trip to Portland, where he rode the light rail a few times, loved the experience and concludes that Seattle "really, really needs" light... [read more]
October 09, 2007
The Seattle Times Editorial Writers Agree With The Rickert Decision
by Jim Miller, 12:44 PM, 11 Comments
And quote a good line from Justice Johnson. The law forbade a candidate from telling a lie, with malicious intent, about an opponent. But who determines which statements are lies, and which intents are malicious? The law empowered the Public... [read more]
October 08, 2007
The academic dark age of Christine Gregoire
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:18 PM, 36 Comments
Today's Crosscut posts an item from UW Computer Science professor Ed Lazowska, complaining about the lack of research funding from the Bush administration: "The scientific dark age of George Bush". But farther down in the article are observations which indicate... [read more]
October 06, 2007
Some Iran Reading for the P-I Editorial Board
by Eric Earling, 03:53 PM, 13 Comments
Given the P-I editorial board's fervent and bizarre position on Iran, including defense of the Revolutionary Guards, a review of this Christian Science Monitor article summarizing the Guards' role in Iran is in order. In short, they're much akin to... [read more]
Chuckles For Today
by Jim Miller, 02:32 PM, 8 Comments
It's a gray day, and the Mariners didn't make the playoffs, so some may be feeling a little down. It is kind of the editorial writers at the PI and the Times to try to cheer us up.... [read more]
But...But....I Said It Was For the Kids...AND I MEANT IT!
by Eric Earling, 09:53 AM, 157 Comments
If David Horsey's recent cartoon on the SCHIP issue was an obnoxious form of the non sequitur debate unfolding on the topic, yesterday's Seattle Times editorial was a more temperate stroll down the same errant path. The Times assesses that... [read more]
October 05, 2007
KUOW's Gang Of Four Meets RTID-ST2
by Jim Miller, 04:22 PM, 12 Comments
Today, KUOW's Gang of Four began by discussing the recent Washington Supreme Court decision that the state should not decide which politicians were lying in their campaign ads. Somewhat to my relief, all four agreed with the decision, and Danny... [read more]
Surrender Dorothy
by Stefan Sharkansky, 04:21 PM, 24 Comments
Unlawfully registered Seattle P-I editorial writer Dorothy ("D.") Parvaz cancelled her voter registration today, mooting a registration challenge, says King County Elections Director Sherril Huff. Perhaps this item in today's Tri-City Herald convinced Parvaz to correct the record: "Prosser man... [read more]
October 04, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 08:13 PM, 4 Comments
P-I Associate Publisher Kenneth Bunting in Friday's column:I couldn't agree more with those who say that personal character attacks and name calling hurt the quality of discourse in politics, and communications in generalI guess it's Bunting's distaste for name-calling that... [read more]
What Is A Neoconservative?
by Jim Miller, 08:14 AM, 0 Comments
For months, I have been planning to write this piece. Now Joshua Muravchik has done it for me, and has done a better job than I would have.... [read more]
October 03, 2007
But, It's For the Kids
by Eric Earling, 09:46 PM, 66 Comments
True to form, David Horsey's latest encapsulates the Democratic mantra that President Bush's opposition to the version of SCHIP reauthorization sent to his desk must be because he hates kids. Especially sick kids. A local liberal blogger likes the meme... [read more]
October 02, 2007
Bad Headline Department
by Eric Earling, 07:25 AM, 23 Comments
"Will court kill voters' plan for elections?" asks the Everett Herald in its coverage of yesterday's Supreme Court hearing on the state's "Top 2" primary system. The problem is the headline implies the Supreme Court is going to be the... [read more]
September 29, 2007
Credit to the P-I
by Eric Earling, 09:54 AM, 24 Comments
An editorial in yesterday's paper included two facts one doesn't often hear from the left-of-center side of the Social Security debate. 1) Social Security was a great deal for some generations, it's terrible for those younger than workers currently nearing... [read more]
Compliments for Postman
by Eric Earling, 08:53 AM, 9 Comments
RealClearPolitics's Reid Wilson has paid our own David Postman a high compliment, in a post summarizing the latest in a pending Gregoire v. Rossi rematch, calling him: "irreplaceable" and "Washington State's version of David Yepsen or John DiStaso." That's high... [read more]
September 28, 2007
KUOW's Gang Of Four Meets Ahmadinejad
by Jim Miller, 01:16 PM, 29 Comments
Today, KUOW's Gang of Four began the Weekday program with Mahmoud's Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia University. The four journalists agreed on what they clearly considered the main point: Columbia University President Bollinger was rude to this mobster's mouthpiece. Bollinger... [read more]
September 26, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 07:50 AM, 22 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly writes in today's P-I:The Senate received a blood transfusion in 2006. Several of its reactionary and intellectually challenged members -- Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and George Allen, R-Va. -- went down to... [read more]
September 25, 2007
What Would Change Parvaz's Mind?
by Jim Miller, 01:35 PM, 8 Comments
In her column last Saturday, D. Parvaz recounted some of the charges against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the mouthpiece for the evil Tehran regime. He's tight with President Bush's bombastic nemesis, Hugo Chavez. He's quoted as saying that Israel should be wiped... [read more]
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:09 AM, 53 Comments
The folks over at the P-I have developed a strange and muddled fascination with Holocaust denial. Contumelious columnist Joel Connelly now habitually uses the epithet "Holocaust denier" to disparage anybody who raises scientific questions which challenge his personal beliefs about... [read more]
Say What?
by Eric Earling, 06:50 AM, 2 Comments
I have to confess I'm completely with Dan Savage on yesterday's editorial in the Seattle Times on the topic of...what I'm not quite sure. Following a paragraph discussing the porn industry with this sentence is simply mind boggling: "The Beaver... [read more]
September 24, 2007
Oh you nasty boys
by DonWard, 08:42 PM, 18 Comments
Joel Connelly's latest column has his take on the possible gubernatorial rematch between Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi in 2008. Basically it is a list of what advantages and disadvantages both candidates go into the race possessing. Curiously, Connelly couldn't... [read more]
September 23, 2007
MoveOn.org still the topic
by Eric Earling, 10:40 PM, 42 Comments
The Seattle Times editorialized today against the "childish ad hominem attacks on a general" from a group that "embarrassed itself and its position on the war with an over-the-top and unnecessary attack." This from an editorial page that currently finds... [read more]
September 21, 2007
Dueling headlines
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:45 PM, 12 Comments
Seattle Times: "Survey: State still falling short in foster care services" P-I: "Foster care survey 'good news' overall, says DSHS" When in doubt, I always believe the government. And the P-I.... [read more]
September 20, 2007
The "Wives" Debate
by Eric Earling, 09:47 PM, 12 Comments
Love David Horsey's politics or hate them, there's are reasons he won a Pulitzer Prize. Here's one of them.... [read more]
September 19, 2007
Those who supported unconstitutional acts should pay the consequences
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:15 PM, 35 Comments
Liberal journalists are outraged that the attorneys who successfully represented Seattle school parents to overturn the unconstitutional race-based student assignment plan are asking the Seattle school district to pay their fees, which they're entitled to collect under federal law (see... [read more]
Horsey on RomneyCare
by Eric Earling, 07:22 AM, 21 Comments
David Horsey takes a shot in his latest toon at Mitt Romney and his reaction to Hillary Clinton's health care plan. Horsey's argument, like others on the subject bandied about the new fangled Internets, is that any similarities between Romney's... [read more]
September 17, 2007
Brier Dudley Is Worried
by Jim Miller, 06:40 PM, 15 Comments
Here's why. Microsoft is saying its upcoming "Halo 3" video game "will make entertainment history." I wonder, though, if the company will make another kind of history by releasing a provocatively themed war game in the throes of a horrible,... [read more]
September 14, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:24 PM, 16 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly is shocked, shocked! that political parties are engaged in partisan campaigning over the officially partisan office of King County Prosecutor, with the Democrat Party accusing the Republican nominee of being "partisan", and vice-versa:It's time to... [read more]
September 12, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:28 AM, 50 Comments
Today's P-I reports on a UW study which found an association between a neighborhood's median property values and its prevalence of obesity. One proposed explanation is that residents of poorer neighborhoods have less access to affordable healthy food, particularly fresh... [read more]
September 10, 2007
The Stranger & GOP operatives share a bond
by Eric Earling, 07:41 PM, 2 Comments
The post immediately below this one discusses news of a Democrats endorsing a major Republican candidate for local office. Joel Connelly speculated Jenny Durkan's name on that list would be cause for concern here at the lovely confines of Sound... [read more]
September 08, 2007
He Gets It, Partly, But It Took Him A While
by Jim Miller, 04:24 PM, 124 Comments
Seattle PI columnist Robert Jamieson notices something about the American left. Whatever your answer, it seems we've lost the fine art of polite disagreement. People are unwilling to hear something that jousts with their point of view. They just can't... [read more]
September 07, 2007
The Worst Clinton Era Scandal?
by Jim Miller, 11:08 AM, 0 Comments
Unquestionably, Chinagate. The 1996 United States campaign finance controversy was an alleged effort by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to influence domestic American politics prior to and during the Clinton administration and also involved the fund-raising practices of the... [read more]
September 06, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:53 AM, 32 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly has a second-hand report on Sen. Maria Cantwell's visit to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which he opens by disparaging the first-hand reports of others who have visited ANWR:In their drive to drill for oil... [read more]
September 05, 2007
An Open Letter To James Vesely*
by Jim Miller, 01:36 PM, 9 Comments
Dear Mr. Vesely: Today's column by journalism professor Floyd McKay contains much nonsense. Here's the worst paragraph: At home, the president has often stated that he pays little attention to the news. He reads little and is known for... [read more]
September 04, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:52 AM, 5 Comments
The P-I recently reported on Tim Eyman and I-960, the Taxpayer Protection Initiative. Unfortunately, the article was chock full of errors. See Tim Eyman's rebuttal in the Sound-Off section:They say that I-960 requires 2/3's legislative approval for tax and fee... [read more]
August 31, 2007
More creative fiction from the Seattle Times editorial page
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:28 PM, 14 Comments
The Seattle Times editorial page (which, BTW, admits to making stuff up) recently chastised Disney Corp. for disputing a UW press release:Disney has a lot of nerve attacking the University of Washington's scholarly research into the benefits of baby videos,... [read more]
August 29, 2007
Erica Barnett: incompetent or deliberately untruthful?
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:10 PM, 141 Comments
The Stranger's Erica Barnett continues to exploit the frightful mistakes of Seattle waitress Steffany Bell, who lost her job last week for unprofessional conduct. I won't recite here the long litany of Barnett's own unprofessional conduct and narrative-distorting inaccuracies in... [read more]
August 27, 2007
Seattle Times editorial editor admits: "We make stuff up"
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:23 PM, 60 Comments
Seattle Times editorial editor Jim Vesely responded to my inquiry about yesterday's editorial, asking for either the factual basis of this interpretation of Judge Bridge's ruling, or a retraction:Much fuss has been made about how the elections director is not... [read more]
August 26, 2007
Does the Seattle Times editorial board just make stuff up?
by Stefan Sharkansky, 05:30 PM, 13 Comments
Today's Seattle Times editorial argues against I-25. The core argument is, I paraphrase, "Voters want to elect their elections director, and what do they know? So the county council shouldn't let them the vote on this question!". The editorial makes... [read more]
August 20, 2007
Here's Some Advice For Nicole Brodeur
by Jim Miller, 09:45 AM, 4 Comments
Commit journalism. The Seattle Times columnist drew national attention for her confession (boast?) that she cheered in the Seattle Times newsroom when she heard that Karl Rove had resigned. I cheered in that meeting because I think Karl Rove is... [read more]
August 19, 2007
The P-I has jumped the shark
by Eric Earling, 04:26 PM, 23 Comments
Well, that's not exactly news. But today's editorial on U.S. policy toward Iran shows how far to the left the paper has gone. Not content to simply disagree with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the P-I seems upset to even... [read more]
August 17, 2007
Lamestream Media
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:24 PM, 8 Comments
The P-I website carries this article about the personal blog of Imad Moustapha, the Syrian ambassador to the United States. Moustapha is an official representative for one of the most corrupt, backward and repressive regimes on the planet, and I'm... [read more]
August 16, 2007
What, Was Google broken?
by Eric Earling, 08:12 PM, 18 Comments
A personal pet peeve of mine is when newspapers run terribly outdated file photos of prominent individuals in the news. Local weeklies are the usual purveyors of such errors, but today's dead tree version of the Seattle Times caught my... [read more]
Oh, That Liberal Media
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:25 AM, 49 Comments
Editor and Publisher has an item about the Seattle Times newsroom meeting where some employees cheered the announcement of Karl Rove's resignation. E&P posts a memo from Times Executive Editor David Boardman to staff:If we wore our politics on our... [read more]
August 14, 2007
Credit Where Credit Is Due
by Eric Earling, 10:13 PM, 24 Comments
David Postman certainly didn't have to share this tale of newsroom etiquette gone awry...a breach of one of the cardinal no-no's of journalism. But he did, to his credit. Contrast that to Dan Savage's screed on the topic. Which, upon... [read more]
August 11, 2007
Democracy Held Hostage: Day 33
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:13 PM, 16 Comments
Top Ten Reasons the Seattle Times hasn't reported on King County's scandalously slow and expensive verification of I-24 and I-25 petitions 10. "$50,000 is hardly any money. Frank Blethen spends that much every time he pisses!" 9. "The last time... [read more]
August 10, 2007
Democracy held hostage: Day 32
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:21 PM, 12 Comments
Top Ten Reasons the P-I hasn't reported on King County's scandalously slow and expensive verification of I-24 and I-25 petitions 10. "Ron Sims told us that they aren't doing anything wrong and we always believe him!" 9. "This issue is... [read more]
August 09, 2007
Newsroom priorities
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:05 AM, 18 Comments
Today's Seattle Times has yet another article on the senseless manufactured outrage over the Masai docents at Woodland Park Zoo. Why does the Seattle Times even consider this non-story newsworthy? It's not as if there aren't any scandals in local... [read more]
Liberals unlabelled
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:32 AM, 25 Comments
From today's Seattle Times article on a programming shake-up at radio station KIRO:The shuffle, an attempt by KIRO to retake its once-dominant position, means listeners will hear the conservative [Dori] Monson immediately after Dave Ross, whose show airs 9 a.m.-... [read more]
August 03, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 08:59 AM, 14 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly today applauds liberal "net roots" bloggers and derides other political bloggers:Web sites on the right continue to function as attack dogs. One in Seattle is still foaming at the mouth over the 2004 race for... [read more]
August 01, 2007
Evidence, Please
by Jim Miller, 08:39 AM, 62 Comments
This PI editorial, written, it appears, by D. Parvaz, makes some harsh charges: Big ups to Rep. Jay Inslee for proposing the impeachment of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Too bad Inslee has not yet gotten much support. According to The... [read more]
July 25, 2007
Here's A Hint For Danny Westneat
by Jim Miller, 01:01 PM, 47 Comments
In today's column, he wrote: On paper anyway, the case against the death penalty is a no-brainer. It's often unfairly applied. It fails to deter serious crime.... [read more]
July 23, 2007
P-I: Four elections systems instead of two!
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:26 PM, 19 Comments
Last year the P-I cheered mail-only elections, repeating the mantra that:it no longer makes sense for the county to operate essentially two distinct elections systemsIt's a dishonest argument. There aren't "two distinct elections systems"-- There's one voter database and one... [read more]
July 19, 2007
Times welcomes Tom
by Stefan Sharkansky, 08:32 AM, 49 Comments
Today's Seattle Times editorial welcomes Rodney Tom into the 8th congressional district primary race and simultaneously marginalizes Darcy Burner. I won't go so far as to predict that the Times endorses Tom in the primary, but I'd wager a modest... [read more]
July 17, 2007
Because We Say So, That's Why
by Jim Miller, 04:44 PM, 0 Comments
The Seattle Times, perhaps inspired by a strange New York Times editorial, calls for immediate withdrawal from Iraq. There is no good time to get out of Iraq, but once we know we must leave, there is no excuse to... [read more]
July 16, 2007
Danny Westneat, real-estate mogul
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:43 PM, 61 Comments
Danny Westneat continues his campaign against the real estate market with Sunday's column, complaining about this:There's a new landlord in town. It's called the "Lease Rent Optimizer." The Optimizer is software developed a few years ago by Archstone, which manages... [read more]
July 15, 2007
Learning From Houston
by Jim Miller, 03:31 PM, 35 Comments
The New York Times begins a light-hearted article on parking spaces with these two paragraphs: In Houston, $225,000 will buy a three-bedroom house with a game room, den, in-ground pool and hot tub. In Manhattan, it will buy a parking... [read more]
July 12, 2007
An ignoble assessment
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:43 AM, 7 Comments
Today's Seattle Times editorializes about the race for King County Assessor. But instead of assessing incumbent Scott Noble's record, or challenger (Seattle Monorail Board member) Jim Nobles's alternative plan, all the Times offers is this baseless innuendo:Selecting this office and... [read more]
July 11, 2007
Can't Anyone Here Play This Game?
by Jim Miller, 11:42 AM, 16 Comments
That's the question Casey Stengel asked about the original Mets, and that's the question that came to mind when I read this Bruce Ramsey column. Here's what the Seattle Times columnist says about an old controversy: One of the... [read more]
July 09, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:28 AM, 22 Comments
Joel Connelly, the P-I's contumelious liberal columnist, today fulminates against Taxpayer Protection Initiative I-960: "Look to California for the wisdom of Eyman's new folly". Connelly doesn't actually explain what I-960 does, but draws an arc between its requirement of a... [read more]
July 06, 2007
The Gang Of Four, Part 1
by Jim Miller, 01:41 PM, 10 Comments
Every Friday, four local journalists discuss current events (and, often, their own columns) on the Weekday program on our local PBS affiliate, KUOW. Usually, the host is KUOW's Steve Scher, and the three journalists are Knute Berger, who edited an... [read more]
Swing and a Miss
by Eric Earling, 08:03 AM, 15 Comments
Behold, Seattle P-I editorial board weighs in on John McCain's sinking Presidential hopes. Amazingly, their list of possible wounds to his candidacy includes mention of the Beach Boys-style "bomb Iran" diddy but omits immigration reform. They seem to think McCain... [read more]
June 29, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:59 AM, 25 Comments
Contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly writes today that Mrs. Gregoire is a force to be reckoned with. Connelly, whose own contributions to voter fraud probably account for 2 votes of Gregoire's 133-vote margin of "victory", issues a predictable column: he... [read more]
June 27, 2007
Affordable housing crisis
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:37 PM, 23 Comments
Danny Westneat is bemoaning rising housing costs: "Rents soar through the roofs" Rising rents might have something to do with demand for housing outpacing supply, exacerbated by government action which constrains development, artificially raises construction costs, continually inflates property taxes,... [read more]
June 26, 2007
Shouldn't Ads Be Clearly Marked?
by Jim Miller, 02:17 PM, 13 Comments
Today the Seattle Times ran this ad for Michael Moore and his new movie, Sicko. But they did not mark it as an ad, as they usually do. Even stranger, whoever created the ad hired a Seattle Times reporter, Mark... [read more]
Should "Mainstream" Journalists Hold Democratic Officials Accountable For Their Failures?
by Jim Miller, 09:48 AM, 10 Comments
Put that directly, most people, maybe even most "mainstream" journalists, would say yes. But in practice, those journalists are unwilling to make the most obvious follow-ups on the most horrific of failures, such as this one.... [read more]
June 25, 2007
No Mas!
by Eric Earling, 11:19 PM, 3 Comments
The Everett Herald put a local twist on a national news story I could have done without today...or ever. It's not the Herald's fault really. The story is too good not to tell, but this warning from the maker of... [read more]
If the Shoe Fits...
by Eric Earling, 10:55 PM, 3 Comments
Local journalists reading Sound Politics may not enjoy periodic references and allusions to the liberal bias in the MSM perceived by many conservatives. Here's polite hint accordingly to avoid being tagged with that label: when you do a story about... [read more]
June 21, 2007
Socialist Realism in the Seattle Times
by Stefan Sharkansky, 05:51 PM, 33 Comments
Lynne Varner's editorial in yesterday's Seattle Times reminds me of this painting Gregoire herself recounts a story that places her in soft lighting but also serves as a headline for her tenure as leader of our state. The narrative goes... [read more]
What Can You Do With A Journalism Degree?
by Jim Miller, 05:16 PM, 17 Comments
You can become a hip-hop artist who advocates the assassination of President Bush. Sage Francis never flinches when discussing the instigative ingredients he sometimes uses to season his edgy raps. Well, almost never. Questioned about a potentially controverisal [sic] line... [read more]
June 20, 2007
Pick on the Stranger day
by Eric Earling, 10:09 PM, 6 Comments
Well, if you define a day loosely. Anyway, Joel Connelly started things off yesterday expressing his undying fondness for the crew at the Stranger. David Postman followed it up today with a lengthy, public chiding of Josh Feit for playing... [read more]
June 19, 2007
Welcome to Seattle!
by Eric Earling, 10:54 PM, 13 Comments
It just wouldn't be right for a major Republican to come to town without being greeted by a shot across the bow from Joel Connelly. Mitt Romney: welcome to town! Connelly is disgruntled with Romney's position on abortion, tossing out... [read more]
June 13, 2007
Why People Don't Trust Liberals with National Security
by Eric Earling, 10:51 PM, 23 Comments
It's no secret Democrats have struggled for years at the national level to rid themselves of the residue of liberal foreign policy excesses toward the end of the Vietman era. Simply put, liberals - though not always Democrats writ large... [read more]
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:05 AM, 18 Comments
In today's column, contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly mentions:Ted Stevens -- the tantrum-prone, self-enriching, pork barreling senator-for-life from Alaska.Good thing Connelly is above name-calling!... [read more]
June 12, 2007
Follow Up On John Cramer's Experiment
by Jim Miller, 07:48 AM, 6 Comments
As you may recall, two months ago UW physicist John Cramer was looking for contributions so that he could try to make light particles go backward in time. Today, we learn from Tom Paulson's PI article that Cramer has received... [read more]
June 07, 2007
For the uninitiated
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:43 AM, 32 Comments
The Seattle Times' Lynne Varner had an editorial yesterday about the Technology Access Foundation, a private organization that teaches technology skills to K-12 students. Varner's main point is a good one:My applause for all of this is bittersweet because I'm... [read more]
June 03, 2007
Pick Up A Copy Of The June Eastside Sun
by Jim Miller, 04:00 PM, 7 Comments
If only for the two page spread on what our Marines are doing in Iraq. The article ends with this story: Got a tough but heartwarming story and a picture of a medical Chief, John Gebhardt in Iraq This little... [read more]
June 02, 2007
Abort Goldstein?
by DonWard, 06:08 PM, 116 Comments
As a rule, I don't generally comment* about what goes on over at Horsesass. Mostly this is because the site's proprietor, Mr. Goldstein, is a little more than irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Besides, life is just too... [read more]
May 31, 2007
This Story Is Touching
by Jim Miller, 06:18 PM, 52 Comments
But incomplete. King 5's Susannah Frame tells us about the scandal. KING 5 News has learned that a court has paved the way for a little boy to sue the state agency who was supposed to protect him. Snohomish County... [read more]
May 24, 2007
Balterdash
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:12 PM, 22 Comments
Joni Balter in today's column reports on a Pew survey of 18-25 year olds. Balter trumpets the finding that these young voters "are identifying more and more with the Democratic Party"Candidates hoping to do big business in 2008 should carefully... [read more]
May 21, 2007
It's OK To Recycle An Old Joke
by Jim Miller, 03:21 PM, 8 Comments
But they ought to get the punch line right.... [read more]
May 18, 2007
On TV this weekend
by Stefan Sharkansky, 04:31 PM, 32 Comments
This weekend, KING 5's Up Front with Robert Mak will feature three bearded Jewish bloggers. Be sure to watch. Sunday on KING-5 @ 9:30 a.m. and NWCN @ 8:00 p.m.... [read more]
The Eastside Sun
by Jim Miller, 03:11 PM, 25 Comments
For almost a year now, I have been seeing piles of another free newspaper, the Eastside Sun, around Kirkland. I paid little attention to it, thinking it just another Stranger or Seattle Weekly, with slightly different advertisers.... [read more]
May 16, 2007
Re: It's in the PI - Third Reich art
by DonWard, 01:43 PM, 30 Comments
Historical ignorance bugs me. It annoys me even more than hyperbolic political rhetoric. So after reading P-I columnist Joel Connelly's most recent column and Stefan's subsequent post I felt compelled to correct a few mistakes. To recap, Connelly alludes to... [read more]
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:37 AM, 30 Comments
In today's column, contumelious liberal columnist Joel Connelly characterizes Republicans who seek to limit taxpayer funding for the National Endowment for the Arts as Nazis:With a view of culture more befitting the Third Reich than the Third Millennium, reactionaries in... [read more]
May 15, 2007
Signs Of Intelligent Life At The Seattle Times
by Jim Miller, 10:18 AM, 24 Comments
Well, one sign anyway, in David Postman's blog. Postman actually thinks that journalists should find out the facts in the fired US attorneys controversy, and that journalists should ask those making serious charges to substantiate those charges. Or, as I... [read more]
May 10, 2007
Joni Balter, Luddite
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:18 AM, 13 Comments
Joni Balter says: "Thumbs down to text messaging"I'm all for new ways of communicating, though this mode has a certain anonymous, no-face-time quality to it. Phone manners are neither learned nor necessary. Good grammar and spelling r 2 b 4... [read more]
May 09, 2007
Spot the bias
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:46 AM, 27 Comments
The AP reports on yesterday's state Supreme Court hearing on property tax limit measure I-747, which had been overturned by a lower court:Attorney General Rob McKenna asked the state Supreme Court Tuesday to uphold a voter-approved property tax limit, saying... [read more]
May 08, 2007
Words Versus Deeds
by Jim Miller, 05:05 PM, 7 Comments
Joel Connelly looked at what John Edwards says. I just finished looking at what John Edwards has done, and gave him a 0.1 on the Vilsack meter. I think you will find the comparison between our two approaches interesting. (If... [read more]
May 02, 2007
Al Gore for President?
by Eric Earling, 07:27 PM, 32 Comments
It's not uncommon to find a critique at this site of various writings in the local MSM, but to their credit both the P-I and the Times seem to do a decent job of keeping the true nutjobs off their... [read more]
April 30, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:22 AM, 24 Comments
Today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorializes on the state Supreme Court ruling upholding John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur's right to advocate for initiatives on the radio:they have the right to talk (and even be activists), but is that a fair use of... [read more]
April 29, 2007
Re: How Joel Connelly can become relevant
by Stefan Sharkansky, 05:56 PM, 17 Comments
Along with other errors in Joel Connelly's Friday column that we've already mentioned (here and here), one other falsehood is worth debunking, as it's not unique to Connelly:The Republican and right-wing think tanks regularly deliver snarling attacks on teachers unions.... [read more]
Child Abuse
by Jim Miller, 05:23 PM, 17 Comments
That was my first reaction to the list of ten books in this Seattle Times article, books recommended by children's librarian Nancy Pearl. (Or, as the headline in the print copy calls her, our own "rock star librarian".)... [read more]
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 02:37 PM, 16 Comments
In today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Joe Copeland celebrates Rachel Corrie, the Olympia student who perpetrated an act of suicide terrorism by throwing herself in front of an Israeli military vehicle while it was conducting an anti-terrorist operation: "Activist Corrie personified Northwest... [read more]
April 28, 2007
Re: How Joel Connelly can become relevant
by Eric Earling, 12:30 PM, 31 Comments
Let me add another point to Stefan's response of Joel Connelly's latest column. In addition to the just objection to labeling this site as an "unofficial Republican voice," it's fair note Connelly is arguing with a caricature of the GOP.... [read more]
How Joel Connelly can become relevant
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:36 AM, 15 Comments
You have to feel sorry for Joel Connelly, the contumelious liberal columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His relevance is dwindling with the P-I's circulation and the poor fellow isn't very good at his job to begin with. He writes obsessively... [read more]
April 26, 2007
Balterdash
by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:41 PM, 34 Comments
In today's column, Joni Balter wonders why the voters don't like Mrs. Gregoire very much. Gregoire is proving to be an adept governor, but for whatever reason, the public warms to her ever so slowly ... Why hasn't she gained... [read more]
April 25, 2007
It's in the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 07:02 PM, 14 Comments
The following letter was published in Tuesday's Seattle Post-Intelligencer:To have a real Earth Day, first we need to have a wake for Tim Eyman. After that, we could all breathe a huge sigh of relief and get down to creating... [read more]
Here's A Question For David Postman
by Jim Miller, 01:40 PM, 10 Comments
Does he think that these kinds of decisions on what goes in the "newshole" have anything to do with these kinds of results? Anyone thinking the declines in circulation should ease when the Audit Bureau of Circulations releases its spring... [read more]
April 24, 2007
Maybe Khami World should also offer 'spelling pens'
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:18 PM, 3 Comments
P-I headline: "Khami World to ofer 'talking pens'"... [read more]
April 23, 2007
Undignified Mess at Seattle Times Editorial Board
by Stefan Sharkansky, 11:44 AM, 4 Comments
Today's Seattle Times editorial, "Undignified mess at Port of Seattle", criticizes the attempt to give recently retired Executive Mic Dinsmore an unearned golden parachute.What remains at the Port of Seattle Commission is an undignified mess. Commissioners need to make some... [read more]
Worth Reading
by Jim Miller, 08:43 AM, 18 Comments
Art Thiel explores alternatives for the Sonics, though he does put the best one in second place. Build it privately The owners of the San Francisco Giants tried four times to get public funding for a new ballpark before paying... [read more]
April 22, 2007
Democrat legislature recklessly overspends; media applaud the restraint
by Stefan Sharkansky, 12:17 PM, 17 Comments
Today's Seattle Times sums up the legislative session "Democrats spent big but showed restraint"The Democrats put together a $33.4 billion two-year budget that spends $4 billion more than the previous biennium ... The budget adds nearly 3,000 new state jobs,... [read more]
April 20, 2007
Mannekin P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 10:26 AM, 2 Comments
hat tip: Eli Sanders. And this is totally off-topic, but of course the Mannekin Pis will always remind me of my honeymoon, which included a few days in Brussels.... [read more]
April 18, 2007
It's on the P-I
by Stefan Sharkansky, 04:18 PM, 7 Comments
Finally, the Horse's Ass blog has a post that's worth reading. I wouldn't necessarily believe anything I read over there, but the story is moderately amusing, though scatological, and not inconsistent with my expectations of the people who write for... [read more]
April 17, 2007
The Value of the New Media
by Eric Earling, 10:39 PM, 5 Comments
Ryan Blethen at the Seattle Times likes to talk about the value of local newspapers for a healthy public discourse (latest example here). He has a point to a degree, and I'll even acknowledge Seattle's media is more interesting with... [read more]
April 16, 2007
The P-I is the Voice of the Northwest
by Eric Earling, 06:56 PM, 4 Comments
Well, that's debatable...and mighty arrogant, if I might add. Circulation numbers tell a different story (click "next" at the link to see the 2nd picture with relevant graph). The P-I plunged from 191,167 in average weekday circulation in 1999 to... [read more]
Gentle PC Toilet Seat Liners
by Stefan Sharkansky, 01:03 PM, 17 Comments
The Seattle Times Co. and Hearst have settled their dispute over the Joint Operating Agreement such that we'll still have the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to kick around for the indefinite future. Oh well. This also means that Darcy Burner will have... [read more]
April 12, 2007
Dan Savage Speaks Truth...
by Eric Earling, 09:29 PM, 31 Comments
...about the Duke Lacrosse case: And at the risk of incurring ECB's wrath, I gotta say that I think the stripper ought to be prosecuted too. Back in the bad ol' days a woman who claimed to have been raped... [read more]
April 11, 2007
Kudos To Dan Sytman And David Boze
by Jim Miller, 01:42 PM, 9 Comments
For bringing physicist John Cramer on to their talk show to discuss Cramer's efforts to test one of the stranger ideas from quantum physics, time travel. The Seattle scientist who wants to test a controversial prediction from quantum theory that... [read more]
April 10, 2007
Diversity in the newsroom
by Stefan Sharkansky, 09:29 AM, 26 Comments
A guest editorial in today's P-I complains "Nation's newsrooms preach but don't practice diversity":When is [the American Society of Newspaper Editors] going to come clean with the Hispanic community -- as well as the black, Asian and American Indian communities... [read more]
Groundbreaking, Are You Sure?
by Eric Earling, 07:36 AM, 4 Comments
Yesterday's AP profile in the Seattle Times of a gay, men's college lacrosse coach raised an eyebrow with me. The story made a big to do of Kyle Hawkins, declaring him "the nation's first openly gay male coach at the... [read more]
April 09, 2007