Letters to the Editor

• The Issue is Hypocrisy, Not Dogma...

  [Read the article: Quote of the Day]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  Whether or not Giuliani will be in good RC-approved standing with his God when he finally hits the Pearly Gates is not even a question a priest can answer, really. Bec., even with boatloads of adultery on his record, if he confesses his sins even on the deathbed, and goes through all the official holy-moly extreme unction rigamarole, he can die with a clean soul and head straight for RC Nirvana, acc. to doctrine. (I may be Unitarian, but as a former Catholic, those nuns drummed it in good).

  The real issue is HYPOCRISY. Giuliani's utter and blatant hypocrisy.

  If you are going to run as a representative from a party that runs on conservative "family values" -- and attempts to legislate morality, and shove it down everyone's throats -- then your adherence to family values becomes an issue of character.

  Attention Republicans and Christianists -- A man who commits adultery, has affairs, and has multiple marriages whose spouses are still living is NOT a moral, ethical or family values person. End of discussion. Nothing more to say about it, is there? Spin it all you want, but it doesn't fly.

  (As for me, I'm just waiting for the fun -- and the demise of the Ghoul -- when the media ostriches decide to finally get onto this story, pull it off the shelves, dust it off, and run with it!)

  Permalink Tuesday, August 7, 2007 01:38 PM

• You're a "Big Obama Fan" Joan? Ummm....No...I don't think so.

  [Read the article: Obama's big blunder]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  Barack Obama can afford any more "fans" like you.

  As for the "I'm a big fan" line -- no, sorry, but you're not going to attempt to fly that one past us. Because the proverbial actions speak louder than words.

  Anyone can say they like Obama, sure, but your actions, and the actions of your online magazine, speak clearly otherwise. Frankly, Salon seems to be doing its best to undermine Obama -- under your helm.

  You are the editor. And as such, you are in charge. You approve the stories. And as such, you have presided over the following...

  • Numerous Camille Paglia attacks on Obama.
  • Various blog posts by you denigrating Obama -- including this one
  • Salon referring to Obama as "uppity" in a front-page article headline (which was later revised)
  • "Hillary is from Mars, Obama is from Venus" -- that was the article where your writer suggested Obama was the "female" one in this showdown, and closed "May the best woman win"

  http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/07/12/obama_hillary

  • "Barack Obama and the Springfield race riot" -- where your writer managed to attack Obama for choosing to announce his campaign in Springfield, Ill., which had racial problems decades ago

  http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/02/10/obama_springfield/index.html

  • "Michelle Obama's sacrifice" -- where Salon writer Debra Dickerson assured us all that Michelle Obama had given up everything to be a toady to her husband

  http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/05/21/michelle_obama/

  • "Colorblind" -- in which Debra Dickerson said that Barack Obama wasn't actually black

  http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/22/obama/index.html

  • "Did Facebook give Obama a secret advantage?" -- Where you let Farhad Manjoo loose on Obama, to speculate as to his advantages with Facebook

  http://www.salon.com/tech/machinist/blog/2007/06/06/obama_facebook/index.html

  • "Sympathy for the devil: Leave Rev. Al alone!" -- in which Dickerson picked up rumor, and ran with it, saying that "unnamed Obama supporters attacked Al Sharpton"

  http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/03/19/al_sharpton/print.html

  * * * * *

  And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. For another recap, check out "Salon's Campaign to Smear Barack Obama" at http://halfricanrevolution.blogspot.com/2007/02/salons-campaign-to-smear-barack-obama.html

  No, Joan, here we are with another negative anti-Obama post from you. You keep slamming him, over and over, and yet you want us to think that you're approaching this election fairly, much less that you're a "fan?"

  At this point, "I'm a fan of Obama" coming from you isn't even remotely plausible, given your track record.

  Permalink Tuesday, August 7, 2007 07:10 PM

• Salon is Deleting Complaint Posts About Paglia

  [Read the article: Art movies: R.I.P.]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  Was wondering why there were far less of the usual complaint posts about Paglia's latest spew, and then looked for my early comment posted last nite, and realized it has been deleted. It wasn't offensive or obscene, just not positive. They deleted it.

  Wonder how many other anti-Paglia posts have been deleted?

  That said, here is my "substantive" contribution.

  I find Paglia's columns to be uniformly absurd, cockeyed, derisory, fatuous, ill-conceived, inappropriate, irresponsible, puerile, and short-sighted. This one is no different.

  Oh, and Salon, if, as Paglia predicts, a Republican DOES win the 2008 presidential election, it will be in part on YOUR consciences, given your willingness to serve as conduit, platform, promoter, employer and mouthpiece for this sort of conservative wingnut dogma masquerading as "commentary."

  Permalink Wednesday, August 8, 2007 06:27 AM

• @Say-What: What Does "Being a big Obama Fan" Really Mean? And...Does Obama Really Want These Sorts of "Fans?"

  [Read the article: Obama's big blunder]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  Say-What so aptly wrote:

  Does being a "big Obama fan" mean that Walsh supports Obama as a candidate for the presidency of the United States, that she agrees with his positions, or that she'd just love to have an autographed copy of The Audacity of Hope on the mantle to show to friends when they come over?

  This is a good question. Perhaps Joan is just keeping her options open, and should Obama get elected (despite her and Salon's best efforts), Joan wants to keep the door open for personal interviews from her and Salon, or maybe her tv appearances have whet her appetite and she's set her sights on a paid tv pundit or hosting gig with a network or major cable station, or, as would explain her Hillary worship, she's coveting a West Wing job with La Presidente herself...

  But...sadly, we have not seen -- nor do I expect to see -- Joan Walsh actually respond to the issue of the constant denigration of Obama that seems to be endemic here at Salon. She hasn't in the past, and she still isn't addressing it. Frankly, I doubt she ever will.

  And that is pretty telling, isn't it?

  But in the meantime, the LAST thing that Barack Obama needs is any more "fans" like Joan Walsh...

  Permalink Wednesday, August 8, 2007 01:19 PM