Letters to the Editor
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Egads Not Facts
Joan,
Do you ever have anyone look at what you write. For days Glenn has pointed out the fact compromised comments of Joe Klein. But, then you take pride in helping to call "halt" to a possible Krugman rejoinder to the fantastical Canonization of Reagan, viz. Black men such as Herbert don't know rascism when they hear it; or the Canonization version "it's not rascism if you don't mean it and especially if you once held open a door for a pregant welfare mother; or "it's not rascism if it was just to get votes and even less so if it didn't work."
No, we need to get the editorial page of the Times back to the stuff that Hardball and Joe's Morning Coffee Clache like; whether Oprah's weight will hurt Barack with skinny ladies, or whether Hillary reads polls; or if John Edwards once looked at a men's underwear commercial.
And oh yes, there is a Republican Debate. I can't wait for the debate about Rudy's favorite color or Huckabee's favorite Last Supper song.
But please no facts. No, what's the fun in that.
WHS
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so when
do YOU get into the mea culpas and retroactive cultural re-analysis of your SHAMEFUL writing on Barry Bonds?
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Joan, you have a forum
You are on TV all the time yet you consistently refuse to use that forum to challenge Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough or whoever on their factually incorrect statements or to even mention Glenn Greenwald's excellent work. Yet you have the time to chat up Clark Hoyt regarding an inhouse debate on the editorial pages of the NY Times. (Incidentally, the Times having a Public Editor is useless, not a sign of integrity. Just read Kit Seeyle or Patrick Healy.)
C'mon, Joan, there are so few progressives on these shows and all you do is kiss up to these pampered fools. Yeah, you mention Salon and a story or two but it would be nice to see you challenge them and talk up the media criticisms Greenwald writes about almost daily.
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From Joan Walsh
WHS, read the post. I applauded the fact that we won't get a David Brooks rejoinder to Krugman's last word. And I asked for more facts about Reagan and Philadelphia, rather than spin. I know you're disappointed in me, WHS, but it's bringing your game down. Read, think, focus, write. And breathe somewhere in there, too.
And I'll bring up Glenn's work in a context that it makes sense. I was very proud to get the Politico story on Rudy's scandalous charges to the city for his assignations with Judi Nathan on Hardball tonight. I always learn from constructive criticism, so thank you all for the interest you take in my TV appearances, and Salon.
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From Joan Walsh
Oh, and anonymous with the Barry Bonds jones? We decided, after much debate among Salon staff and readers, that for now, we'll keep the anonymous option. People made convincing cases for times they need their anonymity, and I respect that. I also realized we were being much too passive about not deleting offensive, off-topic, ad hominem posts. So we're moderating a bit more heavily, and I think it's working. We are also quicker to delete obnoxious, off-topic anonymous posts, and much, much, much slower to answer anonymous, troll-like, off-thread-topic hectoring. Like yours.
When you sign your name to a letter about Barry Bonds and state your point of view, I will take seriously your request for a post from me. But I tend not to answer people who aren't man or woman enough to sign their names to critical posts like yours. Just clarifying.
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Garbage and Some Actual Discourse
After reading your article, I couldn't help myself and headed over to the Jezebel site to actually see the Obama slime.
Absolute garbage!
However, I took the time to scroll through the comments, as I always find these quite interesting and was shocked at the level of discourse blossoming in the responses that began in the afternoon. To summarize: the comments began with your typical sleaze responses...and then broke into an actual conversation about the candidates, their passion, their ideals and their qualifications.
Here I was expecting a lot of Dittohead nonsense and trollish sniping and instead received some actual thinking.
Not that I want to give any more hits to the site and its garbage story, but there seems to be a glimmer of hope for our democracy buried in the comments.
Shocked I tell you!
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If I sign my name will you answer me?
Any thoughts on Camille Paglia?
You once wrote that Imus being purposely being an agitator was not an excuse but part of the problem. Yet you run Camille, and her entire shtick is being a clueless agitator. I won't regurgitate the lengthy list of complaints against her, you can read any one of the her letters sections.
You are guilty of the same thing the mainstream media often is - ignoring problems in the hope they will just go away rather than fessing up.
Your readers constantly complain about her and not once have you bothered to defend her or any one of her hundreds of inane statements. It makes it hard to take you seriously when you tut-tut about media irresponsibility, and it sure looks to me that you aren't "woman enough" to deal honestly with your readership and answer questions that might make you slightly uncomfortable.
Intead of being a coward and putting your fingers in your ears why don't you try listening to your readers and responding to their very valid criticisms of your resident idiot.
James Margaris
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@Any Thoughts...Camille Paglia?
Intead of being a coward and putting your fingers in your ears why don't you try listening to your readers and responding to their very valid criticisms of your resident idiot.
James Margaris
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Oh heavens no don't take the delightfully nutty Camille away! Where would we go to read such trenchant letter writing in response to her nonsense!? I don't even bother reading her stuff anymore, I just go straight to the letters. Someone ought to gather them into a book.
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Hey, if you are actually reading this:
couldn't you replace that Kansas strip with something, well, actually better then having your eyes gouged out with a rusty spoon?
It is only getting the hits its getting now, because the letters page provides links to better comics.