Minnesota Canvassing Board Member Fires Back At The Journal
Yesterday, the Wall St. Journal published an editorial lambasting the Minnesota recount with arguments ranging from distortions to omissions to outright falsehoods. Now someone is firing back: Ramsey County (St. Paul) Judge Edward Cleary, an appointee of Jesse Ventura, who served on the state canvassing board that oversaw the count.
Cleary has written a letter to the Journal, saying that he's been a subscriber for over 30 years -- and he's really angry about this editorial. Cleary particularly objected to the description of the board as "meek" pawns of Democratic Sec. of State Mark Ritchie:
Our members (two Supreme Court Justices, two District Court Judges, and Secretary of State Ritchie) came from all political backgrounds, openly expressed our opinions at the meetings, and can hardly be accurately described as "meek", unless you mean "meek" by New York in-your-face standards.
Finally, Cleary called out the Journal on the real source of their anger about the recount:
One can only assume, based on the tone of the editorial, the numerous inaccuracies, and the over-the-top slam at Al Franken ("tainted and undeserving?") that had Norm Coleman come out on top in this recount, the members of the Board would have been praised as "strong-willed, intelligent, and perceptive."
We won't hold our breath waiting for that editorial to appear.
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Give 'em hell, Cleary.
January 6, 2009 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep.
Good for Cleary!
January 6, 2009 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, this seems like a typical response from the political right in this country. They promote an image of themselves as always having to battle uphill and into the wind against all the evil liberal forces (and ESPECIALLY the LIBERAL MEDIA) that constantly bar their progress and cheat them of their rightful deserts. I don't get all the whining, frankly. Having listened to this constant litany for the last eight years when they pretty much had their way in all areas of public life, I wonder if they ever will know when they actually have it good? I mean, really--the conservatives should act like adults rather than spoiled children--it would be better for them and for all of us.
January 6, 2009 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why would you assume they don't know? The strategy has worked great, so why stop?
January 6, 2009 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Precisely!
January 6, 2009 8:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
But has this really been a winning strategy? It may be in the short run, but I do think that it fails in the long run. Call me hopelessly naive, but I still have faith that facts and reason will win out in the end. Evidence electing Obama as President. We sure got that right.
January 6, 2009 11:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely it's been a winning strategy. They've cowed the news media into bending over backwards to accommodate the Republican point of view. They can say any damn stupid thing they want and the news media will dutifully report it as fact without question.
Furthermore, they all know the whole "liberal bias" meme is a fraud. They don't care. It's worked better than they could possibly have hoped. Obama's election is hardly proof to the contrary. We've had eight years of disaster aided and abetted by the Republicans in Congress. The Democrats should have won by a resounding landslide, but thanks to the slanted coverage by the media, the Republican message is still given credence.
January 7, 2009 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
But they were spooiled children and now they have aged but not grown up. It makes one wonder whether it really is better to never grow up. Tantrums can be rewareded even in their old age.
January 6, 2009 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rewarded. I can spell. I just can't type and usually click send before I edit. Sorry.
January 6, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are grown-up and principled conservatives--I know, they are way too rare--but I value them. I think liberal ideas are strongest when they can go head to head with conservative ones and be demonstrated to be superior. That is this the benefit of having a strong and principled opposition.
January 7, 2009 12:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Wall Street Journal? That fair and balanced protector of the truth? Making up bullshit to carry water for a Republican?? *GASP!* NEVER!!
January 6, 2009 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
lol lol lol
January 6, 2009 8:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am shocked, shocked!...
That they would say these things.
January 6, 2009 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
If there's anybody on here who doesn't realize how crazed and irresponsible the right-wing invective known as the WSJ editorial page is, this illustrates it. Open it any day of the week. And they're proud of it, delight in it. Fucking lunatics.
January 6, 2009 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Researching for my book on the Obama campaign and '08 election in general I interviewed a pair of former college roommates who are nothing but quintessential Right Wing GOP types.
They both individually concurred the following belief system that unlike '00-'04 when the electorate voted the 'right' way the voters were dumb, idiots, wrong and many shouldn't be allowed to vote. When questioned that they previously believed that Democracy and the public's will got it right before how could it be so wrong now and '06?
They then said that democracy is a fraud. The ruling class, meaning rich should rule for they have the most to lose, they are the ones who pay and thus should be in charge....they were serious. How could they vote for Franken.
One went to say that eventually the Supreme Court will install Coleman. It was their belief. Democracy was quaint, childish.
This is what is at the Coleman denial syndrome. The Wall Street Journal is at this too...it is no different than how Queen Isabella wanted the courts to follow the will of the President otherwise what good are they?
January 6, 2009 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Then did you follow up by asking them how is criticism of their party off base when they're called reich-wing fascists? How Un-American they sounded since they obviously have admitted to not believing in the constitution? And then ask why they choose to still be American citizens and not move to some plutocratic authoritarian country in eastern Europe where there's no hiding whatsoever of how 'quaint' democracy is? By staying in America aren't they in fact admitting that they are whores?
January 6, 2009 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
"One went to say that eventually the Supreme Court will install Coleman. It was their belief. Democracy was quaint, childish."
Until Al is seated, I'm not counting on his vote.
And, except for the fact that they seems to like the idea of an aristocratic form of goverment, I'm not sure I disagree with their view of America. Harry Reid seemed every bit as happy to have Norm Coleman in the Senate as Al Franken.
America is run by one party, and it's the corporatocracy party.
January 6, 2009 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, I didn't realize how far down we have become...Thank you.
January 6, 2009 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Wow, I didn't realize how far down we have become"
Where have you been the last eight years?
January 7, 2009 12:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Takes a snark to know a sanrk.
January 7, 2009 12:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why don't you gyhoya!
January 7, 2009 12:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have no idea what you're talking about. what's a "gyhoyua?"
January 7, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
That, I suspect, is an acronym.
As in, "get your head out of your..."
January 7, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, so it's gibberish from a twittering ten-year-old.
January 7, 2009 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
These people are Straussians. If you look into this political philosophy you will find that is explains the Repuglican agenda since Newt Gingrich. It only now that Strauss' "Ladies and Gentlemen", who usually go along with the ruling class, have woken up to see that their ox has been gored--perhaps fatally.
I hope we can get back to a loving Christian Society soon. And, before I get slammed for being Christian, read Matthew 6. Other philosophies have similar teachings, but for me that captures my purpose in the world. We're not all loony fundamentalists who consort with witch doctors toward off the devil.
January 7, 2009 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Wall Street Urinal, what better place for a little liberal bashing through an ed piece.
Where the hell was this newspaper when financial ruin was being wrought upon this country, and all the way the experts were saying everything is fine? They were duplicitous in what has happened to the economy.
Expect a lot more of this from the WSJ as Rupert has now got his dirty hands on it.
January 7, 2009 12:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
So?
January 7, 2009 12:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good for Judge Cleary, appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura.
That's two points for Jesse: First, he beat Norm so badly in the 1998 Governor's race that Norm had to admit he'd lost; and second, Jesse appoints this judge who is willing to take on the Wall Street Journal (and the entire ultra-right propaganda machine) with a public rebuttal against their lies. I have a feeling that this guy doesn't "suffer fools gladly" in his courtroom.
Ventura wasn't perfect as a Governor but he did many things right . . . one of which was keeping politics out of the judicial appointment process.
As contrasted with the incumbent Republican governor, Pawlenty, who appointed his former law partner to be the Chief Justice of Minnesota's Supreme Court.
That would be chief justice Magnuson--who was one of the five members of the canvassing board, the ones whom the WSJ alleged were "meek pawns" of Sec'y of State Ritchie.
Every step of this recount was open, transparent, and conducted according to law and court rulings.
I hope Al Franken stays out of small airplanes.
January 7, 2009 6:37 AM | Reply | Permalink