On Sotomayor, the “New” Big Tent, Flanagan & Seven Days and More

May 28, 2009

“Judge Sonia Sotomayor was conferring with White House aides on Wednesday as conservatives said the court pick had energized their forces.” – The New York Times

Hmm, ever wonder where energized-conservative forces meet? Here:

Think of it as their new “big tent.”

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Department of Dopey Reporting:Speaking of Sotomayor, here’s the first paragraph of a front-page article in this morning’s New York Times about her appointment:

“The White House’s Supreme Court selection plan had been months in the works, involving veterans determined to avoid the pitfalls of the past.”

Ya think?

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Quote of the day:

“If you still have an Obama sticker on your car, maybe think about scraping it off and sending it to the White House with your objections,” says Mike Roselle of Climate Ground Zero, who is working hard to stop mountaintop removal in West Virginia and elsewhere. “Blowing mountains to pieces is a crime.”

[From Jeff St. Clair and Joshua Frank’s “Obama and the Environment:
The Politics of Bait-and-Switch.”
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Flanagan & Seven Days: I’ve been meaning to say a couple of words about last week’s cover story about Vermont State Senator, Ed Flanagan. The article, by the usually fine Ken Picard, feels like little more than an insiders’ whisper campaign against Flanagan, a man who is still recovering from his horrific auto accident more than four years ago.

Apparently, Picard sets out to “prove” what Flanagan readily admits: He’s not the same. And where, pray tell, is the news content here?

While I did find it refreshing that Picard and Seven Days were making an attempt at looking behind the curtain, I thought their choice of Flanagan and his physical and mental challenges was a poor place to start – especially when they provide no evidence whatsoever that the “new” Flanagan is not performing his duties or satisfying his constituents.

Instead, Picard reports on Flanagan’s “odd” behaviors while at the Statehouse, things like taking naps without his shoes on and pushing jellybeans around the table without eating them. Hmm, sounds pretty normal to me, especially when you compare them to the truly odd things going on there. You know, like vetoing gay marriage legislation and the budget and refusing to listen to the people regarding true health care reform.

Flanagan may be pushing jellybeans around, but he’s still standing up and speaking out admirably for his constituents and “special interests” like the mentally and physically challenged.

Sorry, but this was a swing and a miss for Picard and Seven Days. Keep looking behind the curtains of our leaders, for sure, but wait until you’ve got some content – or news – before making it a cover story. And while you’re at it, swing at a bigger fish – you know, like Douglas, Leahy, Sanders or Welch.

Posted by M. Colby | Filed Under blog, war & peace