This is my first diary. So, with apologies to Prince (or whatever his name is), forgive me if I go astray from some dKos norms.
I just wrote a letter to the New York Times, regarding their January 19 editorial about the Rod Paige / Armstrong Williams scandal. Since I have almost no chance at acceptance, I thought I could at least reprint the letter here. Essentially, they give Smirky the Chimp a free ride for the scandal, laying it entirely on Paige. As if some political operative in Rove-world had no words of encouragement. Although I typically love the Times, I had to object.
A link to their editorial, with my letter below the fold:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/19/opinion/19wed2.html
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Here's my response:
To the Editor:
Although I certainly agree with its main point, I must object to your editorial regarding the Armstrong Williams scandal and the Department of Education (Needed: A new broom, January 19).
Once again, the Bush administration is caught in a scandal, this time paying a "journalist" to spread illegal, covert propaganda. Once caught, their message was familiar and clear: "This reflects entirely on Secretary Rod Paige, and we've removed him." As with all the other scandals (e.g., lying about WMDs, lying about the true costs of Medicare reform, torture at Abu Ghraib, failure to respond to alarming pre-9/11 chatter), some underling is always at fault. Even when his own policies backfire, creating deficits or insurgencies, responsibility never reaches the President. In this case, the Times has contributed to the charade, saddling Mr. Paige with 100 percent of the blame.
But what about the next time? During the upcoming months, we can anticipate an endless series of conservative pundits condemning Social Security, raising alarms about Iran, decrying the current tax code. Concerned citizens must ask: Are these legitimate, informed opinions? Does Sean Hannity have a Swiss bank account?
At some point, we must look beyond specific events and see the greater pattern. The administration has routinely conducted its affairs near or across ethical boundaries, applying whatever strategy is expedient. The common thread is always President Bush.
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As always, I had to keep a civil tone... just once I should write a totally raving letter to the Times, just for fun.
Anyway, I was hoping to give my little missive a blog-life, at least for a few hours.