Andy Birkey at the MinMon notes:
Have Michele Bachmann’s media gaffes and extreme conservative views [closed circuit to Birkey; are there any other kind? Or does the MNMon’s software prepend “extreme” to every instance of “conservative” in everyone’s copy? – Ed] driven her to speak mainly to conservative and Christian-right news outlets? Bachmann’s media appearances since her election create the impression of a member of Congress who is shy when not among friends, and perhaps a campaign that is concerned about what happens when a nonconservative microphone or camera is pointed in her direction.
Or – here’s another suggestion – someone who recognized what a hatchet job the regional media has been pulling on her for her entire political career?
Just a suggestion.
But that’s not the point of this post. Let’s try something new: let’s ask the same question in reverse.
How many regional liberal pols will do appearances outside the cozy, comfy club of the region’s reliably lefty-coddling mainstream media? (For a good laugh, check further down in Birkey’s piece – he calls WCCO and MPR and Almanac “mainstream”. [Closed circuit to Andy, again; Ed Morrissey and I are closer to the “mainstream” than either of those outlets – Ed]).
Andy notes that the Congresswoman has not responded to the Monitor’s many requests for interviews; perhaps Birkey feels the Monitor is “mainstream”. Whatever – it probably stands to reason that much of the regional dead-tree media has been asking for interviews. In that context, Birkey’s question is a good one.
Fair enough.
I wonder how well the shoe works on the other foot?
How many of Minnesota’s legions of DFL politicians, media figures and other eminementos feel like manning up and mixing it up with the conservative alt-media?
Birkey, or someone like him, will no doubt complain “it’s a lousy comparison! The NARN is bunch of “out” conservatives”. Actually, it’s a cop-out on two counts; at least we, unlike most the the Twin Cities’ mainstream media (to say nothing of the Monitor) are up-front about our biases; more importantly, Ed and I do fair, up-front interviews; we don’t ambush people (you know who you’re talking to), we don’t snip out bits of interview to engineer into a mutated context after the fact. We are, in short, the most honest interviewers in the Twin Cities media by a long, long way.
I’ll be sending out emails to a list of regional liberal personalities, asking them to appear on the Northern Alliance Volume II or, failing that, do an email interview with yours truly for this blog. The list includes:
- Senator Amy Klobuchar (why is it so hard to find an email address on her campaign website?)
- Senate candidate Al Franken (sent!)
- Rep. Keith Ellison (left a voicemail and an email)
- Rep. Betty McCollum (her office’s email processor seems to be mucked up; I left a message with her local press assistant)
- Minneapolis mayor RT Rybak (Email sent).
- “Growth and Justice” poobah Joel Kramer (email sent)
I’ll post the answers in this space when they come back.
(Kudos to the thin film of local left-leaners who do mix it up with the good guys; Eric Black, DFL chair Brian Melendez, and…well, that’s about it. On the other hand, brickbats to Nick Coleman, who responded to my request for an interview by demanding a $1,000 donation to a Saint Paul school).
Great idea, Andy!
The boilerplate for my email appears below the fold.
To: ____________
From: Mitch Berg – Northern Alliance Radio Network/Shot In The Dark/True North
Subject: Media Request
Dear ________
I’m Mitch Berg. I’m a co-host of the “Northern Alliance Radio Network”, heard Saturdays from 11-5 on AM1280 The Patriot in the Twin Cities (and via the web on AM1280thepatriot.com).
As you’re aware, polarization, and the anger that it breeds, is jeopardizing our civic society. And yet, as a person who [represents/wants to represent/communicates with] all of Minnesota in all its diverse glory, you understand the need for dialogue to reach across the partisan divide.
With that in mind, I’d like to request an interview with you on the Northern Alliance broadcast, between 1 and 3PM on any Saturday convenient to you. Hold your stereotypes; while my cohost Ed Morrissey and I are overt conservatives and incisive interviewers, we are respectful, civil, and we seek a conversation, not a catfight.
Again, this offer is extended for any Saturday afternoon, completely at your convenience.
If you are unable to do an interview, I’d respectfully like to request the opportunity to do an interview with you via email, again at your convenience. The interview will appear, unedited, on my blogs, Shot In The Dark (shotinthedark.info) and True North (looktruenorth.com).
Thank you, and may God bless America.
Mitch Berg
“”Ed Morrissey and I are closer to the “mainstream” than either of those outlets””
And thus makes clear the illogic that exists at the new SitD and the fantasy world the writer lives in
“”why is it so hard to find an email address on her campaign website””
*pssst* she’s not up for elections this year, try her Senate Page. But such and esteemed researcher like yourself must have forgot that!
I’d sure hope none of those folks would waste their time, but nice set up!
I tell ya, for a site you find so bad, Min Mon, you sure have almost a fetish about writing about them every day. It would seem you actually add to their credibility every time you mention their name. A very wise person told me that if something is bad you ignore it and it usually goes away, and if someone is bullying, it usually means they feel threatened.
At this point, I’m, going with the bully, and in one of those few cases, the bully is losing, and losing badly!
I have written, written as in ink and paper, my “Representative” Betty McCollum twice, and e-mailed her at least 10 times.
Response?
One form letter thanking me for contacting the Congresswoman (nothing about the subject) and *Crickets*.
Can anyone tell me (Mitch?), when Ms. McCollum last appeared for an interview or a “town hall” meeting? Just when *do* I get a chance to confront her with her extreme leftist record and demand an accounting?
Flash, if writing about a thing or a person adds cred, then your pal “Splut” had made Katherine Kerstin a candidate for sainthood.
Tell him I said thanks, won’t you?
Who is ‘splut?!?
And thus makes clear the illogic that exists at the new SitD and the fantasy world the writer lives in
Somewhere along the line, Flash, you seem to have gotten the idea that if you repeat something often enough, it becomes fact.
*pssst* she’s not up for elections this year, try her Senate Page.
Actually, I tried both. And it was hard to find an email address, period. Just commenting about her information design.
I’d sure hope none of those folks would waste their time, but nice set up!
Am I not a constituent of Senator Klobuchar and Rep. McCollum? Are conservatives who boycott the “mainstream” media also represented by them, whether they voted for them or not? Certainly no less so than Michele Bachmann – right?
But you hope Michele Bachmann does “waste her time?”
I tell ya, for a site you find so bad, Min Mon, you sure have almost a fetish about writing about them every day.
So?
It would seem you actually add to their credibility every time you mention their name.
OK, now you’re trying to write satire. Right?
Please tell me that sentence was an attempt at satire. It’s OK if it was a squib – it takes practice!
But you were aiming for a joke there – right?
A very wise person told me that if something is bad you ignore it and it usually goes away, and if someone is bullying, it usually means they feel threatened.
Then that “wise person” was pretty worthless at pointing out the factual gaps and ideological madness of a lavishly-funded propaganda outlet masquerading as a news organization!
At this point, I’m, going with the bully, and in one of those few cases, the bully is losing, and losing badly!
I’m going to let you take another shot at writing that sentence, Flash.
Try to make it make sense this time.
“”Somewhere along the line, Flash, you seem to have gotten the idea that if you repeat something often enough, it becomes fact.””
It’s the Mitch Berg credo, I learned it from you!
The rest, well, boiler plate stuff I pretty much had guessed you would reply with, but thanks for playing!
And again with the “I know you are, but what am I?”.
When I tried to ask Terri Bonoff a question during a MiniMoni on-line chat fest with DFL candidates. The moderator stepped in and warned Terri to “be careful”. It was a very straightforward question about taxes, but MiniMoni felt the need to protect their guest.
She hasn’t had a town hall meeting since being elected, and will no longer respond to my emails.
I think she’s a little “crazy”, if you know what I mean.
I personally can’t wait for Congressman Ellison’s appearance on the NARN. I will be queued up with some pertinent questions.
Oh, and Flash, why can’t you stay on topic? BDS is Bush Derangement Syndrome, not Berg Derangement Syndrome.
During the 2006 campaign, we asked Keith Ellison, Change Agent Rowley, Tim Walz, and Wendy Wilde to appear on our portion of the NARN numerous times. Once, I received a response from the Wilde campaign saying they would check their schedule and get back to me. They never did. We’ve also tried to get Franken on a couple of times and again never received a response.
I remember that!
But with Andy Birkey’s resounding challenge put forth to Michele Bachmann, I can only assume that our DFL politicians have gotten the message; accessibility and accountability are required!
I just know it!
“”And again with the “I know you are, but what am I?”.””
WRONG, again. Correctly it s about how you can use the tactic to repeat something enough hoping to make it true while others can’t, it is in the Luntz playbook, come on. I know you want your readers to be ignorant, but you can’t assume we really are, can you!
As for contacting, Amy, I just went to her Senate Page, Clicked on the link at the top that said ‘Contact Amy’ and there you were, phone numbers, addresses, and even an E-Mail form. But you knew that cause you were there . . . weren’t you!?
flash said:
“I just went to her Senate Page”
in reference to:
“why is it so hard to find an email address on her campaign website?”
Put on the reading specs, flash.
I know you want your readers to be ignorant, but you can’t assume we really are, can you!
Oh, it depends on how specific you’d like to get…
even an E-Mail form. But you knew that cause you were there . . . weren’t you!?
Yep. And I eventually used that form. But I was looking for a media contact email address, which many other Congresscritters’ site do in fact provide.
If you get Amy to show up for an interview, see if you can get Noah Kunin to videotape the event. Ask flash how to get in touch with Noah.
Hey, Flash,
Before you peev the thread, answer this question:
What’s wrong with demanding of you guys’ pols the same thing that Andy Birkey is perfectly legitimately (if disingenuously) demanding of Michele Bachmann?
Answer in a form that doesn’t use the words “Scaife” or “Luntz”, or the phrase “…this blog used to be…”; it’ll be tough, but I’m sure you can craft some kind of answer.
I know you want your readers to be ignorant
That statement is stunning in both it’s arrogance and flaccid logic, Mr. Centricity. Unless I may presume that as you are obviously a “reader” it is self-referential, in which case you get a pass.
I don’t have a problem at all with it, I just question your motives is all. The mere fact you claim to sincerely want a dialog in itself is disingenuous.
You claim “Ed Morrissey and I are closer to the “mainstream” than either of those outlets” Which, as we both know, is simply ridiculous.
Furthermore, your side has set the standard. When MinMon made a reasonable and professional attempt to open a dialogue, they were ambushed and you joined in the cackling of how AAA punked the Mon (or whomever, but I think you are well arare of the iuncident I am referring to). Why would anyone take anything you folks want to do at face value when you have either showed, or supported in the past this type of behavior. it is all about the Gotchya! It is clear that what you are asking for is the exact opposite of what you really want
See, that wasn’t tough!
So now, in return, lets not claim a straw man that doesn’t exists lets agree the Right Wing MNoSphere is more concerned with A-ha And Gotchya politics, than dialog. How about an effort to recognize we need to work together to move forward.
So we first must begin with credibility, and it is clear “WCCO and MPR and Almanac” are credible and the give and take on At Issue (KSTP) Sunday morning with Strom and other Right leaners is were we can build this dialog, But to compare the NARN to these outlets and than sit back for a few days to go AHA to MinMon when the people you contacted don’t fall into your trap is typical of what I just laid out.
Flash
Kerm, read what I wrote:
“I know you want your readers to be ignorant, but you can’t assume we really are, can you!””
I wasn’t saying the readers here are ignorant, I was pointing out that the writer of the screeds written here must assume they are to try to pass off some of this stuff
it is clear “WCCO and MPR and Almanac” are credible
Didn’t say there weren’t credible. Merely that they are disingenuous about their biases. Unlike Ed and I.
And I will put our interviews up against any of them, any time.
when the people you contacted don’t fall into your trap is…
…proof that Birkey’s post was selective and disingenuous.
And that Flash will back and fill and obfuscate as much as is necessary to try to draw attention away from it.
So it’s not arrogant because your question ended with an exclamation point rather than a question mark? It’s painfully obvious that you accuse Mitch of arrogance.
flash said:
“When MinMon made a reasonable and professional attempt to open a dialogue”
I don’t remember it that way at all, flash. Please detail this fresh rewrite of history. Don’t forget to describe exactly how it was “reasonable” and “professional”, and what this “dialog” was supposed to accomplish.
I don’t give any backing or support to the response to this supposed attempt at “dialog”, but even calling what started it all an “attempt to open a dialog” is too pretentious. (IIRC)
“”proof that Birkey’s post was selective and disingenuous.””
Only works if you put yourself on equal footing with ‘CCO, MPR, Almanac, which, sorry to say, your are not.
“exclamation point rather than a question mark”
typo, really
“”It’s painfully obvious that you accuse Mitch of arrogance.””
To be clear, I am referring to the persona that writes the screeds here, and with that I will offer you one of my favorite Wrath of Khan quotes:
Spock”I would not remind you of that which you know so well.”
lets look at Webster : “an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions”
. . and frankly, I don’t have the time to lay out all the proof, the Bestest this, and better that that, and oh, just up there “I will put our interviews up against any of them, any time.” When, frankly, they aren’t even in the same league. The writers here is working for a rise and searching for conflict. That’s why I come here.
Flash
Only works if you put yourself on equal footing with ‘CCO, MPR, Almanac, which, sorry to say, your are not.
Strawman.
Birkey is attacking Bachmann for not appearing on hostile media. My counter is that neither does any other regional politician.
When, frankly, they aren’t even in the same league
You’re right.
Ours are better.
“hostile media” = Non conservative/Christian. Who’s building straw men now Sheesh
“Ours are better.” There was a time when you had a shot, now you only talk to your self.
Who’s building straw men now Sheesh
That’d be you, again. I was pretty clear that it meant “hostile to conservatives”, especially Bachmann.
There was a time when you had a shot, now you only talk to your self
This is another of your “you struggle to get 600 hits a day” moments, Flash. We have 4-5,000 over the air listeners per quarter hour, 3-500 concurrent stream connections, and 20,000 podcast downloads (across all six NARN hours) at Townhall per week.
So yeah – we talk to ourselves, and about five digits worth of our closest personal friends.
Keep settin’ ’em up. I can knock ’em down all day.
“That’d be you, again. ”
But that’s not true, and you know it. Andy’s post is about Bachmann doing predominantly friendly cushy interviews. Nobody faults her for avoiding Hostile Media. But to make your point, you have to build the straw man that ‘CCO, MPR, Almanac are ‘hostile media’;, and, frankly, they aren’t. So I called you on it and said, rightfully and accurately “Only works if you put yourself (NARN) on equal footing with ‘CCO, MPR, Almanac”
“we talk to ourselves”
I didn’t mean in the literal sense, I meant in the like minded sense. You aren’t changing minds, or even trying to.
“Keep settin’ ‘em up. I can knock ‘em down all day.”
You can, but you have to hit one first
Andy’s post is about Bachmann doing predominantly friendly cushy interviews.
Right. Got that.
And mine, in response, said DFL pols do exactly the same thing. WCCO and Almanac aren’t exactly hostile territory.
Nobody faults her for avoiding Hostile Media.
Birkey was faulting her for it in as many words.
But to make your point, you have to build the straw man that ‘CCO, MPR, Almanac are ‘hostile media’;, and, frankly, they aren’t.
In your humble, DFL-slanted opinion.
So I called you on it and said, rightfully and accurately “Only works if you put yourself (NARN) on equal footing with ‘CCO, MPR, Almanac”
Wasn’t right at all. None of the DFL pols have the ‘nads to face a critical interview. None of ’em does it, any more than Bachmann does.
I didn’t mean in the literal sense, I meant in the like minded sense. You aren’t changing minds, or even trying to.
Actually, we are, and we do.
More on that later.
You can, but you have to hit one first
Not believing you’ve been knocked out could just as easily be a symptom of punch-drunkness as of not being knocked out.
So then, you ARE claiming that ‘CCO, MPR, and Almanac ARE hostile Media and that YOU are in equal credible footing with them.
And Kermit called me out for hinting at you being arrogant Sheesh.
Your blog, you can decide what is right or wrong, I guess. But if one of the last remaining candidates you have left in public office is hiding form the ‘other than friendly Conservative talk Right and Christian Media Outlets’ your ideological issues are far far greater than even I imagined. But then, that’s good for us I guess cause as long as you actually and sincerely believe that, it makes our job a whole lot easier!
Keep pulling on that metaphorical rope, seems to be working out for us just fine!
Flash
PS: “”Answer in a form that doesn’t use the words “Scaife” or “Luntz”, or the phrase “…this blog used to be…”””
And no credit for playing by your fun rules either
So then, you ARE claiming that ‘CCO, MPR, and Almanac ARE hostile Media
I believe I’ve been pretty clear about that. How did you not get that until now?
and that YOU are in equal credible footing with them.
Where “Credible” in this case means “honest about our motivations” and, as it happens, “non-disingenuous in our approach to interviewing people with whom we disagree”? Yes. We are MORE credible than WCCO, Almanac, and much of MPR/APM.
And Kermit called me out for hinting at you being arrogant Sheesh.
I’m not. I’ll back up every word of it.
Your blog, you can decide what is right or wrong, I guess
By your leave.
Mitch,
Joel Kramer hasn’t been Growth & Justice president for about a year. Dan Smith has appeared on NARN with King and Michael.
Charlie
And Kermit called me out for hinting at you being arrogant Sheesh.
I think I implied you were projecting. But if you want to reference NARN, I listen most every Saturday, and Mitch disagrees with me on several points, most notably capital punishment. That and Bruce Springsteen. So I guess he’s not talking to me in a “like minded sense”. Which is fine. I leave the purity tests and orthodoxy to the DFL.
Joel Kramer hasn’t been Growth & Justice president for about a year.
See? I KNEW he’d go to any lengths to avoid facing Ed and I!
Dan Smith has appeared on NARN with King and Michael.
And his twin brother Dane has actually responded to my email.
Updates as information warrants.
“Mitch disagrees with me on several points, most notably capital punishment.”
Mitch’s only issue with Capital Punishment is the potential to make a mistake. The act itself, as he has laid out many times here at SitD he doesn’t have a problem with. The Drew Sjodin case would be a speicifc example
“”I leave the purity tests and orthodoxy to the DFL.””
They don’t want it, besides, the GOP has the market on it anyway.
“”actually responded to my email.””
Cause they aren’t afraid of your strawman. By removing the word ‘extreme’, you build it and stuff it. But either way, you will just prove Andy’s point in the end.
Cause they aren’t afraid of your strawman.
If it’s a strawman, by definition, there’s nothing to be afraid of, since it’s a false argument.
“”I leave the purity tests and orthodoxy to the DFL.””
They don’t want it, besides, the GOP has the market on it anyway.
Quick – name 5 national pro-life Democrats.
At least according to Wikipedia:
Governors
Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Tim Kaine of Virginia
Bill Ritter of Colorado
U.S. Senators
Ben Nelson of Nebraska
Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate Majority Leader[1]
Mark Pryor of Arkansas
Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania
U.S. Congressmen
Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania
Marion Berry of Arkansas
Dan Boren of Oklahoma
Chris Carney of Pennsylvania
Ben Chandler of Kentucky
Jerry Costello of Illinois
Henry Cuellar of Texas
Lincoln Davis of Tennessee
Joe Donnelly of Indiana
Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania
Brad Ellsworth of Indiana
Baron Hill of Indiana
Tim Holden of Pennsylvania
Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania
Marcy Kaptur of Ohio
Dale Kildee of Michigan
Jim Langevin of Rhode Island
Dan Lipinski of Illinois
Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts
Jim Marshall of Georgia
Mike McIntyre of North Carolina
Mike McNulty of New York
Charlie Melancon of Louisiana
Mike Michaud of Maine
Alan Mollohan of West Virginia
John Murtha of Pennsylvania
Jim Oberstar of Minnesota
Solomon Ortiz of Texas
Collin Peterson of Minnesota
Nick Rahall of West Virginia
Mike Ross of Arkansas
Tim Ryan of Ohio
Heath Shuler of North Carolina
Ike Skelton of Missouri
Bart Stupak of Michigan
Gene Taylor of Mississippi
Charlie Wilson of Ohio
Or you can count for yourself:
http://www.democratsforlife.org
Here’s a video of Flash’s straw man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
Wow, Clown, that’s a veritable who’s who of obscure rural Dems who have gone as far as they’re ever going to go in the party. (Harry Reid, might be an exception if his pro-life cred weren’t fairly specious: http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Harry_Reid_Abortion.htm )
Harry Reid is pro-life? I look forward to the debate on abortion in the Senate. When is it scheduled?
Y’see, Clown, that’s the problem about ignoring everything west of the Hudson River…
I looked at the Growth & Justice web site:
http://www.growthandjustice.org/
and saw their logo for their “2008 Worst Political Ads Awards”.
WTH? Who thought that would be a good logo? Did they ask angryclowns opinion? 😉
Thanks for implicitly correcting my typo, Mitch. Slow day at the office, huh? And no need to reply to my email to you about joining me in a dialog about the gun legislation. Joel Rosenberg was much more willing.
“name 5 national pro-life Democrats. ”
First we start with the list of everyone who voted against the war, cause that would be pro life, right?!?
WOW, there is a lot of names here, funny I am not seeing many Republicans, I thought they were pro life
“”Cause they aren’t afraid of your strawman.
If it’s a strawman, by definition, there’s nothing to be afraid of, since it’s a false argument. “”
Exactly, and it took about 40 comments to get you to recognize that!
flash said:
“First we start with the list of everyone who voted against the war, cause that would be pro life, right?!?”
Um, no.
OK, the list of everyone against the Death Penalty, that most certainly is the definitive pro lifers, right?!?
First we start with the list of everyone who voted against the war, cause that would be pro life, right?!?
Pro life and pro slavery?
First we start with the list of everyone who voted against the war, cause that would be pro life, right?!?
Remember everybody: according to *flash* Mitch is the only one pooping out talking points.
http://www.cafepress.com/irregulargoods.14611929
Everytime *flash* uses the word “strawman,” God kills a kitten.
Oh My God, Footster cracked into my cache files and found me perusing CafeExpress for my next comeback . . . . foiled again! I’ll await the Death Penalty is Pro Life bumper sticker so I don’t have to look for it myself.
” Everytime *flash* uses the word “strawman,” God kills a kitten.”
Then if you like kittens, tell the screed writer to quite building and stuffing them. If they were have as good as they claim, they wouldn’t have to build ’em, they could actually debate the point itself. But then what would I have to do.