Red County publisher Scott Graves fell for an old Internet scam on a complaint about a letter to the editor that the OC Register refused to run. The letter has its own Snopes page; www.Snopes.com is the site that ferrets out urban legends (and is a great time-killer).
The OC Register documents the case here.ÂÂ
But rather than rub Mr. Graves nose in this error, he has a point. I began blogging because I was tired of the Reguster never running my letters to the editor. While the local editorial writers do play things down the middle (OK, mostly Steven), there are still far too many instances of Novak, Steyn, Noonan, Stoeffel and Will. The Register does not carry any left of center syndicated columnists. Aftyer enough time spent writing a letter not to get it in, blogging provides a better way to get some immediate gratification.
Until the day Barack Obama actually gets a positive comment about his inspiring words or Mark Landsbaum brings himself to admit that man is playing a role in global warmning, at least there’s the LA Times and the NY Times on my doorstep every morning.
FYI … the post was from our letters editor, Betty Talbert, not me. She’s been dealing with that urban legend for about two years now. The idea that the Reg doesn’t print anti-illegal-immigration letters is absurd, but this email has taken on a life of its own!
As Orange County’s leading conservative commentator, Pete Fundy will vouch for Rachael LaPorte’s convictions. I met her at a Lincoln Club mixer once, and she struck Pete Fundy as a bright and intelligent woman. Even though she refused Pete Fundy’s numerous advances.
Warmly yours,
Pete Fundy
Senior Editorial Writer
OCLegend.Com
I linked to your Orange Punch post Steve
It’s not my post, Dan. Go read the byline on it — there’s one on the top and one on the bottom — both from our letters editor. Orange Punch is a shared blog.
I will make the adjustment
Reality check: The Register is a privately-owned newspaper and has the right to publish anything it wants on its editorial pages. Freedom Communications has a very specific political philosophy and it chooses to use its editorial page to push that philosophy. The editors are under no obligation whatsoever to be balanced.
The LA Times and NY Times have distinctly left-leaning editorial positions. The reason they publish stuff from people on the right is not because they are striving for some kind of balance, but because they want to sell newspapers to people who would otherwise be turned off by an all-left-wing editorial page. The Register has simply chosen not to do this.