[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Analysis: It's so, like, unfair!

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Analysis: It's so, like, unfair!
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1197439118.shtml


   I'm looking at the calendar and the Star Tribune this morning, which
   features a mild hit piece on Prime Minister Pawlenty. In the spirit of
   the season, couldn't this wait until after Christmas? The Legislature
   doesn't return until February. Why now?
   Maybe it's because he's riding high in the polls, even the
   DFL-friendly Minnesota Poll. It's not fair! He gets re-elected on a
   fluke, he rebuffs the hugely DFL Legislature, a bridge collapses on
   his watch, and it doesn't matter. Nothing sticks to him!
   Anyway, the magic word "analysis" is there to excuse the obvious
   leakage from the Editorial page. They paint Pawlenty as a man of "big
   ideas but little followup" and list several of his big ideas and how
   some of them didn't play out. It's a classic example of front page
   bias.
   For example:

     Big idea: Proposes health impact "fee" on tobacco to break budget
     deadlock, insisting it does not break his no-new taxes pledge.
     Result: Revenue from fee breaks budget stalemate; fee upheld in
     court.

   That isn't what happened. Pawlenty proposed this [DEL: fee :DEL] tax
   well before the end of the session and Senate Majority [DEL: Leader
   :DEL] Liar Dean Johnson shrugged it off at the time. Weeks later,
   voter and union displeasure with the ensuing partial shutdown ended
   the stalemate. (It was in all the papers!) Telling it this way gives
   Pawlenty credit for raising taxes, always a good idea no matter who
   does it according to the Star Tribune.
   The major sins of this piece are acts of omission, however. There's
   not a word about embracing light rail, the Twins stadium, and the
   smoking ban. The Star Tribune finds nothing wrong or controversial
   here, of course.
   I'm no fan of Mr. Pawlenty but even I think he deserves better than
   this lopsided article, itself a big idea short on follow-through.