As if Tyler Whitley's article in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch wasn't bad enough, we also have this sterling example of fine journalism from the Times Community newspapers. I particularly enjoyed this description of some guy named "Harris Miller." I say "some guy" because the person bears no resemblance to the Harris Miller running for U.S. Senate this year.
Former lobbyist and longtime Virginia Democrat Harris Miller spent the last 10 years promoting the Internet as head of the Information Technology Association of America.
"Promoting the Internet?" Oh, is THAT what Miller was doing at the ITAA? Gee, I could have sworn he was busy supporting and sucking up to right-wingers like Spencer Abraham, Dennis Hastert, and George Allen. I also could have sworn that Miller was keeping busy in his never-ending quest to outsource American jobs, drive down wages for American IT workers, encourage "data mining" on ordinary Americans, block efforts by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) late in the Clinton administration to protect consumers' online data, and discourage "voter verified audit trails."
But "promoting the Internet?" I must have missed that one. What next, did Harris Miller INVENT the Internet(s), like Al Gore was accused of claiming to do? You never know, since Harris Miller bragged to me that he was a "visionary." Ha.
Believe it or not, the article goes downhill from there. Now, I realize I'm just a crazy blogger who never went to Journalism school (just an Ivy League school in the West Philly ghettos - LOL), but I could have sworn that you're not just supposed to print stuff that's factually incorrect without noting that in your article. For instance, let's take the following lies/distortions/smears from Harris Miller, presented uncritically by the Times Community papers:
1) "[Webb+óGé¼Gäós] new to the Democratic Party, so we have to figure out what his views are since he+óGé¼Gäós been a Reagan Republican all his life."
FALSE! Webb was a DEMOCRAT until the late 1970s, when he drfited away from the party and ended up as a "Reagan Democrat"/Independent. After 9/11 and especially the invasion of Iraq, Webb started moving back into the Democratic camp. If I'm not incorrect on this, that means that Webb was not a "Reagan Republican all his life." Besides the fact that Ronald Reagan wasn't elected President until 1980, and Jim Webb was born in 1946. Is Miller saying that Webb backed Reagan in the 1950s and 1960s? What. Ever.
2) "More than that, I am a person who is a uniter +óGé¼GÇ£ someone who brings things together. ... [Webb+óGé¼Gäós] message is a different one +óGé¼GÇ£ he+óGé¼Gäós +óGé¼-£a born fighter,+óGé¼Gäó" said Miller, quoting Webb+óGé¼Gäós campaign slogan, 'Born fighting.'"
FALSE! This is a total misreading of the phrase "Born Fighting" and its applicability to Jim Webb. Does Harris Miller totally not understand this, or is he not as much of a "genius" as he incessantly claims to be? Let's take it nice and slow, Harris: Jim Webb wrote a book. That's right, a B-O-O-K. It was called "Born Fighting," because it's about the Scots-Irish and they did a lot of fighting back in the day. And Jim Webb? Hell yeah, he's fighting. For our freedom. For our constitution. For our country. What are YOU fighting for, Harris Miller? To do everything you can to re-elect Spencer Abraham? To serve your corporate paymasters? To get elected at all costs, by smearing an American Hero? Yeah, that's what I thought.
3) "Miller+óGé¼Gäós campaign has said that as head of a nonpartisan organization, contributions had to flow across party lines."
FALSE! And possibly illegal! As former Mark Warner (and current Jim Webb) senior strategist Steve Jarding wrote yesterday on Daily Kos:
The Devil Made Me Do It. It is my understanding that it certainly is not legal for an organization like the ITAA to "make" an employee give personal funds to political candidates. And this is not a change as a consequence of McCain Feingold. That law has been around for years in federal elections. Harris Miller should know it. I talked to several reporters who were tracking Miller's comments saying his company made him give the contributions. They were working on the belief that what Miller was quoted saying in the Washington Post was evidence that he broke federal law. Yet, I have not seen a follow up story on it.
OK, now, I don't want to be too harsh on our fine reporters in the "mainstream media." But, c'mon guys, each one of these fallacious statements by Harris Miller should have at least had a brief explanation as to why they were false. That's not too much work for you, is it?
Can we start a petition online somewhere? Can we cross post it and get it signed? It won't do much, but it might let him know that we are all watching him. I mean seriously, I am trying to be mature here, but this is the type of guy I want to...never mind. I will hold my tongue.
But what I was going to type was not nice, just so you know.
The reason why he is running is that “Washington’s broken,†Miller said.We should ask the very reasonable question which follows: Why is Washington "broken"? Who are the people responsible for breaking Washington?
It's clear to me that Harris Miller is trying to run as an "outsider" in the same manner as Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George Bush.
Clearly, Miller is more of a "Washington Insider" than any of the past presidents I've listed.
In fact, based upon the center of his activities as an ITAA/WITSA business lobbyist Miller is less a Virginian and more a Washingtonian -- the quitessential "Washington Insider".
The reason why he is running is that “Washington’s broken,†Miller said.