Sunday, November 13, 2005
A Close Look at a Single Paragraph
Not all of the New York Time's editorials online are trapped, largely unread, behind the Times Select wall. Here is an example of a free one that reveals a lot of the NYT mindset. To that end, I want to focus on the editorial's closing paragraph, below:
The Alito nomination comes at a critical moment for the Democratic Party. With President Bush's poll numbers plummeting, Democrats are finding a new optimism about their chances in 2006 and 2008. But to capitalize on the Republicans' weakness, the party needs to show that it has an alternative vision for the country. As the Democrats refine their message for next year's elections, the first thing they need to be able to say to the American people is that they did not sit by idly while the far right took over the Supreme Court and began dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms.
The first sentences are largely true and present a balanced portrayal of what's happening. (I quibble about "critical moment"--when is it not a critical moment?) It is absolutely clear that the Democrats must develop an "alternative vision," they must develop some vision, because no one can doubt that they have none now (Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Democrats are working on discovering what they believe in and want to happen for our country and will announce it in January or February of next year). Two to three months away--don't they already know?
The use of the word "refine" in the start of the last sentence is charitable; "concoct" might be more accurate. But the rest of the sentence is the editorial driving over a cliff. ...they did not sit by idly while the far right took over the Supreme Court and began dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms. Wow. The "far right." Who is that exactly? Neo-Nazis? Camouflaged militiamen? Tough to tell in the context of this editorial, but I can tell you who it isn't, well-respected, brilliant federal appellate judge Sam Alito. If we googled "far left" and the New York Times would we get a hit on even one article or editorial regarding Justice Ginsberg or any of the judges on the 9th Circuit. Of course not.
But it's the very last part that increases my blood pressure and reinforces my belief that the editorial board of the NYT is hopelessly left biased and terminally clueless--"dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms." You mean like the fundamental right of the fetus to life; you mean like the freedom for our citizens to worship when and where they like; you mean like the fundamental right of the citizen to own property without fear that the Government will take it away on a whim for any reason it declares is somehow helpful? Are these the fundamental rights and freedoms which the NYT is stating that Alito and the right are taking away? No, it's the left that accomplished those dismantlings. It is the hope of the right thinking citizens that Alito can restore a fundamental freedom, our freedom from a judiciary that acts like a legislature but does not have to stand for election. Our hope is that Alito can help dismantle the last way the Democrats have of imposing their failed and otherwise rejected ideology on the country.
There. I feel better now.
The Alito nomination comes at a critical moment for the Democratic Party. With President Bush's poll numbers plummeting, Democrats are finding a new optimism about their chances in 2006 and 2008. But to capitalize on the Republicans' weakness, the party needs to show that it has an alternative vision for the country. As the Democrats refine their message for next year's elections, the first thing they need to be able to say to the American people is that they did not sit by idly while the far right took over the Supreme Court and began dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms.
The first sentences are largely true and present a balanced portrayal of what's happening. (I quibble about "critical moment"--when is it not a critical moment?) It is absolutely clear that the Democrats must develop an "alternative vision," they must develop some vision, because no one can doubt that they have none now (Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Democrats are working on discovering what they believe in and want to happen for our country and will announce it in January or February of next year). Two to three months away--don't they already know?
The use of the word "refine" in the start of the last sentence is charitable; "concoct" might be more accurate. But the rest of the sentence is the editorial driving over a cliff. ...they did not sit by idly while the far right took over the Supreme Court and began dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms. Wow. The "far right." Who is that exactly? Neo-Nazis? Camouflaged militiamen? Tough to tell in the context of this editorial, but I can tell you who it isn't, well-respected, brilliant federal appellate judge Sam Alito. If we googled "far left" and the New York Times would we get a hit on even one article or editorial regarding Justice Ginsberg or any of the judges on the 9th Circuit. Of course not.
But it's the very last part that increases my blood pressure and reinforces my belief that the editorial board of the NYT is hopelessly left biased and terminally clueless--"dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms." You mean like the fundamental right of the fetus to life; you mean like the freedom for our citizens to worship when and where they like; you mean like the fundamental right of the citizen to own property without fear that the Government will take it away on a whim for any reason it declares is somehow helpful? Are these the fundamental rights and freedoms which the NYT is stating that Alito and the right are taking away? No, it's the left that accomplished those dismantlings. It is the hope of the right thinking citizens that Alito can restore a fundamental freedom, our freedom from a judiciary that acts like a legislature but does not have to stand for election. Our hope is that Alito can help dismantle the last way the Democrats have of imposing their failed and otherwise rejected ideology on the country.
There. I feel better now.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 10:19 AM 
