The Columbians Glaring Hypocrisy

Although we complain often, the bias seen in our media is glaring. What doesn’t get mentioned much is their hypocrisy. That is seen no brighter in the latest bash of businessman David Madore for the following flier a PAC he formed sent out.

Neither candidate had anything to do with the ad and what is stated is the brutal truth, save the claim of Clark County having the highest unemployment. Four counties are now higher, but we are not too far behind. We have been in double digit unemployment for over 2 years now.

But, for the Columbian to express any outrage over the ad is as hypocritical as can be.

County Assessor Peter Van Nortwick, when a candidate last year was accused of “running a negative, attack-dog campaign,” prompting him to play the song “who let the dogs out” at his campaign event.

Political page editor John Laird routinely refers to citizens who oppose the Columbia River Crossing Project, including light rail from Portland as “ankle biters” and “hounds from Whinerville.”

David Madore has also been frequently demeaned in the pages of the Columbian.

Local blogger Kelly Hinton of Clark County Politics has come under attack from the Columbian as efforts were underway to connect 18th legislative district representative Ann Rivers to him when she was a candidate. Hinton was labeled a “growing burden weighing her down” although his main connection was he drove a truck for her in parades. Kelly has an acerbic writing style not unlike political page editor John Laird, who receives praise for his bitterness by those at the Columbian.

On the other hand, Hinton was called mean with a “biting, shot-laden political blog” and compared to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, known for this outburst of “Not God Bless America, But Goddamn America” from the pulpit of the Church Barack Obama attended for 20 years.

Just days ago the Columbian, in issuing their endorsements of city council candidates stated about candidate Josephine Wentzel that she was “a toxic influence at council meetings, a chronic complainer whose frequent trips to the podium have followed a pattern of unproductive negativity,” and that she “has shown no capacity to cooperate with any elective body. Her obstructive, combative approach does not fit well in collaborative community discussions.”

The above labeling prompted Maria Salazar, a well known lady in our community for her involvement as an active member and local and national leader of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), to chastise the Columbian by leaving the comment under the article,

“I am totally outraged! “By contrast, challenger Josephine Wentzel has emerged as a toxic influence at council meetings, a chronic complainer whose frequent trips to the podium have followed a pattern of unproductive negativity.”- The Columbian. Whether you support Ms. Wentzel in her candidacy for Vancouver City Council or not. The Columbian clearly has gone too far! It rudely & unprofessionally printed code words that directed it readers to see Ms.Wentzel in the most negative way our community looks at ambitious women who stand up for themselves, their beiliefs, speak their minds and do things differently (have their own leadership skills) than others. Who is her own idea and not someone’s idea of what they think “she should be”, in more direct words that you can’t print, you have printed that she is a B______! As a women and Hispanic American I know too well the buried prejudice that exist in our community & American society. Calling powerful or ambitious women B word or using codes words to refer to her as B----and laughing about it or refusing to take a stand to confront it--reveals just another buried prejudice we need to dig up, air openly, and get rid of. To all the candidates endorsed by the Columbian: If you can’t even stand up for respecting women amongst your supporters, you are not worthy of my vote or others vote!”

No doubt Ms. Harris remains embarrassed due to her outburst last year, but she did do it and Mayor Leavitt did not make any move to quiet the meeting down. He sat back sheepishly allowing it to unfold as it did.

No doubt she regrets the outburst, especially once it went out on YouTube, exposing her temperament.

Many in the community wanted her to resign, but she chose to remain.

Likewise, many politicians have committed gaffes that are embarrassing that they would like to see forgotten, but they are not. Such public outbursts cannot be swept back under the rug once they get out.

But, for the Columbian to now come out crying foul over a political ad featuring the outburst after all of the acerbic swipes they have taken towards candidates and citizens has to be one of the most hypocritical articles they have printed.