Plain Dealer Fires "Premiere" Blogger Because a RINO Complained

Jeff Coryell was a worthy adversary while he was writing on WIDE OPEN. I am extremely surprised that the Cleveland Plain Dealer decided to cut him rather than go through with a disclosure statement (something that I think more bloggers ought to do -- more on that in a minute...)

Here is how Jeff reports it on his blog:

I was told by Cleveland Plain Dealer Online Editor Jean DuBail that Rep. LaTourette complained about my involvement in "Wide Open" to Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Page Editor Brent Larkin. I was also informed that LaTourette brought the matter of my participation up during an interview with Cleveland Plain Dealer political reporter Sabrina Eaton, when she talked to LaTourette about the retirement of Rep. Dave Hobson (R-Springfield). LaTourette mentioned that I had contributed the sum of $100 to the campaign of LaTourette's current opponent, Bill O'Neill (D-South Russell). Eaton suggested that he raise his concerns with more senior people at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. As a result of the conversation, Eaton reported my contribution in her story about third quarter campaign fund-raising by various Ohio Congressional candidates.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Online Editor Jean DuBail raised the matter of LaTourette's displeasure with my participation in "Wide Open" in discussion with the four bloggeres on at least two occasions. We discussed the possibility of my making a disclosure of my support for LaTourette's opponents whenever I wrote anything about LaTourette.

Today Dubail called me and asked if I would agree to never write about LaTourette on "Wide Open," as a condition of my continued participation. He said that the arrangement was sought by Susan Goldberg, Editor of the Plain Dealer. When I declined to agree that I would never write about LaTourette on "Wide Open," I was terminated by DuBail.

As a political blogger, I am a partisan. My political orientation as a progressive Democrat is an integral part of what I do and is completely transparent to my readers. This is a crucial component of being a political blogger/activist, and sets us apart from journalists in the classic sense. It was understood among the four participants in "Wide Open" that we are political partisans and that we would engage in political debate from our respective political points of view.

I am extremely disappointed that the Cleveland Plain Dealer bowed to pressure from an elected official, to the extent of attempting to limit what a freelance political blogger could write on a hosted group blog and of terminating the services of the blogger to please the offical. To me, this sad episode strikes a heavy blow at freedom of expression and the purported journalistic independence of a once proud newspaper.

Of course, I am appalled at this petty exercise of political power by Rep. LaTourette to retaliate agianst even so insignificant an enemy as me. I do not believe that a Congressman who stoops to the level of manipulating a newspaper to strike back at a critic deserves to remain in office. Fortunately, LaTourette has a strong opponent in 2008 challenger Bill O'Neill.

Let's break this down a bit...

The Paper

Clearly, the Cleveland Plain Dealer had no idea what they were getting in to...which is strange seeing as they vetted the four bloggers rather extensively and seemed to know what they were getting.

Jeff is a partisan hack. He freely admits that. If the Cleveland Plain Dealer would take the time to look around, they will find that a significant majority of thier staff are partisan hacks.

If Mike DeWine complained about coverage since Sherrod Brown's wife was a reporter for the paper, would she have been fired?

The Bloggers

This whole thing could have been avoided if bloggers would be upfront about who they have supported through disclosure statements. And not buried in the piece...disclosure statements need to be prominent in their placement.

The Politician

What an embarassment for Ohio Republicans! "Cut and Run" LaTourette was not one of my favorite Republicans before this incident and this only cements it.

Once more, fellow Republicans, I will spell it out... NEVER directly engage a blogger who has been critical of you. If you feel that you must, NEVER do so in public. And NEVER NEVER NEVER use your office to engage in or even encourage censorship.

What should a Republican office holder do to combat a blogger? Enlist another blogger... Destroying Jeff's weak arguments became something of passtime for me, particularly during the SCHIP debate. Team LaTourette could have done something similar if they had somebody who was new media saavy...but like most Ohio Republicans, they blew it.

LaTourette should be ashamed of himself...

The Rest...

Let's not kid each other...Jeff (and Jill) were no more or less partisan than Dave and Tom. The Ohio Leftysphere will be abuzz with this story and one of the things that I am already seeing is how partisan Dave and Tom have been while Jill and Jeff were just being objective bloggers. NONSENSE. And you people ought to be ashamed of yourselves too. Blogging isn't about "just putting it out there"; it is about staking a position and defending it through honest debate. Both sides had engaged in insulting rhetoric on WIDE OPEN.

There is a difference between a donation to LaTourette's rival and a donation to Jim Petro. Petro was NEVER a rival of Ted Strickland...he didn't make it out of the primary. Disclosure of a donation when writing about LaTourette would have been appropriate, but saying that Dave Stacy shouldn't write about Ted Strickland because he mistakenly (sorry, Dave...) gave money to Petro is absurd.

UPDATE: Imagine my surprise...or not... There is more than one Dave Stacy in Ohio and our man NixGuy didn't give money to Petro...

UPDATE 2: One of the reasons why this bothers me so much is that when I was working for Pierce for Senate, I continued blogging here on WMD about other races too. An "also ran" called up Bill and tried to get me fired from the campaign because I had written some negative things about the candidate on WMD. Bill straightened that fellow candidate out right quick... I'm thinking that the Plain Dealer should have done the same thing.

I want to win on the merits of my argument, not becuase some schmuck got a guy fired...and LaTourette should feel the same way. That he went the cowards way says a LOT about him...