State News Letter

I just submitted a letter to the MSU State News in response to this piece by Andrea Byl. I should stop reading Byl's columns because I feel compelled to respond every time. Here's what I submitted:

Andrea Byl's recent column, “Get ready for Clinton, McCain in '08,” was a horrible piece of right-wing, biased rhetoric. First, she disrespectfully refers to Senator Clinton at one point as, “Hill.” Would Byl refer to Senator McCain in a column as, “Johnny Boy?” The article just gets worse from there.

Ms. Byl characterizes Senator Clinton's moderation as nothing more than a political tactic. On the other hand, Senator McCain's centrist tendencies made him “perfect,” giving him “the potential to nab Democrat, Republican, and independent votes alike.” Furthermore, Senator Clinton's reputation has gone from extremist liberal to moderate centrist. The same cannot be said of Senator McCain, who has moved steadily to the right in recent years. Moderates trying to win centrist votes do not pander to the Religious Right by giving commencement addresses at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.

Ms. Byl also decries Senator Clinton's inability to launch any “great projects,” ignoring the fact that the Republicans controlled the Senate, House, White House, and Supreme Court. As a member of the ruling party, anything that Senator McCain proposed was inherently more likely to be enacted. As for his accomplishments, I find it rather disturbing that someone should be lauded for legislation that states that torture is bad. Has the Bush Administration made our expectations this low?

I also found Byl's reading of history ludicrous. Kerry lost in 2004 because he was “far-too-liberal.” Apparently, it had nothing to do with the Republican tactic of linking everything to 9/11 and terrorism, the use of dissembling proxies like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and Kerry having the charisma of a turnip.

Byl then says, “the American public has shifted,” without offering any analysis as to how or why. I would suggest she look up Jack Abramoff, Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, “macaca” Allen, “man on dog” Santorum, or “heckuva job” Brown. She also may want to take note that the number of American troops killed in Iraq is quickly approaching the number of victims killed on 9/11. The American public has shifted because they
have learned that the current Republican leadership is grotesquely corrupt, and more interested in partisan politics and keeping power than in actually governing.

Ms. Byl, as you are a journalism senior, I hope that you are applying for jobs at Fox News. Your right-wing bias and inability to deal with facts will be put to good use in their “fair and balanced” reporting.