Washington ski resorts may be suffering for want of snow, but folks are hitting the slopes in Hell this week, as I once again toss kudos in directions I usually fling insults. A couple days ago I blogged in support of a forward-looking higher-ed funding proposal from two of the state GOP’s best legislators. And today I’m enthusiastically linking to a piece posted on (gasp…) Sound Politics!
Matt Rosenberg quite rightly ridicules State Sen. Don Benton (R-Vancouver) for missing the first 17 meetings of the Early Learning, K-12 and Higher Education Committee, before suddenly showing up at a hearing to grandstand on one of his own bills. And there’s plenty more to ridicule Benton for, as Columbian Watch so aptly chronicles here, here, here… and here.
Reading the comments on Matt’s blog entry, it appears some of (u)SP’s regulars have taken umbrage at Matt for daring to criticize one of their own… but their outrage is misdirected. Benton is more likely to appear on the side of a milk carton than at a committee hearing, and as Elizabeth Hovde points out in The Columbian, he simply isn’t doing the job for which he was elected.
Critics of Benton must be giddy. Not only has the senator made himself an easy target, giving fiscal conservatives a bad name, he isn’t around to exert his influence on various issues. As a person who would vote the way Benton does much of the time, especially on spending issues, I find it maddening that Benton foes are getting a better deal out of his re-election than his fans.
Matt deserves some credit for criticizing Benton’s job performance — however much he may agree with his ideology — and for doing so on a forum that tends to denounce Republicans only for perceived violations of party loyalty. I don’t generally agree with his politics (and I thought his take on my “Horse’s Ass” initiative to be particularly humorless,) but Matt has always struck me as more intellectually honest than most of his fellow unSounders.
Matt deserves some credit for criticizing Benton’s job performance – however much he may agree with his ideology – and for doing so on a forum that tends to denounce
It’s true. If Matt wasn’t an actual poster on SP, but made the same statements in a comment, he would be would have been immediately attacked as a troll and attacked with large caps.
Matt’s the only guy posting that seems to look to the substance of the issue before attacking.
Ok Goldy, you compliemented a republican plan. Do you think SP would dare compliment a democratic one?
Matt is the exception to the rule. A republican that can think for himself.. How Refreshing…….check it out cynicalidiot, chardonnayvinegar, chuckiereagan, angryidiot, adrielito etc
Erik @1,
Clearly it is a mistake to generalize about all (u)SP contributors as a monolithe. One would hope that once this election contest fades from memory, it might become a more constructive forum.
I am pretty new around this site so it is good to see you Goldy showing an open mind about good ideas from across the electronic aisle. I have only been to soundpolitics once or twice, but frankly I did not see anything resembling a constructive forum, and it just gave me the impression of an attempt to create a NW Drudge and/or another conservative echo chamber attack site. I hope that impression was wrong. I enjoy hearing differing views as long as they are not intended to poison the well and are engaged in constructive debate. Here’s to Matt and all the other constructive conservatives out there I don’t know.
Clearly it is a mistake to generalize about all (u)SP contributors as a monolithe (sic)
It is important to remember that unlike HA, SP has 14 (?) contributors, each with their own agenda, biases and hobby horses. It’s unfortunate that their titular leader (Snark) goes so far out of his way to be unreasonable that everyone else on the site gets tarred with the same brush.
I like this forum because it teaches me a lot about politics. You take this statement about one guy who needs to go and politicize it. Why did you feel a need to do that?
I go to Sound Politics for the facts on the botched governor’s election. This site has more emotion and fewer facts. Sound Politics finds stories while this site reacts.
And, finally, I find those that want to do what’s right are usually in that camp you call the “right”. Whether it is one of their own or one of those of the camp you call the “left”, they want what is right.
Swatter @6,
Why the hell would you look to either (u)SP or HA for the facts? Neither Stefan or I are trained journalists, and neither one of us has the resources to do real investigative journalism. Furthermore, we are both openly biased, so you have to take every “fact” with a grain of salt. To go to (u)SP for the facts on the election is to go there looking for evidence to support your own conclusion that it was stolen.
But I hope you hang around after the election contest is over. This is not an “election contest blog.” It is a blog for political commentary and debate. And I think once you put this election out of the way, you will find more interesting things to argue over.
Sorry, I need to clarify my statements.
Sound Politics (at least on the election front) is pretty dry- as in mathematical. Hardly room to comment, in my opinion, except for other responders. Your site is emotional, as I said, but probably a better word is “insightful”. I like posting on your site better.
And I am serious about helping you out running for Mayor ro Council.
Yes, I am tired of this election thing, but I think it is important to get under control.