Hard times in newspaperin’ everywhere:
Less than a year after moving into a new building downtown, The Columbian newspaper’s newsroom and business staff will return this weekend to its former headquarters in an effort to cut costs.
The newspaper is looking for a buyer for the new building, and the asking price is $41.5 million.
But the threat of bankruptcy — mentioned in October when the building move was announced — appears to have subsided.
Editor Lou Brancaccio is taking stock in the spirit of the season:
I am grateful for those who oppose us and say bad things about us. Does this sound strange to some of you? It shouldn’t. Of course I’m most grateful for those who criticize us in a constructive way. Still, I accept those who simply are bitter. It takes all kinds to make the world go around. Ironically, it is the free press that has helped to guarantee that their bitterness is heard.
Meanwhile the editorial staff itself is brimming over with holiday joy:
Jeers: To the close-minded, agenda-anchored über-liberals who are castigating Barack Obama for inviting Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration on Jan. 20.
Warren’s allies in California are spreading Christianist love all over the court system, with the help of none other than Ken Starr:
The sponsors of Proposition 8 on Friday argued for the first time that the court should undo the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who exchanged vows before voters banned gay marriage at the ballot box last month
Nice.
Look, if Obama wants to call Rick Warren in for a nice chat about why the fuck Rick Warren and his fundamentalist allies think it’s legitimate to revoke people’s basic civil rights, fine. They can talk all they want.
That’s not what’s happening. Warren will be delivering the invocation at the inauguration, with all the attendant symbolism that entails.
Progressives have a moral duty to point out what Rick Warren and his ilk actually stand for, and it’s not a pretty picture, all the glossy trappings aside. If it makes editors feel better to harrumph and snort about how middle-of-the-road they are, also fine, but they’re missing the entire point.
Jon, Jon, Jon–
When are you gonna let the Rick Warren thing go? Are you gay Jon??
If so, you should welcome the attention this is bringing to your “cause”.
It’s putting a floodlight on you & your ilk.
Isn’t that what you want?
I mean we now have Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transexual and Questioning Community Day in many Progressive Communities like Jefferson Kounty. You have Parades. Now you have Rick Warren to abuse.
Where is your Tolerance & Diversity gene Jon?
Apparently it’s MIA.
In a sane world Warren would be ridiculed as a moron or a panderer for his rejection of evolution. And the sight of a fat man sitting there with Ann Curry and characterizing (and criticizing) gays as a bunch of immature folks simply lacking self-control would have been delicious if there weren’t so many serious real-world repercussions attached to it.
Real Christians say “we will suffer for our beliefs.” American “Christians” say “YOU will suffer for our beliefs.” That’s American “Christianity” in a nutshell.
Mr. Cynical-
It’s an idiotic position to take to demand that tolerant people tolerate intolerance. Tolerance is not the same as “door mat.”
From Today’s Rasmussen about our Dem controlled Congress:
Congressional Performance
Approval of Congress Drops to Single Digits Again
Friday, December 19, 2008
Rick Warren stands for converting Jewish people , eliminating access to birth control and abortion; women, homosexuals and atheists being second class citizens.
He lied to Obama and the rest of the country about McCain being in seclusion, thereby forfeiting any moral right to point to the 10 commandments and talk about us following them.
There are so many actually Christian ministers out there, it’s just a pandering move to have Warren pray to whatever it is he really worships for the inauguration.
John (I refuse to spell your name the pretentious, incorrect way), you are a scary person. If people don’t hold your views, and think exactly like you want them to think, you demonize and degrade them. You are the hate and intolerance you decry in others.
Troll–
Jon is WORSE than what he claims to abhor.
Rick Warren doesn’t make the laws….he just hurts Jon’s tender feelings.
No one needs to be a doormat…but don’t claim tolerance when you lash out at someone based on a few sound clips and disagreement about definition of Marriage. It’s idiotic Jon.
The Atheist Progressives that congregate here spew anti-Christian hatred at every turn…they squeal like stuck pigs when someone takes a different position.
Tolerance & Diversity….may ass.
The opinions of Rick Warren are held by millions & millions of people in this Country.
Your whining like a little baby ain’t gonna change it Jon.
Grow up and Wise up.
Troll- you are a lying hypocrite. You deceive and distort. You are the self-proclaimed “nonofficial moderator” except when you choose to go off topic. You specialize in the “some say” approach to spreading lies.
And cares how you choose to spell another’s name.
5. David spews:
Really David?
Rick Warren stands for women?
Your yet another over-reacting idiot.
Warren has an Evangelical charge from God to preach His Word.
It’s up to YOU to accept or reject.
Warren CONVERTS no one….only you can make that decision.
The woes of the Atheist Progressive world are obvious to most of us.
Good luck with your journey.
It’s not for me.
I could care less what decisions you make in your life…like faith, where you stick your pee-pee etc.
Birth control is readily available…so is abortion. For many…sadly, Abortion is their method of Birth Control.
Keep building Babylon David.
The end result is predictable.
Just look at history.
Stand for nothing…anything goes.
Yippee.
I say give idiots like you the mike and keep ‘splaining your position. YOU on the other hand, want to cut off Rick Warren from the discussion.
Intolerant Leftist Pinhead David.
troll & Puddy–
Maybe we should create an outlet here like Alcoholics Anonymous….
My name is Jon. I’m an Atheist Homo. I feel good about myself. (everyone clap and hug!)
I’m just sayin’!
Progressives have a moral duty to point out what Rick Warren and his ilk actually stand for, and it’s not a pretty picture, all the glossy trappings aside.
—————-
And your thinking is that Obama is missing something, and he merely needs to have it pointed out to him by you? I think Obama has a very clear understanding of Rick Warren’s views . . . and doesn’t agree with some of yours.
One of the refreshing things about Obama is his willingness to take positions that are sometimes unpopular with his base – I don’t think this will be the last time “progressives” will be left wondering who they helped place in office (Iraq being a particularly interesting example).
K, I want you to spell my name like this – Tröl. That is how I spell my name. So you will do that from now on.
Lovely:
The courts cannot rescind marriages that were legally entered into. That would an ex post facto law and therefore prohibited by the U.S (and probably the California) Constitution.
The situation would be similar if some State decided to reinstate the laws against interracial marriages. Even if the law passed, invalidating existing marriages would result in personal and financial chaos for everyone involved.
This, of course, assumed that either document has any relevance today.
BTW, I think that Rick Warren should go straight to fucking hell.
Michael, take it to open thread.
– Comment Section Moderator (unofficial)
@15
The topic of the post being finical troubles at newspapers, I don’t see how anything you’ve written here could be considered on topic.
@16
I don’t see how anything you’ve written here could be considered on topic.
If the papers didn’t suck so much, we wouldn’t be here calling each other names. It’s all the fault of the Seattle Times.
@14…BH…
Check again…
If state courts declare that the alleged marriages were void as a matter of law, then it can declaire them invalid.
You need to research the Constitutional application of Ex Post Facto, which is mainly criminal in nature, before expostulating on it.
Your legal education is from where again???
The Piper
Trawl- Bite me
warren is a smiley-faced-cuddly-taliban with a
dorky hawaiian shirt.
Gay, incest, polygamy, pedophilia- what’s the difference? They are all living under abridged civil rights. Too bad.
you are equating homosexuality
with pedophilia? 8D
thank you for reminding me why i am no longer
a fundychrister homophobe, bigot.