Lazy C Misrepresents Washington State Wire Article

We have long known that the Columbian mouthpiece, better known here as the Lazy C, is deep in the tank for the Columbia River Crossing light rail project. We have seen them marginalize legitimate concerns of citizens and elected officials who scrutinize the project and at times, just not report revelations that may shed light on it.

Their blind devotion to forcing Clark County’s middle class taxpayers into bailing out Portland’s financially failing light rail competes with that seen from Representative Jim Moeller (D Portland/Vancouver) who would like nothing more than to see every middle class taxpayer broke, paying excessive taxes and receiving what he deems they may through his legislation.

But the Wednesday, May 22, 2013 editorial, In Our View: Inslee Turns Up The Heat contains one of the most flagrant out of context mispresentations that border on outright dishonesty as I have seen then publish to date.

From Self Inflicted Wounds to Turning a Blind Eye

Clark County Washington is the largest county in what is considered Southwest Washington with a population nearing 450,000 people. With people often hungry for news, one would think an impartial news source would thrive catering to that population.

Unwittingly, the local newspaper of record, the Columbian, better known as the Lazy C reveals that they are considered a “mid-sized daily newspaper with a circulation between 25,001 to 65,000,” or at best less than 15% of the county.

While many reasons could be listed for such a minimal circulation in the county, partiality and lack of interest in many issues of concern has to be given attention.

While accused of being politically left and constantly denied by the Editor, it doesn’t take much looking to see that they indeed are a mouthpiece in favor of Democrats instead of an impartial source of political views.

Strolling Through the Lazy C Dungeon

The Lazy C has a place on their site they call the “Open Forum” where those who wish to retain their anonymity can spew away their delusional thoughts without signing up for a facebook account to reveal who they are, unlike regular comments under every day articles.

The place is sort of buried, requiring you to click on Opinion, and then scroll to the right to forums, click there to open then scroll down to the week’s worth of rants to see what is there. Those who frequent it, mostly Libtards and a few Paulbots seem to refer to it as “the Basement.” I refer to it as “the Dungeon” where malcontents assign themselves as Dungeon Keepers to speak out in full anonymity, unwilling or unable to stand up for their views openly.

A Dungeon, more common during medieval times, were often seen as dark, cold, damp rooms built below castles where torture took place or people were thrown if they disagreed with the King or Queen and where freedom was lost while Castle Guards and Dungeon Keepers freely roamed to torture, ridicule or mistreat those imprisoned in them.

Lazy C Sets New All-Time Record, Stirs Up Lynch Mob, But Fails to Oust Benton

The Lazy C, the unofficial daily newsletter for the Democrat Party, the Mouthpiece is well known for their deep leftist bias, in spite of denials from editorialista Lou Brancaccio.

Legally registered under the title the Columbian, too many times they have exposed themselves as anything but objective, all too often working against the very community they hope to buy their product.

Blogs exposed the heavy bias in reporting when a Republican elected official was accused of wrong doing versus when a Democrat elected official was involved in an alcohol fueled sexual harassment scandal that continues to be covered when confronting cronista Stephanie Rice over denials of extreme lopsided coverage publishing 14 articles in 5 days for a Republican, followed by 2 over a month for a Democrat.

Kristallnacht at the Columbian

As we all know, Governor Jay Inslee snuck into town a couple weeks ago and issued marching orders to “increase the decibels” to shout down the struggling middle class taxpayers in Clark County who oppose being straddled with decades of increases in the gas tax, license fees, tolls and more to fund the CRC light rail project from Portland that they have repeatedly shown they do not want.

Apparently seeing an opportunity to try to derail the growing opposition, the Columbian mouthpiece is pulling out all of the stops to engage in a so called journalistic Kristallnacht assault on the choice of Sen. Don Benton to take over the vacant Dept of Environmental Concern for the County.

Since it came out Wednesday evening, we have been subjected to no less than 12 screeds objecting to the hiring, from articles, an editorial and Stephanie Rice’s hit pieces, 4 in a single day on the lazy c’s blogs.

Sunday’s John Laird rant can only been seen as the icing on the cake, or maybe better as the major window smashed by the jackbooted thugs in print as he falsely claims to have extinguished fires in opposition to the deeply troubled project.

The Columbian Gets It Wrong,,, Again

Wednesday was a huge day for the minions down at the Columbian. They got to bash Don Benton, David Madore and Tim Mielke, all at the same time!

As we now know, Tim Mielke and David Madore directed County Administrator Bill Barron to begin the hiring process of Don Benton to head the County Dept of Environment, setting liberal heads exploding all, especially Liberal Envirowacko commissioner Steve Stuart who unceremoniously referred to it all as “BULLSHIT!”

His so called apology for his outburst notwithstanding, it appears that he, Stephanie Rice, Lou Brancaccio and everyone else down at the lazy c got it all wrong, again.

Benton is being hired, that much is true, but the smoke screen of circumventing the process, Benton does not meet the minimum qualifications and more is all wrong. It also brings into question Bill Barron’s sudden announcement of retirement, adding to the drama of just supposedly out of control the conservative County Commission is.

As the Columbian Squirms

It is well known now that the CRC is a very unpopular project among citizens and many business owners. We know it, elected officials know it and of course, even though they try to deny it, the Columbian knows it.

We also know the Columbian is in the tank for the light rail project and instead of investigating numerous concerns reported over the years about the CRC, will run damage control trying to minimize those concerns.

They also have shown themselves unfriendly towards candidates running for office that openly oppose the CRC light rail project and many can attest, do not treat those candidates very equitably, digging up dirt, casting aspersions and opposing just about any candidate who runs against the CRC.

And yet, the Columbian was puzzled when some candidates began bypassing them during campaigns, seeking other outlets to reach voters.

Watergate, Journalism and then there is the Columbian

You might say 1974 was a watermark for the media, Journalism in particular. The diligent investigative journalism of the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein resulted in the only resignation of a sitting U.S. President as Richard Nixon was forced to resign over the scandal.

I missed much of it as I was stationed overseas in Germany during that time, after completing my tour in Vietnam. But we heard of the relentless pursuit of information on the cover-up and illegal actions of President Nixon. It was clearly a fine example of how dogged determination of scandal by the media could change the course of a country.

With that in mind, I find it peculiar to see Columbian editor Lou Brancaccio leaning on the investigative journalism of Woodward and Bernstein in his Saturday, April 27, 2013 editorial, Of Watergate, awards & stress. I find it so peculiar because the Columbian is anything but serious investigative journalism.

Judges and Voters and Scares, Oh My!

Submitted by Professor Robert Dean

The 170’ high Crescent City Connection Bridge blocks passage of a Carnival cruise ship on the Mississippi River at New Orleans

Paul M: Tap, Tap, meeting in session.

Paul M: I’ve called this emergency meeting of Identity Vancouver because, as you’ve already been told, the judge ordered us to let the people of the City of Vancouver vote on light rail.

All: Grumble. Shocking. Tea bagger…

Jim M: Yay!!!

Paul M: Excuse me? Jim, did you say something?

Applying the Paul Montague Method of Interpretation to the CRC Poll

As first mentioned on the Columbian and this blog in Of Increased Decibels, Cutting Bait and the Four P’s, the much anticipated poll results are in with Editor Lou Brancaccio claiming, “the poll showed slim support for the entire project.”

Of course, given the polling method chosen, targeting certain zip codes where support might be stronger than outlying areas within the county, it is no surprise and actually a result I would expect to show an even larger degree of support.

But is this really how the County feels? Does this interpretation really give the outlook of the majority within in Clark County? Lou Brancaccio seems to think it does. But what if we applied the same logic to this poll that Identity Clark County President Paul Montague applied to the overwhelming defeat of last year’s C-Tran Proposition 1 to increase sales tax to fund light rail operations and maintenance? (Video after jump)

John Laird: A Victim of Malaplexia?

By Professor Robert Dean

http://wobsy.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/malapropisms/

People read his weekly column and think he’s just an idiot and dismiss him out of hand. But, what most people don’t realize is that he has a lifelong learning disability called Malaplexia.

Malaplexia is a rare condition that causes those suffering under it to always use the wrong word; even though they don’t mean to. For instance, try as he might, John will always use the word “coalition” to describe the self-interested CRC boosters when he means “cabal.” “Snakes” comes out as “stakeholders.” He tries to write “elites” but all he gets is “alliances.”

And don’t question his motives, either. You might think he is pandering to his boss, Scott Campbell, and responding to the call to “raise the decibels.” In fact, he is secretly screwing his boss and the Newspaper by spiking his retirement; working overtime.

As you say, John will retire soon. I can’t imagine he’ll get much true love at his send-off. Maybe, Clark County Conservative could pitch in and buy him a leather-bound and embossed thesaurus – give a little speech and explain to him that it’s not an extinct reptile.

Of Increased Decibels, Cutting Bait and the Four P’s

Unable to read the tea leaves, by all appearances proponents of the costly and controversial light rail project, falsely promoted as a bridge project, the Columbia River Crossing are responding to the call of Governor Jay Inslee to “increase the decibels” as if they were trained seals blasting on a horn to be rewarded with a small piece of fish.

Increasingly we see elected officials fall in lock-step along partisan lines to promote this boondoggle, falling back on all of the disproven talking points and at times, gross exaggerations if not outright lies.

Early last week we saw outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood parachuted in to manipulate the State Legislature into voting for and supporting this project where he said, “This is the 11th hour. Fish or cut bait. Make a decision.”

Columbian Newsroom: Meeting of the Mavens

Satire by Professor Robert Dean

Photo by Troy Wayrynen http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/feb/05/columbian-out-bankruptcy/

Lou Brancaccio: Heads up! Gather round! Staff meeting, meeting of the Mavens!

CRC, the Columbian and the War on the Middle Class

It has long been shown that the Columbian, the so-called newspaper of record for Southwest Washington, is solidly in the tank for the effort to force Clark County to accept Portland, Oregon’s financially ailing light rail system by supporting the Columbia River Crossing project, falsely being sold as a “bridge replacement project.”

Replacing the aging spans is secondary to forcing light rail across state lines a short distance into our community, as was revealed early in 2012 by an Oregon State Supreme Court ruling in an unrelated case. To date, the Columbian has not acknowledged that revelation first made known in the Willamette Week article, The $2.5 Billion Bribe.

Far from being just an “ugly baby” we are somehow beholden to, as described in editor Lou Brancaccio’s Saturday Press Talk column, It’s an ugly baby, but it’s ours, it is in reality the epitome of the war on the middle class as expenses of this boondoggle fall directly on the backs of a still struggling middle class in Clark County trying to recover from 4 straight years of double digit unemployment.

When the Fringe Defines Who is Fringe

It seems wherever we look today, those who disagree with the powers that be are labeled “fringe,” meaning far out of their self-described norm. But funny that those who cry others are “fringe” fail to recognize that they are often more out of line with the long held norms that made the American experience as great as we once were.

Case in point, the Columbian newspaper, the local newspaper of record for Clark County Washington. It is not without reason that I often label them the unofficial daily newsletter for the Democrat Party.

No better example could be given that what we have often read from editor Lou Brancaccio, who tries to hide his own fringe left views in his weekly columns or, if stories I’ve heard around town are true, his treatment of others.

An Open Letter to Commissioner Madore

Commissioner Madore, David, let’s have a little chat. I’ve spoken to you in the past about this and now feel the need to discuss it openly.

Against all of the published odds and predictions, you won the election against incumbent County Commissioner Marc Boldt. You had a lot of support and faced the scorn of the Columbian that have ridiculed and demeaned you since you came out publicly against the CRC and light rail.

You invested a lot of your own money in the race, but had a grassroots following that the Columbian has yet to acknowledge, leading detractors who follow you around to frequently make the false claim of “you bought the seat.”

They are not your friends.

Columbian Gets It Wrong Again, In Favor of a Democrat – Updated

Once again we see the Columbian living up to their reputation of being the daily newsletter for the Democrat Party, hard pressed to give credit to Republicans for their work and crediting it to the newest, least experienced State Senator recently elected in the 49th Legislative District, Annette Cleveland, who’s main experience seems to be her boasting of coming from an ILWU family.

At about 6 AM this very morning, the Columbian posted online Tax bill brings lawmakers together with the claim,

“Senate Bill 5325, which seeks to add Clark County to a list of “rural” counties that receive .09 percent of their sales taxes back each year, has received support from both Democrats and Republicans from Southwest Washington. House Bill 1553 is the companion bill.”

“Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, sponsored the Senate bill with three Republicans.”

Commissioners Supporting Voters Draws the Columbian’s Ire

That the Columbian Newspaper has long been in the bag for the Columbia River Crossing, to include Portland, Oregon’s financially failing light rail is a given well known in our community. Regardless of what shortcoming, irregularity, questionable practice or failing of design is revealed, you can bank on them spinning it to continue support and trying to build citizen support.

We have seen this over the several years since Clark County first rejected extending Portland’s folly across the Columbia River into Clark County in 1995 by a wide 2 to 1 margin.

They have editorialized against just about every single candidate for public office who doesn’t support CRC with light rail as well as endorsed some very marginal, inexperienced ones who do support it, as we saw last year in the campaign between incumbent now former County Commissioner Marc Boldt and successful businessman, David Madore.

Madore won in a landslide, Clark County citizens knowing his staunch opposition to light rail and desire to see the CRC brought under control.

Doing the Brancaccio Mescolare

There are times I am left thinking that the most ardent follower of this blog and Clark County Politics blog is none other than Columbian Editor Lou Brancaccio, who although relegates us to a realm of distant obscurity as well as the blame for the local paper of record seeing decreasing subscriptions rates, often targets us in his Saturday Press Talk column.

Such is the case in his latest Saturday column that appears today, Sunday: A fun blog and conspiracies where two thirds of the column is devoted to “correcting” posts earlier this week exposing the papers obvious bias, The Columbian: Busted Again On Their Pro-Democrat Bias on this blog and Remember the democrats lying over Boldt getting booted out of the GOP? over on Clark County Politics where we shed some light on the bias of the Columbian favoring Democrats and a few missing paragraphs in an AP story showing a darker underside of the Democrat Party they claim does not exist.

About an hour after the posts were put up, the missing paragraphs appeared in an updated version of the Columbian’s article as was acknowledged in my earlier post.

UPDATED: The Columbian: Busted Again On Their Pro-Democrat Bias

For some time we conservatives have complained about the Columbian newspaper’s bias in favor of Democrats, only to be met by Editor Lou Brancaccio’s reminders of they endorsed George W. Bush in 2004 and again endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential election.

Never mind that they refrain from publishing articles critical of Democrats nor do they publish article with glowing praise about Republicans, Brancaccio maintains they are even handed and do not favor either side, regardless of how many times we list their bias.

Once again we see a glaring example of their pro-Democrat bias and why I often label them the “unofficial daily newsletter for the Democrat Party.”