Letters to the editor: Jan. 27

Ness a good role model

In his Jan. 20 opinion piece ("So Much for Mayor Ness' Political Honeymoon"), Ralph Doty accuses Ness of "poor judgment" for agreeing to co-chair Sen. Barack Obama's Minnesota campaign. Doty says it is not an appropriate part of the nonpartisan mayoral portfolio. I see it differently, and am pleased that our mayor accepted the invitation.

Ness did not surrender his personal politics when he stepped into the corner office.

Ness was sought out by the DFL. His reputation for cogent political activism, his hard-fought victory in the mayoral race and the likelihood that he will one day serve a broader constituency no doubt combined to stimulate the invitation.

His willingness to take on additional personal involvement beyond his office as we face a crucial national election speaks well of him. There is nothing to suggest that he did not weigh carefully his response to the invitation. It is coincidence that the presidential campaign comes even as he takes up his duties as our new mayor.

I have confidence that Ness will fully meet the responsibilities imposed by his office. His early days at City Hall provide ample evidence of his hard work and dedication. The Obama campaign, which reflects Ness' own emphasis on bringing people together, will fall mainly to other citizen volunteers who will gain from the campaign experience and leadership that Ness brings to the table. His involvement with Congressman James Oberstar will enable the mayor to bring perspective and purpose to Obama's campaign.

Indeed Ness, with whom I have only a passing acquaintance, provides a model for constructive citizen involvement. I wish him well.

Tom Homan

Duluth

Edwards for president

I am writing this letter in hopes that my former home state will support former senator John Edwards in his run for the presidency.

I was born and raised in Duluth and was forced to move to Connecticut with my job. I love both states, and was proud to see Minnesota do a good thing and vote for Senator Kerry and Edwards in 2004.

Now that Minnesota is a critical state for both sides, I ask that the people of my most beloved state will see reason and support the man with the real plan in both the primaries and then in the regular election.

Darin McCoy

Terryville, Conn.

Doty missed the big picture on media bias

Mr. Doty, in his Dec. 30 opine, claimed liberal media bias is not true.

Strangely, he makes this claim while ignoring the most powerful traditional media, the three original television networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC, along with the most powerful written media outlets, such as the New York and LA Times, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press.

Instead, we get references to local radio talk shows and obscure newspapers in Ohio and Florida. Quite a stretch! His media outlets represent the significantly smaller voice of conservative values, outside of the worlds of Dan Rather and Tim Russert.

Studies performed by such diverse groups as the Los Angeles Times on the left, and the Media Research Center on the right, agree on one thing, that main stream media is overwhelmingly liberal. Incredibly, executives of all three of these TV networks have worked for the campaigns of liberal democrats. By a three or four-to-one margin, editors, writers, anchors, and reporters of these media sources claimed to be liberal and not conservative. The same disproportionate ratios were found to apply to story lines, and positions on issues. I could suggest several reports and books to Mr. Doty confirming the above, but I would guess that he would also ignore these.

Mr. Doty also uses the repugnant liberal tactics of demeaning those with different viewpoints, calling them names such as "neo-cons", "the Dean of Mean", and "reactionaries." He mentions that Norm Coleman is from Massachusetts. Oops, he ignored the fact that Al Franken is from New York and Paul Wellstone was from Virginia. Should we consider them all carpetbaggers, or just the Republican?

Mr. Doty doesn't understand the movement of those looking for information from the main stream media to the newer Internet and radio sources. The failure of liberal talk radio is not due to lack of advertising, it's simply the lack of listeners. Why listen to duplicate stories already available from the old main-line liberal media?

Those of us who have abandoned the old media have gotten tired of the liberal media bias and are looking elsewhere for balance in reporting.

Wally Mahnke

Duluth