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.
We can look at how they Lazy C strongly favor the Columbia River Crossing light rail project, demeaning and ridiculing the majority in the county who oppose it. Labels like “Hounds of Whinerville,” “Cockroaches” and “Ankle Biters” aren’t uncommon coming out of the editorial department.
Minimal coverage is given over many missteps and blatant mistakes made by the CRC in designing the project leading Editor Lou Brancaccio to once opine,
“There have been so many missteps on this Columbia River Crossing project that if it was entered on ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ it would be voted off before Mike Tyson. It’s just mess after mess. The tomfoolery is epic. Even its most ardent supporters would agree with this. For me, I hold my nose and close my eyes, and say we should move forward.”
We saw the disparity over the resignation of Republican Richard Curtis in 2007 soon followed by little interest when Democrat Jim Jacks suddenly resigned amid controversy, the Lazy C claiming that with no paper trail, there is no there, there.
And of course we see the recent angst on their part over the perfectly legal and proper hiring of Sen. Don Benton by County Commissioners Tom Mielke & David Madore as for two weeks, we have been given 32 rants from the mouthpiece trying to whip up the lynch mob attitude adopted by a few fringe in the county and utterly failing.
But none of it compares to the blatant favoritism given Democrats in the state when compared to the treatment of the Clark County Republican Party sanctioning former Commissioner Marc Boldt and the ongoing effort by the Washington State Democrat Party to not only oust, but ruin the careers of two other Democrats who helped form a Philosophical Majority Coalition in the State Senate and actually engage in bipartisanship to get the state moving again, heavily opposed by Democrats in the State.
While expressing some agreement with the power-sharing coalition, the lazy C strongly opposed the reelection of Sen. Don Benton that made the coalition possible. But, the comparison of their feigned outrage over the sanctioning of Marc Boldt by Republicans and silence over the efforts of Democrats to completely oust State Senators Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon from their party is deafening.
The Lazy C was quick to let readers know that the sanctions by the Clark GOP was a “Self-Inflicted Wound” that would surely see Commissioner Boldt easily reelected as a punishment by voters against such a strong handed action by Republicans. In an effort to make it appear that the sanction splintered the party, the Lazy C reported that two members of the Party Board resigned, even though they had only been on the Board a few days.
He was resoundingly defeated by a wide margin.
But what have we read about the efforts of the State Democrats to not just sanction, but completely ostracize and oust two long time members for acting in a bipartisan manner as voters have asked for over several years?
We read of local elected officials being split over partisan lines concerning the power-sharing with Democrats not liking it at all.
But what we don’t see published is any “self-inflicted wound” by the Democrats in spite of numerous emails and efforts to completely sever the two from the party.
You wouldn’t know about it from the Lazy C, but in February the Democrats wrote and passed a Resolution to Censure State Senators Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon that they still prominently display on their website.
The party still displays a scathing statement from Chairman Dwight Pelz on Tom/Sheldon Proposal that led to the coalition.
A series of emails sent out, that I find very hard to believe I receive and the so called newspaper of record doesn’t, makes claims of, “Governor Inslee will face a State Senate that has been hijacked by Senate Republicans and two pretend Democrats” and “Senate Republicans together with Senator Rodney Tom stole our Party’s narrow State Senate victory with a backroom, behind-closed-door leadership deal.”
One such email from Chairman Pelz had as a title Send Rodney Tom Packing.
The Clark GOP sent out no such emails or calls to party members, but were blasted unmercifully by the Lazy C for efforts to sanction Boldt.
Democrat leadership have stated it’s nothing doing with the partisan cooperation, labeling it a rejection of voters values since they no longer control the power.
But the Lazy C chooses to ignore this even though it directly affects what happens in Clark County and elsewhere within the state.
Where is the “self inflicted wound” for Democrats as there was for Republicans?
Where is the condemnation of Democrats for such blatant rejection of the very bipartisan legislating we have long called for?
The Lazy C treated us to “Why was Boldt sanctioned by GOP?” on Mar 22, 2012, “In Our View: GOP Wounds Self-Inflicted” on Mar 25, 2012, “Boldt not allowed to speak at convention on Mar 27, 2012, “Boldt flap prompts two to quit GOP board” on Mar 28, 2012, “County GOP convenes at Hilton,” on Mar 31, 2012 that made sure to mention Boldt being sanctioned, followed by “Herrera Beutler supports Boldt, Mielke” in their All politics is local blog on May 4, 2012 and finally a John Laird editorial, “Banishing Boldt, distrusting drones and pushing peace” on May 6, 2012 over Commissioner Boldt.
But what do we read on Democrats Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon?
Crickets.
It would appear the real self-inflicted wound is the one the Lazy C has done to itself in their heavy partisan view and complete of objectivity and impartiality where readers deserve it.
Little wonder they can only draw less than 15% of the county at the best.
