Semi-Daily Journal

Why does the press lionize these people when they talk like heros but then fail to report it when they act like cowards?

Mr Bush knows how to play hardball. A state like Ohio could produce some very qualified primary challengers. I am sure that Voinovich was presented with the horse head in his bed. Hey, its only a tax cut. It can be fixed later.

Question, did Senator V really buy a challenge-free primary with his vote? or will Sonny come out firing?

In an earlier column Alan Murray wrote:

"voters in November 2004 could have a choice between a president who has advocated about $2 trillion in tax cuts over 10 years, and a Democrat who would spend the same $2 trillion for a vast expansion of government health-care coverage.

Surely there is room for someone like Mr. Voinovich to ask: "What $2 trillion?"...

In response I commented:

I was expecting someone else to point this out, but doesn't Alan Murray portray the situation as Voinovich as the Hero of the Center with Gephardt the Villain of the Left and Bush as the Villain of the Right? And isn't this story utter bullshit?

Voinovich isn't talking about repealing the first Bush tax cuts in favor of deficit reduction, or heaven forfend, a balanced budget, he's merely in favor of cutting down the second Bush tax cut from 700 billion to 350 billion. "What 2 trillion?", my ass. In pure deficit reduction terms Gephardt is 350 billion ahead of Voinovich because he isn't proposing a second tax cut in addition to his health care tax credits. Never mind that his proposal achieves universally available health care for all Americans.

In a normal world Alan Murray would surely be one of the good guys, but in our current world he is basically playing the role of Spineless Enabler, evading the "shrill and partisan" truth in favor of "centrist" bromides and a nice perch on cable television. And he and his kind need to be called on their fictions and their falsehoods.

*I* wouldn't want to be known as the next Ross Perot. As an anti-protectionist and fiscal libertarian, I don't quite relate to the guy.

See today's WSJ, Page A4. Murray hasn't given up. He admits only to a temporary setback in elevating Voinovich to presidential contender status.

When Grassley made his $350 billion pledge and Voinvoich shook his hand for making the pledge, the responsible centrist politicians who really do care about long-term fiscal sanity probably felt like a knife was being inserted in their back. I had at first thought John McCain's refusal to join Grassley and Voinovich on this pledge was being petty. My apologies to Senator McCain who has turned out to be much more savvy than I was. This $350 billion pledge turns out to be nothing more than more accounting gimmicks.

"Why does the press lionize these people when they talk like heros but then fail to report it when they act like cowards?"

Don't be too tough on the press. On last Friday's PBS News Hour commentators from left and right all agreed that Voinovich had tire marks over his face.