Jolt
(Yesterday's) Afternoon Jolt
Today's Loser: Bloggers
Blogger Melissa Westbrook was all geared up today to cover a Seattle Public Schools union contract press conference for her site, Save Our Schools. When she called up to confirm she was on the press list, SPS communications people told her she wouldn't be allowed to ask any questions (Westbrook says the Mayor's office lets her ask questions at press conferences all the time).
SPS spokesperson Teresa Wippel told us Westbrook isn't allowed to ask questions because of the organization she represents—a "watchdog" that provides critical commentary on the school district. By way of example, Wippel says SPS would allow a Seattle Times columnist to as questions because, as Wippel says, "[the Times] is a news organization, and provides news as well as opinion."
Sounds like a slippery slope to us—one little question couldn't hurt, could it?
Today's winner: Republican state senate candidate Gregg Bennett
The Democrats sent out a hit piece on Republican state senate candidate Gregg Bennett today. Bennett's literature and his voters' guide statement says he's a CPA. The Democrats say he's "lying" pointing out that Bennett is not registered as a CPA.
The Bennett camp responded by saying Bennett was a CPA for 13 years, from 1980 to 1993, which actually doesn't make him a CPA now.
However, the Bennett camp also had this to say about Bennett's opponent, state Sen. Rodney Tom (D-48, Eastside Seattle Suburbs): In a Tom direct mailer, Tom claims he "works as a Realtor on the Eastside," but the Washington State Department of Licensing shows Tom's license expired in 2009.
Zing. Score one for Bennett on this one. If the Democrats are going to attack someone for stretching the truth on a lapsed license, they better make sure their guy's paper work is in order first.
Blogger Melissa Westbrook was all geared up today to cover a Seattle Public Schools union contract press conference for her site, Save Our Schools. When she called up to confirm she was on the press list, SPS communications people told her she wouldn't be allowed to ask any questions (Westbrook says the Mayor's office lets her ask questions at press conferences all the time).
SPS spokesperson Teresa Wippel told us Westbrook isn't allowed to ask questions because of the organization she represents—a "watchdog" that provides critical commentary on the school district. By way of example, Wippel says SPS would allow a Seattle Times columnist to as questions because, as Wippel says, "[the Times] is a news organization, and provides news as well as opinion."
Sounds like a slippery slope to us—one little question couldn't hurt, could it?
Today's winner: Republican state senate candidate Gregg Bennett
The Democrats sent out a hit piece on Republican state senate candidate Gregg Bennett today. Bennett's literature and his voters' guide statement says he's a CPA. The Democrats say he's "lying" pointing out that Bennett is not registered as a CPA.
The Bennett camp responded by saying Bennett was a CPA for 13 years, from 1980 to 1993, which actually doesn't make him a CPA now.
However, the Bennett camp also had this to say about Bennett's opponent, state Sen. Rodney Tom (D-48, Eastside Seattle Suburbs): In a Tom direct mailer, Tom claims he "works as a Realtor on the Eastside," but the Washington State Department of Licensing shows Tom's license expired in 2009.
Zing. Score one for Bennett on this one. If the Democrats are going to attack someone for stretching the truth on a lapsed license, they better make sure their guy's paper work is in order first.
