My Letter to the editor got published today

I know this should be in the Pennsylvania forum because it's dealing with a Pennsylvania newspaper but I wanted to put it here so more people would see it. Now check it out my letter got published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette regarding the papers "bias" towards the Democratic Party.

This was the letter I was replying to:

Two candidates, two different treatments in the P-G

It's no secret that the Post-Gazette serves as a shill for the Democratic Party. If anyone needed more proof, just take a look at the two recent articles detailing local visits by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama ("Here for the Money: Obama Makes Quick Fund-Raising Stop Downtown," June 21) and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani ("Giuliani Makes Quick Stop in City: Republican Rudy Giuliani Gets a Taste of the Strip District," June 28).

Both men made brief stops in town for the same purpose (to raise money for their campaigns), but the accounts of their visits couldn't have been more different. The article about Senator Obama quotes people as saying how the senator was "inspirational" and "mesmerizing," and it talks about how "he generates excitement." The article about Mr. Giuliani says that he used a 10-month-old girl for a "choreographed" photo opportunity, and it details how the former mayor was "happy to use" a tragedy "to criticize the current Democratic presidential candidates."

Even the two pictures accompanying the articles were a joke. Mr. Obama was seen triumphantly waving, while Mr. Giuliani was seen awkwardly stuffing a slice of pizza into his mouth. I have no special allegiance to either political party right now (they have both messed things up beyond belief), but I still find this kind of "journalism" to be shameful.

Seriously, does the Post-Gazette not realize that anyone with half a brain can clearly figure out what it is trying to do here? Do you really think that your readers are that dumb? I'm guessing that, like most liberal elitists, your response to the latter would be a resounding "yes."

TIM HANNAN
South Fayette


And this is my letter

PG not a shill


On July 3 the Post Gazette published a letter criticizing the paper for being a shill for the Democratic Party because of two articles regarding presidential hopefuls: Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani.

In the letter, Mr. Tim Hannan criticized the PG because Mr. Obama and Mr. Giuliani were both in Pittsburgh for the same reason: to raise money for their campaigns ("Two Candidates, Two Different Treatments in the PG").

Because the PG hyped Mr. Obama's presence in the city, the paper is automatically a "shill" for the Democrats and its journalism nothing but "shameful," an outrageous statement.

Yes, the paper has a slight liberal slant, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a "shill" for the party. I've seen the PG criticize Democrats on various matters, from the governor's agenda for the state to how the Democrats are running Congress. The PG has long been a supporter of Republican Sen. Arlen Specter and even endorsed conservative Republican Rep. Tim Murphy for Congress in 2004.

I've seen cartoonist Rob Rogers draw cartoons that make Democrats look foolish, such as Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl whom Rogers portrays as "The Boy Mayor." If this paper was a "shill" for the party, none of this stuff would've ever gotten published.

To call this paper a "shill" for the Democrats is outrageous. The PG calls the news as it happens, and it criticizes both parties when one is in the wrong. That's why I think it's the best piece of journalism in Pittsburgh.


XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
White Oak

Now I wanted to put more in like how the PG publishes the column of conservative columnist George F. Will from time to time but didn't have to room to put it in. I'm pretty proud of this accolmpishment, this is now the second letter that has been published by the paper that was written by me(the first was in 2006 regarding Sen. Arlen Specter).

It would be wrong to let that clown get the last word, as it sounds completely silly.

Other people would have seen a photo of Giuliani scarfing pizza as "human interest," showing he's a "man of the people!" Only someone desperate to make noise would have been able to pull that comparison out for a moment of public sharing.

Perhaps the reader would have preferred a photo like this, or this:





There isn't really much there to fuel his outrage. How typical of right-wingers.

What can I say i'm a big fan of the Post Gazette, I have a subscription to the paper and it's the only piece of journalism I trust around here and I don't like seeing people attacking the paper with false evidence. I also don't like seeing anyone attack the Democratic Party because unlike everyone here at DU I like having my party running the show and will do everything in my power to keep it that way.

Not that part in the end had anything to do with what you said, I just had to get that off my chest.