Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/7219
4A – Daily News – Thursday, February 25, 2010 A MediaNews Group newspaper Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Opinion Sarah Palin will always be a Hail Mary Pass. She is a last- ditch, slapdash shot for a win. Regardless of facts, faux pas or folly, conservatives will contin- ue to tout her as an asset as long as she continues to act like a bat- tering ram to their opposition. If she still throws jabs, utterly doe-eyed to the implications — i.e. ripping on teleprompters in a prepared speech — the dreaded elites of her party will still use her for what she's worth. She'll stay a paid contributor on Fox News and the others on the same payroll will try and gush over how great she is, her best quality being liberals hate her. Because everything liberals hate must be good. The enemy of Fox News' enemy is always good for the country. The bar will continue to be set lower and Palin will sink deeper into self- parody as she becomes even less blinking, more emboldened and more resigned to her belief some divine force — bigger than her PAC even — wants her to be the President of the United States. Serious conservatives don't want their voice to be a folksy fibbing bridge to nowhere. They don't want a tabloid queen who writes snarky half-baked Face- book entries to the White House Chief of Staff to be their nomi- nee in 2012. But their deal with the devil is they enjoy Palin's swift merciless offense from the sidelines and because of that tal- ent she will be given the lectern. And therefore some legitimacy as a thinker. Her enthusiasts mark her media storm as the reason why she's a leader in the party — some party, whether it be the Tea Party she's now synonymous with or the RNC, which she fits right into. But equating some- one's ability to lead with the ability to get coverage is like saying Britney Spears' singing voice is the reason she was the object of an extended media frenzy. It's simply not true. Being just super and awe- some is not what makes the media obsessed with you. It's actually the opposite. Being hor- ribly flawed and recklessly stu- pid gives people something to use all those barrelsful of ink on. If Palin was competent we'd be bored with her by now. There would be no story. It's her incompetence coupled with this brazen lust for power and the lack of any self-irony or doubt that sparks the press. It's certain- ly not her ideas, because they are not hers or ideas. They're overly-digested Republican platitudes. And candid- ly, fact-checking Palin is like critiquing a squirrel on his algebra. Senator John McCain's choosing the then governor as his running mate was a myopic gamble to get a bump in the polls. He got it for a couple of days, until Palin was vetted in press. Because of this stag- gering snafu, there were moments in the campaign where Palin appeared more like a wife than a running mate. After the McCain campaign got to know her challenges — ethical and otherwise — the team covered for her as she gal- vanized voters to elect Barack Obama in a landslide. But as Donald Rumsfeld once said, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you want. The right-wing pick- ing up the pieces found Palin. She's clearly lacking, but she's the best they have at the moment. There's a degree of pes- simism in conservative groups like News Max and others buy- ing her book in bulk to inflate the sale num- bers. It shows they didn't think it could do well on its merits. Moreover letting Palin in on what softball questions you are going to lob at her in front of an adoring crowd — as indicated by her writing the answers on her palm — shows Judson Phillips, the founder of Tea Party Nation didn't think Palin could do well on merits either. The more she's excused, rationalized and hyped by the right-wing, the more she'll become a symbol of cynicism for conservatives. If they're ped- dling Palin, it shows they've given up. Or to quote the source, "How's that hopey, changey thing working out for ya?" Tina Dupuy is an award- winning writer and the editor of FishbowlLA.com. Tina can be reached at tina@tinadupuy.com. Sarah Palin - The symbol of cynicism Commentary N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Tina Dupuy STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Your officials Corning would welcome store Editor: I am writing in regards to the conflict with Walmart over new stores. Both Chico and Red Bluff are fighting them coming in but we live in Corning and would love to have a SuperWalmart come into our town. I am just a house wife with no jurisdiction over the planning commission, but have talked to others who live here and they all agree it would be great. I have lived here since the '70s and have had to go out of town to shop. I would love to shop here and be able to buy my grandkids a pair of socks or such. It is a small town between Red Bluff and Chico so seems to me like it would be beneficial to Corning as well as Walmart. Since Corning is right on 1-5 as well the casino, I believe the freeway and the casino traffic would be quite prosperous to Walmart. There are many little towns around us that I think would use it — Los Molinos, Hamilton City, Paskenta, Orland, Gerber to name a few. I see many opinions in the paper and wanted to include my opinion. Betty Jo Brady, Corning 9/11 not Iraqis Editor: Because some readers have ridiculed a statement I made a few months ago, I feel a closer analysis of that statement is in order. The statement I refer to is, "They never came here to attack us…we went over there." Of course we've all seen the Twin Towers collapse and wit- nessed the damages done to the Pentagon, but no one has ever brought one shred of evidence, circumstantial or real, that any Iraqi had anything at all to do with it. And when I say any Iraqi that includes Saddam Hus- sein. The starving people of Iraq never came over here to attack us. However we, that is, the U.S government, picked Iraq as the scapegoat and sent our forces over there to teach them a les- son. So far, 4,287 have died avenging the supposed attack by Iraq that killed an estimated 3,000 people. Besides the death toll, more than 30,000 have been wounded. Question is, should we con- tinue to waste more lives and billions more dollars on an unjustifiable endeavor? I for one say no. Orval Strong, Gerber Rate increase is just a hoax Editor: Our rate for Anthem Blue Cross dropped by $24. I personally believe all this baloney about a 39 percent increase from Anthem is to scare people into believing Pres- ident Obama's healthcare plan will save us all. This is of course a bunch of hooey. This is what this country has come to. Scare tactics to pass another bunch of bills that will further bankrupt this nation. Cap and Trade, Global Warm- ing, on and on. I don't think anyone in Con- gress has any sense or knows anything about budgeting finances. They only know how to spend us into obliv- ion. They spend money on fluff while people are losing their homes, and millionaire CEOs are raking in the dough. Shame, shame on them. They're a disgrace to the human race. Bernice Cressy, Cottonwood The effects of marijuana Editor: Potheads and super sharp people. What are you? What assurance does a buyer of pot have that a given quanti- ty of cannabis or other ingredi- ents contains a known quantity? How does the seller guarantee that a chemical equivalent will provide a therapeutic equivalent for any certain plant? Until a person knows and understand the consequence for actions taken it maybe wise to avoid using certain chemicals. It may be safer to be a respon- sible team member with an eth- ically qualified doctor and a legally registered pharmacist. Perhaps I don't demonstrate very well how people should carry the responsibility to enhance the lives of others and make life more pleasant to live. That may be mean, I should try to do better today than I did yesterday. Steve Kelly, Corning Sick horses Editor: I am sickened by the abuse of horses and live- stock taking place in Tehama County. I know that the economy is bad but if you cannot properly feed your animal get rid of it. Drive down 99W, from Red Bluff to Corning and you can see horses with ribs and hipbones sticking out. On 99E, between Eldrid and Oklahoma a person has two rotting horse carcasses on his property and several horses starving to death. I thought there is laws against leaving livestock carcasses to rot near homes, let alone the way these magnificent animals died a slow, agonizing death. One mare had a torn sternum — under belly — almost dragging the ground for months, nothing but a skeleton, and she finally died. Many of us have reported this owner but he has a few bales of hay on the premises so the Sheriff- Animal Control does nothing. I have been told that there are no laws against letting horses die of natural causes. If anyone else is upset and angered about this torturous ani- mal abuse, please call and write city, county and state agencies and representatives. L.M. Dulle, Gerber Your Turn