MUTH'S TRUTHS 09/25/2013

LITTLE LORD RALSTON TAKEN TO WOODSHED

Happy to report that I’m not the only one who’s had enough of the crap coming from Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger.

In a scathing blog post on Tuesday, Sherman Frederick of the Las Vegas Review-Journal dropped Jon Ralston’s britches and gave him what-for with a switch.  At the risk of being sued for copyright infringement, I’m reprinting Frederick’s smackdown of the Little Blogger Who Couldn’t in its entirety below…

TRUTH IS NOT SECONDARY

By Sherman Frederick

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Local political blogger Jon Ralston, in another one of his twerk-like rampages, essentially is trying to to make the case that I, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal don't correct mistakes. He calls the R-J the "newspaper" and generally resorts to name calling and other juvenile tactics.

It's a big lie, of course. Those of us who know the blogger know his shtick. But for those who may be new, let me give you the straight scoop.

My Sunday column included a quote from an interview by Warren Buffett that was initially reported as being made last week. I used part of that quote in my column. After the column was written, it turns out that the interview was done in 2010 and not last week.

I saw the problem early Sunday morning, alerted the paper, and corrected it online before 9:30 a.m., correcting not only the timing but also pointing out that the quotes from 2010 don't "fully express" Buffett's thoughts on ObamaCare now. Later in the day, someone at the paper eliminated that note and simply corrected the body of the column to eliminate the timing issue. That was not my call, but, meh. Monday we discussed the issue and for extra measure put a correction at the top of the column.

I am very fine with all of that. It was a little clumsy, but I and the newspaper corrected the error three different ways. And we corrected it immediately. That's the way we roll. We don't try to tip-toe around, or hide, errors, because our obligation is to readers first.

Yet Ralston, who has burned almost every media bridge in Nevada in his turbulent time here and doesn't exactly have a track record for ethics, has continued to falsely say that I and the Review-Journal have not corrected the story. That's either lazy or willful on his part.

And it's par for the course with this guy. It's almost as if he's got some kind of personality defect that causes him to froth and twerk at those he perceives as enemies. Believe me, throwing journalistic stones is unwise in the extreme for him.

And now he's extending his fit to me blogging about a national story that alleges that a group of Democrats, including Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford, "walked out" of a committee hearing in Washington, D.C., in which family members of those killed in Benghazi were to testify.

Again, this is clinical for Jon Ralston. The local media member who initially raised the story was KDWN radio talker Alan Stock, who reported the story and said that when he tried to get the congressmen on the air to comment, the congressman's office hung up on him.

(Horsford's staff deny both, BTW.) But the fact that the morning drive guy on the largest radio station in Las Vegas was teeing off on a local representative, is worth mentioning. Ralston didn't think so.

But here's the point, if this were Jon Ralston who was stiff-armed by a local politician who wouldn't come on the air for his TV show or comment for his blog, Ralston would be crying bloody murder and asking other media folks to help him shame the politician.

That's how he rolls. It's all about him, and not much about journalism.

As for me and my newspaper: Truth is not secondary, nor is it a blood sport.

What he said!

SANDOVAL SIGHTINGS

In my last Muth’s Truths, I asked, “When was the last time Gov. Sandoval spoke to a Republican Women’s Club meeting, especially in Southern Nevada?”

Virginia Finnegan, 1st Vice President of the Southern Hills Republican Women’s Club, wrote to advise the following…

“The Governor spoke at the Southern Hills Republican Women’s Club meeting on August 27th, 2013 in Henderson, NV.  He came early, spoke personally to everyone in the room, took pictures with everyone and then addressed the group.   After his remarks he took questions from the audience.   In all he was there from 10 am until nearly noon.”

The exception that proves the rule?  Because I also received the following from a member another Republican Women’s Club in Reno…

“You are right on about the GOP women's clubs, Chuck.  We have sent an invitation to the Governor for every event, every monthly meeting, etc. since he became Governor.  I think we received one or maybe two ‘regrets’ calls or emails from his office, but he has never shown up and never supported our club in Reno - and since being elected has never even responded to our invitations.

“I've also been working with Washoe County GOP on the events committee, and so far he hasn't shown up for anything we've done, including our Century Club event.”

Might be time to print up some milk cartons.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Now that he’s up against Jeopardy, the number of people watching (Jon) Ralston’s television show has shrunk from how many people you can fit in a McDonalds restaurant to how many people you can fit in a McDonalds bathroom.” – Name withheld