When the Daschle v. Thune Senate race started in January, the executive editor of the Argus Leader, Randell Beck, said very explicitly that the candidates should not use the newspaper's content when campaigning. Excerpt:
I've worked at six newspapers and covered, it seems, countless political campaigns. But the Argus Leader - with strong encouragement from Arnold Garson, president and publisher - is the first one to draw a line in the sand.I sent out letters to the Daschle and Thune campaigns last week. I haven't heard any howls - yet.
Let's face it. It's hard enough for all of us to figure where the candidates stand on myriad issues - and we have precious few sources of dispassionate, unbiased information about them.
My message to the candidates: Take your best shot at massaging your message to voters, but leave newspapers out of it. Let us probe and push and challenge. Let us serve democracy that way.
My message to you: Help us police the airwaves during the campaign season. If you see Argus Leader content showing up in ad campaigns, let me know. We'll take turns blowing the whistle.
As SDP noted yesterday, Dave Kranz wrote a ridiculously one-sided pro-Daschle article last Sunday (see the details here) and, as if on cue, the Daschle campaign sent the article far and wide to validate and promote their candidate and raise money. Mr. Beck, it looks like the Daschle campaign didn't get your letter. Looks like something to be addressed this Sunday, along with the Daschle/Kranz memo bombshell.
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