Arkansas Blog: Missing in DOG's left-wing bashing

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has stood up editorially for poor U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, who made a milliion selling his family's Prescott drug store to a chain and who has been, coincidentally, honored for his work in Congress for chain drug stores. Agreed: the reporting on Ross' sale hasn't been good (by either defenders or detractors), in part because neither Ross nor the buyer has released full details.

But when a newspaper complains about reporters missing the story, it perhaps should tell the full story itself. The D-G has been harping on the imagined liberal inclinations of ProPublica, the nonprofit journalism organization that partnered with Politico on the publication of the Ross story. ProPublica's funders have also provided money to some unaffiliated liberal causes. The D-G editorialists failed to even mention today that the Ross story was reported with Politico and it made no effort in a brief reference yesterday to the background of the publication (it has both print and on-line editions). It is, at best, solidly mainstream. But some would say that's too kind. Some would say it is Republican controlled and oriented. It is funded by the Allbritton family. You'll remember Joe Allbritton sent word down to his family's KATV in 2000 with orders that GM Dale Nicholson go on-air to endorse George W. Bush for president. So if we are to arch our eyebrows at the leftist backer of ProPublica, shouldn't we tilt them the other direction for Politico's rightist sugar daddy?

Currently, Politico is fronting the notion that the right-wing talk machine doesn't get the credit it's due from mainstream media. Its editorial leaders are on record, too, about the importance of Matt Drudge. Mentioning Politico's political references would, however, tend to detract from the DOG's theme that this is the work of the left-wing attack machine.

I'm willing to accept that the Ross sale price fell within justifiable parameters, though I've written before about several specifics still undisclosed. I suspect curious differences in valuations of individual elements of the sale -- too much for real property (to name one cited by critics) and too little for prescriptions (to name one cited by defenders) -- are explained by a massage of those numbers to position the overall price most advantageously for tax consequences for buyer and/or seller. True cash flow (profit) and the potential for enhancing that number to pay off the purchase price are the most reliable measures of the sale price of a business. We still don't -- and probably never will -- know those numbers for Ross' drug store, despite the DOG's editorial claim that there's been a "complete accounting."

It's still no more than a distraction from Ross' loyal service of business lobbies over the working stiffs of his district.

Comments

Today's editorial page in the DG was a three-fer...on top you had the cry me a river defense of Ross, then below that a piece essentially defending the use of warrantless wiretapping because it nabbed an "immigrant" plotting a terrorist attack, and finally, a piece basically calling Obama a pansy for not including FOX on his Sunday morning talk-show tour.

Why do I keep reading that paper?

I will give them credit, however, for making the argument that Obama has done nothing to repeal the Patriot Act and little else to eliminate Bush administration policies for securing the "homeland".

Posted by: the_floyd | September 28, 2009 10:41 AM

Anyone who followed the Hardin smear campaign and now reads the D-G's editorial about Ross must be gagging. What hypocrisy!

Why didn't the D-G's sense of journalistic duty explore the Hardin smear campaign and pursue printing the "whole truth"? That's right! Because it would have led them in a big circle right back to their own editorial staff and their buddies. When "the truth catches up with the smear" you'll cancel your D-G subscription just as I did!

Posted by: livingLR | September 28, 2009 11:43 AM

So how many people will die today because Ross's protection of privateers? How many people will sit with a fever, a red curious mole or lump in their breast, a toothache, high blood pressure, need of insulin or basic pain meds, etc... and not go see a medical professional due to fear of costs? How many people will file for bankruptcy today due to cost of medical care over and above the cost of their insurance?

Mike Ross was a cheap sellout (million five sale and nearly a million in campaign / pac contributions).. but sellout he did. He sold your health and your cost of insurance or direct care to the highest contributors. Of course Billionaire Hussman press will cheer while wagging their finger in many pointless directions. It's what they do!

Neither Ross or Hussman give a damn about pain suffering death and bankruptcy... they care about profit.

If Mike Ross doesn't dress like the Grim Reaper on Halloween... once again he will be lying by simply denying his true colors. And I may never look at an issue of the DG without seeing blood stains all over it.

Right now no public option exists yet Ross and the Blue Dogs inserted into committee bills over 148 billion dollars in pure gift /raises to various factions of the medical industrial complex. That's why the chamber of commerce and Hussman press are cheering wildly. 148 billion bonus for nothing but the same old system. And that is just the begining... since mandates / rule of law will force millions more to buy private insurance at whatever rate private insurance wants to charge. If you all out there with private insurance think your rates won't continue to soar with Mike Ross (and Blanche) at the helm you are sadly mistaken.

These people are truly evil... and like teabaggers, they don't even try to hide it.

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | September 28, 2009 12:14 PM

I was going to post something, but Eureka covered all the bases and then some. Well said, Eureka and ain't it the sorry truth.....

Posted by: Deathbyinches | September 28, 2009 12:25 PM

>>148 billion bonus for nothing but the same old system.<<

Continuing the fine tradition of taking care of one's on.
Every small town pharmacist or dentist I ever encountered had
a very short vision. It usually ends at the pocket holding their wallet.

I've never in my lifetime witnessed such greed mongering.

Posted by: eLwood | September 28, 2009 12:53 PM

It was clear that the fix was in when Obama fingered Daschle to lead HHS and lead the "reform" agenda. And when Baucus created the Gang of Six.

It's all the same old, same old. Mike Ross is just a prominent symptom of a disease in this country's body politic, and it's metastasizing.

We won't reform anything until or unless we find a way to run all the incumbents out of office.

Posted by: David Orr | September 28, 2009 04:08 PM

Arkansas Blog

Missing in DOG's left-wing bashing

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