Express Times Defends Blogger's Appearance at Norco News Conference

Last week, I attended a John Stoffa news conference. I posted a brief, and factually accurate, story, almost immediately after he announced that the next election will be conducted with lever machines. But I decided to post a second report, the very next day, to explain how I ended up in the county exec's office in the first place. It was pretty much an accident.

This second blog, charitably called "irreverent" by both Blue Coyote and LVPoliblog, is an attempt, good or bad, at gonzo journalism. It is a highly subjective first person account, although my claims about that TV reporter are right on the money, bippy. She's warm for my form.

Can you blame her?

I thought my story might annoy her husband. It didn't, but I still managed to piss someone off - Joe Long. He thinks he's very important. He signs letters like this:

Joe Long, Chair
Northeast Caucus, PA Democratic Party
Northampton County Democratic Party

Impressive, huh? On Saturday, Express Times Editor Joe Owens blogged that Bossman Long "has a target" on my back.

Uh oh.

Well, Long's mostly angry at Stoffa, not me, for "inviting" a "blogger who has no credibility in this county. (Check his record)." Stoffa must "cease and desist."

Is it me? I always thought Democratic party chairs exist to ensure that Democrats seek and retain public office. Does he outrank our Democratic county exec? Where does he get the authority to issue stop orders? Can he impose his union thug notion of government, which consists mostly of threats and decisions made in smoke-filled back rooms, upon democratically elected officials?

Bloggers and Express Times Editor Joe Owens have some answers.

Blue Coyote: "You have no right to demand the public to "cease and desist" asking questions regarding their government. My Northampton County Democratic Party is not the same as your Northampton County Democratic Party! You better stop demanding and start listening to the voters."

LVPoliblog: "The people's business needs to be done in public. We can't exclude people from press conferences, or government meetings for that matter, just because we think we aren't going to like their perspective on it. Whether you agree with those in government or not, you can't issue a proclamation that any dissenting opinions, or in the case of this particular blog post by O'Hare, an irreverent one, be stifled by the subtle but dangerous shadow of government censorship. Trying to control who can come to government gatherings breaks that threshold."

Express Times Editor Joe Owens: "No matter how self-important we news-gatherers may like to be, we're really just information providers. O'Hare is in a similar category, whether Long likes it or not. Unless it's an invitation-only event, O'Hare is free to show up and write whatever he likes, crazy ramblings or not."

Owens does doubt my claim that the TV reporter was eyeing me with bedroom eyes. "The author's mug shot on O'Hare's Web site should settle that argument." That's why he's an editor and I'm a blogger.

I'm very impressed that the MSM would defend a form of alternative media at a news conference, especially when that alternative is me.

Later this week, I'll have a few things to say about Bossman Long and his pals in the local Democratic party. For now, I just want to thank him for increasing public awareness about the blogosphere. Thanks, Bossman!