Friday, June 22, 2007

Dear Mother Jones...

Mother Jones' pathetic "interview" with Putz is absolutely brutal. Whoever prepared those questions should be fired, because it's exactly this kind of press which perpetuates the falsehood in the media that Putz is a reasonable, polite, mainstream nonpartisan. (Updated Below) (updated again)

Here's a few questions MJ should've asked:
  • Do you believe it should be the United States' policy to assassinate Iranian civilians?
  • You say you're a libertarian. When was the last time you voted for a libertarian candidate?
  • What does "winning" in Iraq actually mean, and how much longer do you think that will take?
  • If the United States doesn't "win" by your standard, who will be responsible?
  • Throughout the war and before he was fired, you insisted that Donald Rumsfeld was being unfairly criticized for his performance and called the generals who did so "cowardly." Do you have second thoughts about that after he was fired?
  • Also, from 2003-2006, you insisted that more troops in Iraq weren't necessary. But when the President called for more troops, you changed your mind. Why?
  • You claim the GOP lost the midterm elections because of pork. Do you have any polling evidence to support this theory?
  • Do you really believe, as you wrote, that Andrew Sullivan is a "bigot" when he maintains that the GOP has a problem with "Christianism" -- that is, Christian activists in the GOP who fuse a specific religious doctrine with politics?
  • Why do you think so many Republicans have a problem with evolution?
  • Are you against the Bush Administration's use of torture? If so, why haven't you called for the resignation of those responsible?
  • I'm sure you're aware that the Cato Institute has been documenting the Constitutional abuses by the Bush Administration for years. Are you concerned about that, as a libertarian?
  • You claimed, again and again, that Valerie Plame wasn't covert. But Patrick Fitzgerald clearly indicated that she was, and, in any case, if she wasn't, why would the CIA ask the DOJ to investigate her outing? How did you arrive at such a false conclusion?
  • Who are you supporting in 2008? Ron Paul or another libertarian candidate?
  • You've been an enthusiastic supporter of the surge since it began, and have written extensively about how it's working. Do you still believe that?
Just for starters.

UPDATE

Please tell MJ that they should not be giving dishonest partisans like Putz a platform like this.

Be polite.

backtalk@motherjones.com

UPDATED AGAIN

Monika Bauerlein, the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones, has replied to the criticism of the interview. See my response here.

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