What happens in the courthouse...

Unless explicitly noted otherwise, this blog represents my own opinions, not those of any organization (like the Kittitas County Democratic Party) that I might be involved with.

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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Another letter to the editor, this one about Matt Manweller

To the editor,

In his latest column Matt Manweller takes issue with various of his critics, including my response to his surly and insulting comments on the blog version of my recent letter to the editor, at whathappensinthecourthouse.blogspot.com .

Virtually all of my past interactions with Matt have been cordial, but he’s really taken the gloves off now that I have begun a new round as a private citizen.1 I was surprised to find him coming after me, since most of his column was about a fight over an obscure economic idea that doesn't even appear to have any value in policy.

Matt unleashes a flurry of blows. As I reread the column, sportscaster Howard Cosell's voice echoes in my mind, as if calling a slow-motion instant replay.

One thing Howard would have been excited about is when, soon after the opening bell, Matt seems to say that the number of guns in the US contributes to our low life expectancy compared to Europe.2 Again, not my fight, but an interesting thing for the Chair of the local Republican Party to draw attention to.

Matt drags me into the ring partly because I wrote that a person who had posted a picture of President Obama with crosshairs on his forehead was a Republican Precinct Committee Officer. It turns out the person was not a PCO, though the incident was certainly real.3 Since I didn’t name the person, I apologize to Matt, as Chair of the party involved. I let my guard down, and I deserved to get tagged on that one.

I shake it off, but in another combination of punches, Matt claims that I blamed local Republicans for the horrible gun violence in Tucson. This time he’s all alone in the ring. No one has blamed violence outside Kittitas County on the combative writing or broadcasting style of any local Republican.4,5

Finally, aiming a low blow at James Maloney, a local small businessman who I do not know, Matt seems to suggest that readers should take their business elsewhere.6

Now, a different, stronger voice replaces Cosell, who is speechless with outrage.

It is Joseph Welch, standing up to Joseph McCarthy, another Republican bully who, like Manweller, thought nothing of using intimidation and character assassination, or of threatening people’s livelihoods: “Until this moment…I never gauged your cruelty, or your recklessness,” Welch said. “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”7

Steve Verhey
Ellensburg


1For an example of a cordial, even pleasant, exchange between Dr. Manweller and myself, see this post from early in the past political season.

2There were other problems with Dr. Manweller's column. For example, last week a "real" doctor wrote to point out that Dr. Manweller's understanding of health care issues is flawed, to say the least.

3Without meaning to detract from the sincerity of my apology, it's possible Dr. Manweller and I are talking about two different people, since the person I have in mind didn't run for PCO, as Matt says, in the last election. I hope this doesn't mean there were two Obama-crosshairs posters, and I saw one while Matt saw the other.

4Even a casual reading of my January letter to the editor will show that not once, but twice I said I didn't think the tragedy in Tucson was politically motivated or inspired. Since Dr. Manweller isn't a casual reader, but a highly trained one, I can only conclude that he intentionally misrepresented the contents of my letter.

5There is one example of violence that has been linked to a local Republican leader -- to Dr. Manweller himself. In my January letter I said that he had fabricated the details of his on-air attack on Linda Huber. For whatever reason, he did not choose to disagree with this part of my letter in his recent column. This seems like an admission of guilt for a very serious offense against a citizen and our community. The offense did lead to violence, though Dr. Manweller's exact role in the violence is murky. It is certainly true that he is much younger and more healthy than Mr. Huber, and has studied boxing.

6This is not the first time I have heard of Dr. Manweller threatening a person's job. This kind of behavior is even more unacceptable than making up stories about private citizens on the radio.

7This was before I was born, but it happened during a very difficult time in American history. Joseph Welch is justifiably remembered for bravely standing up to the dangerous Joseph McCarthy. Dr. Manweller's habit of seeking to dismiss me and others as "local liberal activists" echoes McCarthy's charges about communists from those days. The Wikipedia entry for McCarthy is very interesting reading.