"Aware Enough" - or, Craig "Firmly Embedded" Westover, the Pioneer Press, and inComplete Disclosure

by: TwoPuttTommy

Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 07:04:07 AM CDT

Yep!  THAT Craig Westover; the Craig Westover that has the following at the bottom of his columns in the Pioneer Press:

Craig Westover is a contributing columnist to the Pioneer Press Opinion Page and a senior policy fellow at the Minnesota Free Market Institute (mnfmi.org).

Does anyone see anywhere in that "inComplete Disclosure" that Craig Westover is not only involved in republiCon party polics, he's managed to make his way to the rarified air of the State Central Committee?

I don't, and I remember that in 2006, Craig "Firmly Embeded" Westover was not only "contributing" at the PiPress, Craig Westover was part of the PiPress' candidate endorsement screening process.

Hmmmm...  I remember from back in the day, when I was a GOPer, how hard it was to get elected just from BPOU to District; I can't imagine that these days it's any easier to go from District to State (especially what with all that ideological purging for purity's sake in the GreedOverPrinciples party) and I really can't believe some newbie - say, since December 2006 - goes from bein' NOT involved in party politics and goes all the way to State Central Committee participant.

Bottom line?  I guessed Craig Westover was up to his neck in partisan party politics when the Pioneer Press had him involved in its endorsement process.

So, I asked the PiPress the pointed question:

How aware of Craig Westover's party activism was the Pioneer Press back in 2006, when the Pioneer Press involved Craig Westover in its endorsement process?

Here's the thoughtful and complete answer I got:

Tommy,

Aware enough.

ROFLMAO!!!!

The Pioneer Press was aware of Craig "Firmly Embedded" Westover's partisan political activism, and let him participate in candidate endorsement anyway ??!?

No wonder "journalism" is held in such low esteem, these days.

I thought I'd give the PiPress another shot, so I sent in reply:

(redacted)you want to make an official, "for quote" statment before I start writing?

How about you, Craig?

Craig's in there, because I started out asking Craig about his involvement in partisan party politics, and CC'd the PiPress.  Mr. Firmly Embedded seemed to get a little nervous as my questions became more pointed, at which point I switched tacks and asked the pointed question, above, to the PiPress and cc'd Craig.  

Here's what I got back, from the PiPress, after asking if they wanted to give a "for quote" statment:

Tommy,

Nope. Write whatever you want. First Amendment's a beautiful thing.

Apparently, the PiPress knows that "journalistic integrity" isn't incorporated in the First Amendment - because it isn't.

And neither is "inComplete Disclosure."

Those of you reading this, that are involved in campaigns, may want to remember this sordid little story next year, during endorsement screening time.

The Pioneer Press is going to ask you to be open and honest.

Remember that they weren't.

Oh, and For The Record - here's Mr. Firmly Embedded's response to the request for quote:

"For the record, Prior to the 2008 election cycle, I was a casual GOP caucus attendee. I got active in the 2008 cycle so I could go to the state convention as a Ron Paul delegate and really got active after the 2008 convention. I have not written anything for the PiPress promoting a partisan issue other than the principles I have always pushed."  --  Craig Westover, 15 June 2009

Yeah, "right."  Go with that, Craig.  I have no way to verify it, but:  it sounds like Fishsticks to me.

Oh, speaking of Fishsticks:  apparently, I wasn't the only one that noticed Mr. Firmly Embedded's party activism - Spot over at The Cucking Stool noticed, too.  Spot takes a look at Mr. Firmly Embedded's backing Michele Bachmann's "Gangster Government" rantings, and - most appropriately - includes pictures of Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff.

I'm guessing Craig "Firmly Embedded" Westover didn't do much writing about Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, nor The K Street Project.

Come to think about it, the Pioneer Press didn't publish much about those three, either.

Well, to the Pioneer Press and Craig "Firmly Embedded" Westover, I'm sure it was the "right" thing to do.....