TODAY'S LETTERS: Libby, Burkle, Novak, and More

By: E&P Staff We are still making the transition in online editors -- welcome again, Pauline Millard, at pmillard@editorandpublisher.com -- so we have skipped a few days of Letters again.

Here are some of the latest.
*

Gen. Pace and Hypocrisy in Libby Affair

We have two recent events and news articles. Let's compare them for fairness.

We had the Scooter Libby "Letter Campaign", in which General Peter Pace was one of the participants who "freely" submitted a letter that supported Scotter Libby and asked for a light sentence to the judge.

I'm just guessing but I'm pretty sure, in these hectic times, that General Pace did not take the time to change out of his general's outfit into civees while he was writing his "political letter" to support Libby.

Then we had a military panel saying that Iraq soldier, Marine Cpl Adam Kokesh, who wore his uniform during a recent anti-war ("political") protest, lost his honorable discharge status for "speaking freely", while wearing his uniform.

Excuse me but isn't this hypocrisy by the military for not going after General Pace at the same time since he got "politically active" while in HIS uniform?

It might not be a bad idea for you to investigate this matter and show the hypocrisy of the military when it comes to the "grunts" vs the "generals" when both of them use their first amendment rights.

Tom Wieliczka
Windsor Locks, CT


Another Option on Dow Jones Bid

I just wrote a piece at News Corpse that suggests the possibility of a non-profit cooperative making a bid for Dow Jones: "An Alternative To Murdoch For Dow Jones". My proposed cooperative would include the AP, an academic institution, and maybe a mogul or two.

I would be interested in your opinion of this idea. It seems to me that the owner of the Wall Street Journal would make an excellent candidate for such an enterprise. The Poynter Institute (St. Petersberg Times, Congressional Quarterly) and the Scott Trust (The Guardian, UK) are examples of successful media enterprises with non-profit ownership. If you think it's feasible, please feel free to expand on it and pass it on to your list of contacts, which I'm sure is superior to mine.

Mark Howard
www.newscorpse.com
*

Re: Story (June 6) on another billionaire bidding for Dow Jones.

Ron Burkle? Ron Burkle? Isn't he best known as a crony of post-presidential party guy Bill Clinton? Wonder why his name occurred to the 'Independent Association of Publishers' Employees'? If this group was sincere about objecting to the prospect of political interference, I sincerely doubt they would have sounded out Ron Burkle. If they were sincere about the possibility of interference with the quality of The Wall Street Journal, it is dubious that Burkle would have been their preferred master. Burkle was sounded out because Bill Clinton likes him, so he must be politically acceptable to the Journal's conventionally Democratic reportorial staff.

The objections to Murdoch, who in the past has owned such properties as The Village Voice without changing the far-left orientation of that publication, begin to sound like the usual politically-motivated 'projecting' that is one of the chronic features of the chattering classes.

Mark Richard
Columbus, Ohio

*

Novak book due next month

If they make Robert Novak's book into a movie, central casting would have no problem casting. Get me a ugly unlikable sloppy ass-kissing liar.The Prince of Darkness wouldn't need make-up.

Jack Hickey
Long Beach NY

*

On staff cuts

In light of the extensive staff cutbacks at the L.A. Times and other major newspapers over the past couple of years, perhaps the Times should adopt an updated version of the motto of its New York counterpart, i.e., "All the news we can afford to print."

J.G. Berinstein

*