News-Record.com

The story was nationwide. You really would have looked head-in-the-sand-ish not putting it on the homepage (er... "front" page).

Without commenting on the merits of this story's play, I would just say in general that a lot of stuff that's covered nationwide (e.g. the whole "missing white girl" phenomenon) shouldn't be, while a lot of stuff that should be covered nationwide (e.g., the material covered in Sy Hersh's interview with Maj. Gen. Taguba in the 6/25 New Yorker) isn't.

Lex, I agree. There's a lotta crap out there masquerading as news. However, taking a stand is a good thing and getting beat in the salaciousness game is a whole 'nother thing.

Why isn't the story of Gen. Taguba covered nationally? In a word? Cahoones. Who's got 'em? Not teh press. Not today.

It'll be covered and I bet Bob Woodward is feverishly taking notes right now. But the President will be out of office, his generals will faded away, and we'll get really mad about it after the fact. Where are all those groups who sued President Clinton for his missteps now?

We published the story on our local front. Not sure now that I made the right decision last night.* JR

Must have work! The loving couple is considering divore after removing Paris Hilton from the world's headlines. Meanwhile today, 14 Americans were killed in Iraq......

In my opinion, this is not anyone business, except the people it effects. It strange a illegal drunk on I40 can kill someone, and its not news until a country radio station, said this illegal had been deported twice and came to NC and got a drivers license.

Right Doug, it's nobody's business but the people involved.

Why this is "news" now is beyond me.

In 1968-1971 this crap was happening in my "GUILFORD COUNTY" high school and there was no outrage then.

Two married male teachers were messing with two female students. Both teachers left their wives and both married the students. One of the marriages ended in divorce, and the other other couple are still married 35 years later.

Another female student was "sent away" when she became pregnant and the talk around school was that another teacher was the father. I can't confirm that one.

So this is and has happened everywhere. Even in our own schools.

Why is it "news" now?

Whatsamatta, Lex, nobody reading your left-wing rantings over on your own liberal anti-war anti-Bush blog?
Why do you come over here on JR's blog and post your extreme left-wing crap? Is JR paying you while you waste our time here because nobody will read you anywhere else?
Go back home, Lex, and mingle with your own kind.

Out of bounds, jaycee. I expect better of you.

I think Lex is out of bounds.
He posts this over on his own leftist political blog, then comes here and reposts the same thing which hardly relates to the subject of your post.
I expect better of YOU in allowing Lex's unrelated post on your blog.
So there. :)

JR: Silence is golden. You did the right thing by not responding to Jaycee's last comment thereby cutting your losses and avoiding further embarassment.

JR: Silence is golden. You did the right thing by not responding to Jaycee's last comment thereby cutting your losses and avoiding further embarassment.

It is unlike jaycee to make a personal attack of someone else on my blog, Fred, as opposed to you. As such, I do expect better of him. As to the matter at hand, Lex's comment does pertain to this post. Whether I "allow" it is hardly relevant as I don't ban commenters from leaving comments, no matter how off point.

I do discourage personal attacks, however. Maybe you should try it, Fred.

John,

There was NOTHING objectionable or out of bounds about Jaycee's comment. Point of order. Lex works for you . Are you saying that he has the same freedom of expression, without limit, that Jaycee and Fred on your blog. That is hard to swallow especially, I can just imagine, if some closet Republican N & R employee starting posting pro-Bush comments, what would be that persons fate.. I suspect his or her days would be numbered and suddenly and swiftly join the other 41.

Fred, it's a shame that you assume you know so much about how we work.

If some closet Republican N&R employee started posting pro-Bush comments, that person's fate -- assuming he or she actually left their real name and e-mail address :) -- would be exactly the same as some closet Democrat started posting anti-Bush comments (or if that closet Republican started posting anti-Bush comments for that matter). They'd be told to cease and desist, if they worked in the newsroom. We have clear rules about that, and, despite your imaginings to the contrary, they have nothing to do with political party.

Then are we to *assume* you've asked Lex to cease and desist his anti-Bush comments on his N&R blog?

Well, Jaycee, I suppose we will have to assume that JR is invoking his 5th ammendment pivilleges.

His reply above was totally incoherent.

you see any there recently?

jaycee, as you seemed to understand my comment, please explain it to Fred.

Most of the things Lex posts are blatant or subtle jabs at President Bush or the administration. His entire series about the VA was just another way for Lex to attack the administration. He's not fooling anybody. He links to anti-Bush websites and articles, and he has a strange mis-comprehension of what's fact and what's opinion. On the plus side, few people read or comment on Lex's blog. Are you looking at this as a "No harm, no foul" situation since nobody seems to notice Lex anymore?

I don't know how you know, jaycee, how many people read Lex's blog, but it's not "few."

I appreciate your defense of the VA, but that series was not only sound journalism, but helped veterans who aren't getting the sort of care that, in my opinion, they deserve and the government promises. Not only is the president not above scrutiny, he should be subject to more of it than any other elected official.

Mr. Robinson, I look at Lex's blog and see that very few people comment there. Either nobody reads it or nobody considers it worthy of comments. Either way, it's not a popular blog.
I was not defending the VA. I don't know enough about the situation to comment. However, I and many others can see through Lex's transparent use of this issue to once again bash the Bush Administration from yet another angle. On his blogs and reporting he's bashed Bush directly; bashed the Vice-President; Bush's policy on Iraq; the adminstrations anti-terror efforts; Attorney General Gonzales; and any and every thing associated with conservatives that he can get away with.
He may fool some by masquerading his contempt and anger against Bush and conservatives as "reporting" but he's pretty easy to see through. And please don't tell me once again about how he's really a registered Republican. RINO fits him well.

For nearly fifty years I have gone out every morning, seven days a week to get your paper and enjoy reading it while i drink my first cup of coffee. Recently I am enjoying it less and less. Surely, in all the world , something more important happened yesterday than the poor woman who went to sleep at the wheel and killed her self. It was a very sad story but not a story that contributes to my education. Your paper is fast becoming a tabloid. Please, please improve before I give up.

Ms. Moore, I appreciate your point of view. The story wasn't so much about a woman who fell asleep and killed herself. It was about how her family is coping and moving on. We hoped that not only would it humanize the news -- people die in car wrecks every day -- but also give readers some insight into how one family deals with it. Sorry it didn't have that effect on you.

Please note that we did have "important" things on the front page along with that, including the aborted bombings in London, the fate of the immigration bill and the latest news from Iraq. With due respect, that's hardly tabloid.