Sridhar Pappu/WaPo mentions shooting border crossers in Tom Tancredo article

Discussing all the subtle digs and Beltway and far-left assumptions of "Walking A Hard Line On Campaign Trail in Iowa" by Sridhar Pappu of the Washington Post (link) would take too much time.

So, let's concentrate on this:

...The following day Tancredo [has] just come from a town hall where he addressed roughly 45 people, and where Ray Batchelder, an 81-year-old retired farmer said: "This man here speaks my language. I'm a Democrat, but this man makes a lot of sense. This is the right solution for this border problem: Shoot the first five and the next 1,000 won't come. But that goes against my teachings as a Christian."

When asked about running solely on the immigration issue, Tancredo replies [etc...]

Someone who's not familiar with Tancredo, or who skims the article, or who is predisposed to support illegal immigration may not realize that the candidate does not suggest shooting border crossers. Now, certainly, if Batchelder's comments are parsed correctly most will realize that, but some won't realize that that's not part of the candidate's platform.

And, even with those who do that idea will have been subconsciously associated with the candidate. In such cases, honest reporters would include a sentence clarifying the matter; it may have been there but then removed by an editor, and in that case Pappu should consider finding work at another company.

Perhaps the WaPo should have left it out entirely; but, then again, they probably felt it was just too good an example of how "those people" think.

For all the good it will do, please contact Deborah Howell at: ombudsman *at* washpost.com, recognizing of course that she's part of the problem.

Politics · Sun, 08/12/2007 - 08:20 · Importance: 1