Boston Globe perpetuates fallacy

I wrote the following letter to the Boston Globe:

"The Globe headlines "Senate rejects extending funding for youth summer jobs program" (March 13). The headline is not correct. The Senate never voted this measure up or down. In fact, the summer jobs program, proposed by Senators Kerry (D Mass) and Murray (D Wash), got a substantial and clear majority of the Senate -- 55 votes for -- in a test or cloture vote; this tally was not even reported in the article. Headlines like this mislead people into thinking that the Republicans, by taking advantage of the Senate's country-club fillibuster rules -- not part of the law of the land -- are actually representing the wishes of the American people. Responsible journalism would suggest a more factual headline such as "Majority of Senate thwarted on summer jobs program." The fact that the entire Republican contingent in the Senate represents only a small minority of the actual voting population of the U.S. -- the Senate being what it is -- makes your headline even more outrageous."

Another interesting side to this story is that Scott Brown, who took over Ted Kennedy's seat in the Senate, voted against this bill, even though he campaigned on the issue of jobs. Yes, jobs -- Republican snow jobs. The PTR loves to campaign on populist issues, but it is just more of the Big Lie. Brown says he's worried about unfunded mandates. This is real news that the PTR, after all the Bush years of unfunded wars and tax cuts for the rich, is now worried about this issue -- when jobs for the non-rich are concerned.

As the old union song goes: "Put it on the ground, spread it all around, dig it with a hoe: it'll make your flowers grow."