On Corey Stapleton, Matt Singer, blogs, and respect

February 22, 2007 in 2007 Montana Legislature, Blogs, Corey Stapleton

by Jay Stevens

Recently, state Senator Corey Stapleton slammed the blogs in a puff-piece profile:

Stapleton himself was later attacked on state and national blogs after the Great Falls Tribune reported a joke he made that “no one in the Negro caucus” objected to the Legislature working on Martin Luther King Day.

Matt Singer of the blog “Left in the West,” called the remarks “deeply, racially insensitive.”

Stapleton said he was frustrated by the media attention, especially from bloggers, whom he calls the “angry, unaccountable, anonymous media.”

“We change our language that we choose almost as frequently as we change the passwords on our laptop,” Stapleton says. “We’ve just learned to hide our differences in political correctness.”

Criticism by liberal blogs does more harm to a citizen legislature like Montana’s, Stapleton says, than to professional politicians. “It dissuades average, moral people from wanting to get involved.”

Last night I was all eager to write about this, about how Stapleton’s remarks were unfounded, that what we do is write about stuff that legislators actually do or say, and that should not discourage any honest or “moral” people from serving. Quite the opposite.

But then I read Matt Singer’s reaction to the remarks. He – justly – notes Stapleton’s own double standard, where he felt free to use his position to belittle and humiliate others, but he also recognized similarities in his own blogging style and Stapleton’s sweeping statements:

In fairness to Senator Stapleton, though, I think people — both in Montana and across the country — are sick of the sort of partisanship that both he and I probably practice more often than we should. That’s one of the reasons why when he accused myself and others of being unpatriotic, I asked advice from some people, took a deep breath, and asked for an apology, rather than moving to denounce immediately.

I’m not sure that I support Barack Obama for President, but I do know that I think he’s right when he says that our problems aren’t too big, but that our politics has become too small. We rarely see leadership any more — from the blogs or from elected officials. We see people playing leaders. And by we, I mean you, dear reader, because I often worry that I’m as much a part of the problem as I am part of the solution.

With that, I’d actually like to thank Senator Stapleton for reminding me that I have some obligation in this process — to work harder to treat my opponents with respect.

I’ve lately been mulling a similar thing here at 4&20 blackbirds. I’ve often used this blog to attack letter-writers or conservative activists in my “Creep” category. While their rhetoric needs to be countered or corrected, I think my criticism has often crossed over into attacks on their character. That’s fine for politicians, IMHO, who abuse their offices and the public trust – like Corey Stapleton has – but I think it’s a little over-the-top for folks who are just letting off a little steam. I should know, I’ve been the subject of a few invective-laden tirades and some threats. Not at all fun.

So the Creep category is being retired.

I’m not so sure I would go as far as Matt, though. The Republican Party has exercised ruthless partisanship and vitriolic rhetoric during their recent run, using fear and hate to motivate their base and draw votes. I don’t see much hope in laying off legislators who, say, declare war on the Democratic party, who subvert the legislative process to create a budgetary crisis, or who start fistfights on the House floor. In the end, I will respect those that earn respect, and call out those who deserve it, regardless of party affiliation.