Redstate

Stryker's cash is dirty.  Filthy.  Saul at MRP has called on House Democrats, Jennifer Granholm and others to return the illegal cash and to separate themselves from the criminal actions that led to it's donation.  But they're not going to.  And that's not a surprise.  The Dems talk a good game on ethics and accountability but when push comes to shove they've got Norman Hsu's, Chinese bus boys without citizenship and Jon Stryker's hiding in their closets.  Especially here in Michigan.  

Nothing new for Granholm, Stabenow, Levin and Dillon.  They're used to taking tainted money.  They just brush off complaints about it and hope their Dem constituency is still wearing their blue sunglasses.  But our friends in the MSM?  Well, one of them didn't very much like me going after his BFF Jon Stryker.

What follows is an email exchange between myself and John McNeill, the news director at Kalamazoo's AM radio leader, WKZO.  

I love KZO.  I seriously do.  For the longest time you couldn't hear a Tigers game on the radio in Grand Rapids.  If the Tigers weren't going to the playoffs the local sports radio station couldn't be bothered with their broadcasts.  KZO never waivered in their support for the Tigers.  And I will always love and appreciate them for it.

Even today when I listen to a game (and I listen to a lot of them) I put my "money" where my mouth is... or my ear at least... and put up with a bit of a fainter signal, always tuning into 590 instead of 1340.  

But their News Director?  He could probably take a cue from the class that's been illustrated by the sports department.

From: John McNeill john@wkzo.com,

To: Nick De Leeuw <rightmichigan@gmail.com>,

Date: Nov 15, 2007 2:09 PM

Subject: RE: Democrat sugar-daddy Stryker caught in medicare scandal, stealing from seniors to buy MI elections

Jon Stryker has nothing to do with the day to day operations of Stryker Corp. He is not on the board. He doesn't work there, and did not work at the Subsidiary involved.

Are you purposely misleading the public or just dumb.

Yep, he dropped the "are you just dumb" bomb (and ended a question with a period, but that's neither here nor there).  Which is awfully professional of him.  But the total and complete lack of tact and civility aside there's a much larger issue at play here... as I point out:

From: Nick De Leeuw rightmichigan@gmail.com

To: john@wkzo.com,

Date: Nov 15, 2007 2:43 PM

Subject: Re: Democrat sugar-daddy Stryker caught in medicare scandal, stealing from seniors to buy MI elections

Hi John,

There's an old leadership axiom that goes something like "the buck stops here!"  Jon Stryker materially benefited from a scam that ripped off tens of millions (at least) from American seniors.

As far as your parting shot, it's nice to hear from you too.

By the by, I'm very much looking forward to seeing a copy of the email in which you questioned MDP Chairman Mark Brewer's motives and intelligence last fall after he issued a press release accusing then-candidate Dick DeVos of killing people via the Alterra nursing home chain.

A chain with which Mr. DeVos had nothing to do via day-to-day operations, on whose board he did not sit and with which he was never counted an employee.  A chain, for that matter, in which he merely owned stock and was much further removed than is Mr. Stryker from Stryker Corporation.

Cheers.

--Nick

I figured giving him the chance to defend himself was the right thing to do.  As much as I wanted to go off half-cocked... heck, fully cocked and call him a lib and accuse him of a penetrating and unavoidable bias I held back.  It's not right to assume that someone is some way, right?  So I offered Mr. McNeill the benefit of the doubt and a chance to defend himself.  

From: John McNeill john@wkzo.com,

To: Nick De Leeuw <rightmichigan@gmail.com>,

Date: Nov 15, 2007 3:24 PM

Subject: RE: Democrat sugar-daddy Stryker caught in medicare scandal, stealing from seniors to buy MI elections

What you are saying is two wrongs make a right?

...that just because the democrats did it, you can do it too?

Notice he ignored the larger issue by erecting a straw-man argument, apparently convinced that the Styker and Alterra situations were factually similar despite the evidence that places Jon Stryker hundreds of millions of light years closer to any potential wrongdoing than the other example.  

Which, of course, goes to my point... McNeill assails a conservative's integrity and intelligence when that conservative highlights a tangible connection between a liberal and wrong doing but did he reserve the same disdain for a liberal reaching desperately to make a significantly weaker connection between misdeeds and someone on the right?

From: Nick De Leeuw rightmichigan@gmail.com

To: john@wkzo.com,

Date: Nov 15, 2007 3:34 PM

Subject: Re: Democrat sugar-daddy Stryker caught in medicare scandal, stealing from seniors to buy MI elections

John,

I'm not saying that at all.  I believe there's a pretty stark difference between minority shareholder status in a publicly traded company and a corporation that bears one's own name.

And I'm offering you the opportunity to prove specifically that your righteous indignation is not based on partisan or issue politics by providing evidence that you similarly questioned the intent and intelligence of someone on the "other side of the aisle" who made significantly more drastic accusations based on a significantly flimsier chain of connection.

--Nick

And still I wait.  And wait.  And wait.

Liberal media bias?  Nah, we must be crazy.  But at least they're really nice guys... errrr....