Fair and Balanced… Right

Here’s a fair and balanced idea for a “news” article for today’s Denver Post –

1) Have Karen Crummy interview a Democrat state legislator from Georgia (the state on which the recent Colorado Democrat “compromise” on immigration was based), Sam Zamarripa;

2) Use Zamarripa’s quotes to express the futility and questionable motives of a Republican governors’ efforts to address illegal immigration (congratulations to the Post for not using the term “undocumented workers”) because:

Zamarripa said he believes immigration should be handled by the federal government.

3) Fail to identify Zamarripa as a recent board member of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), a group that recently applauded the original Senate version of the immigration reform bill but was wary of it because it “erects significant obstacles for many immigrants”; and

4) “Counterbalanced” Zamarripa’s assessment with a long quote from Colorado Democrat Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff:

Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said Zamarripa had “very good advice” that he hopes lawmakers will follow.

“If we’re going to be serious policymakers, we need to understand the consequences and costs of each proposal,” Romanoff said. “We’ve been asking the administration what benefits the state is providing to (illegal immigrants), but they said they need to do some additional research.”

Because of the lack of information, Romanoff characterized the governor’s timetable for a three- to five-day special session as “challenging.”

How much of an effort did the reporter make to get even a single quote from a serious, pro-enforcement Republican player in this issue? (Insert sound of crickets chirping…)

Mike Rosen often criticizes the Post for producing “editorials masquerading as news stories.” He also regularly reminds listeners of the importance of knowing where someone sits (e.g., the board of MALDEF) before knowing where they stand (e.g., on immigration reform). Today’s Crummy story is a perfect example of the MSM falling flat on both counts.