by James Oliphant
For Republican office-seekers in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, keeping the public’s trust is important.
So much so that they are turning on their own party and taking the unprecedented step of asking President Bush to fire the Attorney General.
And it is indeed safe to say that the move is unprecedented. Because until now, no one, not Democrats, or Republicans -- or Whigs for that matter -- have called for the ouster of Attorney General “Roberto Gonzalez.”
That’s what Republican county commissioner candidates Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews and District Attorney candidate Risa Vetri Ferman demanded in a release dated Monday. (The county seat is Norristown, in the suburbs north of Philadelphia.)
“As public officials and candidates in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, we know firsthand that there is perhaps nothing more important than earning and maintaining the public trust,” the three Republicans wrote in the letter.
Is it too much to suggest that trust begins with getting correct the name of the Attorney General of the United States?
On that same note, the New York Times seems to be on the edge of a nervous breakdown over misspellings of the AG’s name. Last week, it ran a self-flagellating correction mourning the fact that the paper has misspelled Gonzales (as Gonzalez) at least 14 times since 2001, including, it notes, four times this year alone. (Did the entire paper go to Catholic school?)
Alberto Gonzales has been blamed for a lot during his career in government service, but even he can’t help the spelling of his name.
And, of course, it’s only a matter of time now before this Tribune reporter makes the same mistake.
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Comments
"DON'T CHANGE YOUR NAME"
JUST RESIGN! NEXT!
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 14, 2007 1:49 PM
It's funny how, to some (Bruce), a misspelling here or there causes the point to be completely missed. In this letter, its not that the AG should be fired because of his name. The point is the US Attorney General has become a distraction and he lacks any credibility. Whether his name is spelled Gonzalez or Gonzales is completely beside the point, but don't tell that to Bruce.
Posted by: janet | August 14, 2007 1:51 PM
Gee, I can't figure out why this guy wouldn't want to keep the same name as W.'s Attorney Personal....I mean General?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTR0X_q3_HM
Posted by: John E | August 14, 2007 2:03 PM
Tempest in a teapot now has a new meaning.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 14, 2007 2:06 PM
"DON'T CHANGE YOUR NAME"
JUST RESIGN! NEXT!
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 14, 2007 2:08 PM
Frank and Jim, a Swamp/Tribune reporter has ALREADY made the same mistake. At least twice. Take a look at Mark Silva's column on July 28th of this year, where the AG's name is misspelled "Gonzalez". See also Silva's June 1st column.
If you can't even spell the name right, that calls into question the accuracy of everything else you purport to report. As your article states, "Is it too much to suggest that trust begins with getting correct the name of the Attorney General of the United States?"
-- Bruce
Silva's note: As our good friend Bruce likes to do, he has found a couple of examples of a name mistyped on, in one case, about the sixth or seventh reference in an article, and in the other case the second reference.
I've gone back on my own and found a few other occasions on which Gonzales' name has appeared in material provided to the Swamp by other sources, such as the AP Daybook of daily events often run in Swamp Sunrise, and they were not always corrected... I've fixed those few occurences, to keep the record clean. And I've fixed the two typos that Bruce found, to keep it all clean.
However, i also found a report we ran in April about a letter that the House counsel had written to the attorney general in which Gonzales' name was misspelled in the counsel's letter, including the address. We, though, spelled Gonzales' name correctly in the report. I won't correct that letter, because that's another person's work. I will let that stand for what it is, a mistaken spelling, perhaps by the secretary who typed the letter for the boss.
We know the attorney general's name, unlike our friends in Pennsyvlania noted in the posting above, apparently. We also have been known to mistype on occasion, and are happy to correct it.
So Bruce, so long as you have a good time finding a name mistyped on the fifth usage in an article: Live it up.
And, as always, let us know.
Posted by: Bruce | August 14, 2007 2:22 PM
As Andy Taylor said when he tried to explain the story of "Romeo and Juliet" to Opie:
"You can change the name of a rose, but you can't do nothin' about the smell."
Posted by: Steve | August 14, 2007 3:02 PM
If I get insomnia, this will be the thread I read to remedy it.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 14, 2007 3:06 PM
I think Mr. Elephant's comments are directly to the point and extremely important.
Posted by: Geneva | August 14, 2007 3:52 PM
Bruce is fighting the typos here so we don't have to fight them...there!
Posted by: kb | August 14, 2007 3:58 PM
As I've told our good friend Mark Silva before, I merely apply to what he and other Swamp scribblers write, the same standards of accuracy they apply to the verbal statements of Republican politicians.
If it is fair for reporters to point out if President Bush, or some county GOP candidates, misspell, then it is also fair to point out the reporter's own spelling and factual errors.
I will be happy to accept a job at the Trib as a copy editor, Mark!
Posted by: Bruce | August 14, 2007 6:08 PM
If it is fair for reporters to point out if President Bush, or some county GOP candidates, misspell, then it is also fair to point out the reporter's own spelling and factual errors.
Posted by: Bruce | August 14, 2007 6:08 PM
No one else on here cares about spelling, you rightwing moron.
Posted by: John E | August 14, 2007 7:37 PM
Nitpicker bruce,
You strike me as one who picks the onions and veggies off his pizza.
So according to bruce, I'm supposed to overlook the overwhelming evidence that Gonzales is an incompetent liar (from his own actions and public statements) because someone who reported the story misspelled the A.G.'s name.
And, I'm supposed to believe that there was a link between Saddam and 9/11 because...bruce says so? If only he could "spell it out", the evidence, that is.
And this from someone who pities us because we are in denial over the link between Saddam and 9/11.
Maybe there was a link between the 9/11 hijackers and the U.S., after all, they got all their flight training here. Maybe we should bomb ourselves, eh bruce?
If Whinerdyce had been at the Lincoln Memorial the day Martin Luther King game his memorable speech, he'd dismiss the whole thing as unimportant because of errors in tense or syntax.
Bugs Bunny has a saying that applies to people like you, Allardice--"What a moroon!" (sp).
Posted by: dt | August 14, 2007 8:06 PM
Interesting how some who profess to supporting minorities have trouble spelling Hispanic names. Spare us the
hearts and flowers.
Posted by: Rodriquez | August 14, 2007 8:11 PM
Aurelio,
I really couldn't care less how you spell your last name, I just wish you could have hit as well as you fielded.
And, btw, I have trouble spelling Indian names, French names, German names, Scottish names (is it Allardice or Allardyce?) and even English names. People find a half dozen ways to spell and pronounce my English name, I don't hold it against them. Can we move on to something more important now?
Posted by: dt | August 14, 2007 8:59 PM
As you can see from the above article, it was the Swamp, not me, that started nitpicking the spelling of Republican (but never Democrat) politicians.
It's their standard, not mine.
I'm merely applying the Swamp standard to--the Swamp--and pointing out their hypocrisy.
And it is amusing to see people defend journalistic inaccuracy while attacking someone like myself who insists on accuracy. That tells you where their priorities lie.
Posted by: Bruce | August 15, 2007 9:43 AM
And it is amusing to see people defend journalistic inaccuracy while attacking someone like myself who insists on accuracy.
Posted by: Bruce | August 15, 2007 9:43 AM
This statement from a right wing ideologue who just yesterday continues to insist 9/11 and Saddam Hussein were connected even thought President Bush, the leader of the Republican Party, admitted to the nation that there is no connection. I think I'm gonna puke now.
Posted by: janet | August 15, 2007 10:45 AM