Steve Walsh

Steve Walsh is no longer working as a reporter for Missourinet. In a message posted Tuesday on his personal blog, Walsh specifically references this post I wrote on Fired Up! last Friday, and this related post by Media Matters, as evidence that "the left wing blogosphere got hold of" an ill-informed tweet "and went nuts." 

I wasn't sure how or if I'd respond to the news in this space.  I don't regret writing the post, and would do so again without hesitation. His tweet and "I'm outta here ... For now" blog post reveal his belief that accepting the facts of climate change is akin to "religion" of "the American Left." Any professional journalist who remains willfully ignorant of the actual science and parrots right-wing talking points about the matter deserves the criticism.

I'm at a complete loss here. What in the world is this tweet from Missourinet reporter Steve Walsh supposed to mean? 

Is it the position of Missourinet and Steve Walsh that only members of the "American Left" "buy into global warming"?  And either way, what does a mass murdering terrorist have to do with it? 

UPDATE: Missourinet's Steve Walsh writes that the network was unaware of the event.

I've confirmed with event organizers that Missourinet was inadvertently left off the event press list.

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I can't help but notice a contrast in two recent posts from Missourinet's Steve Walsh (here and here). Last night, Walsh posted photos and a short, positive summary of a protest planned and orchestrated by the very conservative The Adam Smith Foundation and Americans for Prosperity organizations.

I hope Sarah Palin comes to Missouri and winks at me.

Today's dispatch from Steve Walsh's Missourinet blog is a really frustrating read. 

Basically, it focuses on two main points: (1) why the GOP's frivolous ethics complaint against Robin Carnahan was newsworthy, and (2) why so few of Roy Blunt's votes and actions and failures from this week were newsworthy.

On the first point, I agree that the MO GOP's desperate and transparent attempt to divert attention from other matters is newsworthy.  Reporters should show up when a party makes a major announcement.  At the same time, they should also be willing to report the actual substance of the complaint -- and this is where some of this week's coverage (and headlines) were woefully inadequate.

This morning, about 200 people descended on the Capitol to yell and wave signs of anger about deficit spending in Washington at the Jefferson City Tea Party.  It was a far cry from the "thousands" predicted last week, but was a decent crowd for a cold morning at the Capitol.

I was really curious to see how the event would be set up to look like a "grassroots" movement, but was pleasantly surprised to see that lobbyist Carl Bearden didn't even bother with creating that illusion. Bearden orchestrated the whole event on behalf of Americans for Prosperity, and emceed the hour-long program -- it was his Tea Party, start to finish. 

Missourinet's Steve Walsh described the roster of speakers as "primarily Republicans" -- by which he means "entirely Republican" -- none of whom could credibly be called regular dudes.

How lucky we all are this morning to get a taste of Steve Walsh's unwarranted MSM self-righteousness as he holds forth on why "journalists" like him are so much better and more noble than the filthy, unwashed masses of the blogosphere:

The "political blogs" to which I refer are those written by agenda-driven individuals who are sometimes accidentally inaccurate ... and at other times intentionally dishonest. It is important for readers of these blogs to keep in mind that the writer is not trying to inform you as much as he or she is trying to get you to "swallow the Kool-Aid" and see things his or her way.

Ahh, political blogs are "agenda-driven" while Walsh's motives are pure.  Well let me tell a little story about Steve Walsh.

A story posted by Steve Walsh to the MissouriNet website yesterday evening does a tremendous disservice to readers.  Walsh reports on a "study" by the Show-Me Institute that --surprise, surprise!-- shows educational tuition tax-credits (or vouchers) would supposedly benefit the state:

The Show-Me Institute, a St. Louis-based research and educational institute, has released a study on the fiscal effects of a tuition tax credit program in Missouri. The study finds such a program would benefit the state by providing low-income families with additional education choices.

But criminally, Walsh fails to mention that the Show-Me Institute's primary funder and President is Rex Sinquefield, who has spent much of the last three years throwing large amounts of money at legislators who promise to support tuition tax-credit (or voucher) legislation.