What Went Missing in Greensburg
I couldn't help but wonder why reporters covering the aftermath of the Greensburg, Kan., tornado and the National Guard's role didn't place the news story into a much larger context where it belongs.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius wound up portrayed as an overly partisan Democrat in the midst of great tragedy, even though her comments about Guard equipment shortages strongly resembled those of a prominent Republican.
Any competent journalist could have found the following statements on Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Kit Bond's Web site:
"Currently the Guard is at dangerously low levels with only 33 percent of the equipment it needs to fulfill its mission," he said April 23, 2007.
That wasn't the first time.
April 9 he said, "By now it also is clearly established that the National Guard simply does not have the equipment here at home to deal with such emergencies as natural disasters, and it is imperative that the administration develop a real plan to address these troubling shortfalls."
What makes Mr. Bond particularly relevant here is that he is the Republican co-chair of the Senate's National Guard Caucus and has been extremely vocal in his criticism of the Bush administration with regard to the Guard.
Such remarks have customarily been included in press releases issued jointly with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the caucus Democratic co-chair.
Journalists need to do a much better job of not letting exaggerated claims of political partisanship get in the way of reporting government related news stories.
© 2007 National Guard Association of the United States Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Source: National Guard
