The Yellow Dog Bites Back and Other Observations

Jeff "Yellow Dog Sammy" Coryell has recorded a video message about his experience with the Wide Open blog and, well, how he would totally like Rep. Steve LaTourette to eat it. Jeff is far too nice to put it that way, so I'll let him do the talking:




That url again is http://www.actblue.com/page/sacksteve
It occurred to me even before seeing the video that Jeff's undivided negative attention is something nobody wants. He is soft-spoken and polite and possessed of a gentle manner, but like many people of that description, can obsessively haunt a person who has crossed him. LaTourette may end up wishing he left well enough alone.

Oh wait, LaTee says it wasn't him. Or at least Bill Sloat's double-secret sources who may or may not include LaTourette staffers, the Honorable Gentleman denies that he did anything but make a "remark" to ed page editor Brent Larkin about Jeff having made contributions to O'Neill.

I reiterate that Jeff has been telling me about LaTourette's machinations for a few weeks now. This isn't just something he came up with after he got jammed up. I believe Jeff in this because he has been consistent in his chronology and because he's the kind of guy I trust and because LaTourette is by reputation exactly the kind of guy who would throw his weight around to silence critic.

As far as the PD's action in this, I did come up with a benefit-of-the-doubt explanation. If, as we assume, LaTourette was wearing out editors about Jeff's employment, the PD was in a quandary. If they ever publish something negative about LaTee, he could be counted on to play the bias card and point to Jeff's employment at Wide Open. While there were other options, it made some sense for PD leadership to think they needed to protect a perception of fairness.

That doesn't forgive -- nothing forgives -- changing the rules mid-game. The worst part of all this is the was Jeff got jammed up because of things he did in the past, including posts he wrote two blogs ago.