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We will not go back.

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Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

We still have time to mess this up!

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Trump should be leading, not lying.

T R E 4 5 O N

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Another Saturday, Another Piece of Journalism from Chris Quinn at Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer

Another Saturday, Another Piece of Journalism from Chris Quinn at Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer

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This post is in: 

Journalism, again!

I hope you will all read this and share it with anyone you know in Ohio.  It’s about the person who is running to un-seat Sherrod Brown.

I don’t publish this incautiously. I know some will say this column is petty, or partisan. It’s not about that. It’s about me being a journalist with exclusive access to information about a candidate for statewide office. I’d publish it no matter which party he represented. I can say that I’ve been at this work for many years, and I’ve never received anything remotely similar from Sherrod Brown. Or Mike DeWine. Or Rob Portman, John Glenn or George Voinovich.

No, this is about Moreno the person, not Moreno the Republican. When he found himself facing the national crisis of an attempted assassination of a former president, his immediate response wasn’t to remain calm and wait for the facts. He didn’t become pensive or unifying. He jumped to a preposterous conclusion and went on the attack.

Letter from the Editor (the whole thing)

Former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson liked to say that the true measure of a leader comes when they face a crisis, and he would know, having handled more than a few.

Leading was easy when times were good, he’d say. A crisis tests a leader’s steel and ability to make sound decisions under stress.

Former car dealer Bernie Moreno wants to be your leader in Ohio. The Republican is asking for your vote in his battle to supplant Democrat Sherrod Brown in the U.S. Senate.

With Moreno’s effort and Jackson’s adage in mind, I offer the following for your consideration.

I went on vacation at Walt Disney World last month with my wife, our children and grandchildren. We had planned it for a year, and one of my goals was to completely break free of my job for a week to immerse myself in the joy of being together. I disconnected my work email from my phone and turned off my notifications. I left texting intact, though, for family communication on days we went our separate ways.

The first day of the vacation was July 13, which also was the day someone tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump. That’s a national crisis if ever there was one. No one wants our country to be a place where elected officials – former or current – are assassinated. Such attempts undermine our sense of national security and, with many, cause us to re-examine our national discord. Many politicians responded with messages of unity.

Even though I was disconnected, I knew about the assassination attempt soon after it happened. I am a news guy after all. But I was in the Magic Kingdom with grandkids. My focus was their joy and wonder. Some time later, I checked my phone and saw a message had arrived at 8:18 p.m., exactly two hours and seven minutes after the assassination attempt. It was from Moreno.

When “journalists” like you labeled Trump another Hitler and claim there will never be another election or that America ends if he’s re-elected, what did you think was going to happen?

Again, this is barely a couple of hours after the attempt. No one had a clue yet about the would-be assassin’s motive or, or even, his identity. The nation was in shock that such violence had occurred once again and wanted details about Trump’s condition. But Moreno picked that moment to send the above text.

Before I go further, I should mention a previous exchange I had with him. A couple of years earlier, on our Today in Ohio podcast, I was talking about Moreno as a candidate for Senate in the race that ultimately sent JD Vance to Washington. This was in the early days of the campaign, before Moreno had abandoned many of the principles for which Northeast Ohio knew him, before we realized how desperate he was for Trump’s approval. I marveled on the podcast that Moreno, who once urged Republicans to accept the 2020 election results, completely reversed himself and called the 2020 election stolen. I likened his reversal to the behavior of 1930s Nazis, who knew the truth about Hitler but kept standing by him for their political gain. Moreno found the comparison offensive, which might explain why he sent me a text mentioning Hitler.

Regardless, here I was, vacationing in Walt Disney World with news of the assassination attempt fresh in my head, reading a text from Moreno saying it was my fault.

I responded at 9:13:

Yeah, Bernie. Stick with the fascist playbook. Try to blame the journalists.

And I put my phone away.

The next day, I saw that Moreno had followed up with a barrage of messages deep into Saturday night. At 9:21 p.m. came:

You own this. Thanks to you I now have to take extra care to protect my family. I hope you get lots of money for your click bait crap.

At 9:49:

YOU OWN THIS!!! Apologize to your readers for your rhetoric. Anything short of that shows how shallow and hollow you are as a man.

He sent two more messages that, for some reason, he unsent before I could read them. Too offensive? Too mild? Only he knows, but Apple’s messaging app recorded their arrival and deletion.

At 10:08 p.m. he was still at it, texting me a social media link of someone criticizing the media for accusing Trump of inciting violence.

He finished up at 12:39 p.m. the next day with a link to a column I wrote about Trump – one that was popular across the globe – and this message:

Resign. You’re a disgrace to your profession.

I never responded again. One, I was on vacation, and two, I have found the best response to unhinged messaging is to ignore it. I regularly receive unhinged messages, which seem to get sloppier the later they arrive in the night.

Normally, I would have let Moreno’s messages fade into the background without thinking about them again, as I do with most offensive messages I receive. In this case, I keep returning to the fact Moreno seeks your vote. Part of my job is to inform the electorate about candidates. For three weeks, I’ve been nagged by a feeling that my duty here is to share his texts?

I don’t publish this incautiously. I know some will say this column is petty, or partisan. It’s not about that. It’s about me being a journalist with exclusive access to information about a candidate for statewide office. I’d publish it no matter which party he represented. I can say that I’ve been at this work for many years, and I’ve never received anything remotely similar from Sherrod Brown. Or Mike DeWine. Or Rob Portman, John Glenn or George Voinovich.

No, this is about Moreno the person, not Moreno the Republican. When he found himself facing the national crisis of an attempted assassination of a former president, his immediate response wasn’t to remain calm and wait for the facts. He didn’t become pensive or unifying. He jumped to a preposterous conclusion and went on the attack.

Which brings me full circle, back to Frank Jackson’s adage about how leaders show their mettle in a crisis.

Read Moreno’s messages again.

Is this how a leader should respond to a crisis?

I’m at [email protected]

Any other journalism this week that you would like to report?

Otherwise, open thread!

Reader Interactions

85Comments

  2. 2.

    karen marie

    One or two of the “reviews” of Trump’s “press conference” mentioned that he looked “haggard.”

    I bet a nickel he’s taking Ozempic.

  3. 3.

    cmorenc

    Doubt the editorial will result in Moreno losing any voters previously inclined to vote for him, but OTOH he won’t likely be picking up any genuine undecided voters either with his MAGA-ish abrasive behavior.

  4. 4.

    BR

    Looks like a (possibly fake) hack of the Trump campaign happened. The way they’re responding to it makes me think someone inside the campaign wanted to change the narrative, not that it really happened.

  5. 5.

    bbleh

    Perhaps Moreno was confusing Quinn, who made a remark about Nazis, with JDVance, who called Trump “America’s Hitler.”

  8. 8.

    Steve LaBonne

    Sadly I can’t help wondering how long the suits at Advance Publications will put up with Quinn. I hope I’m wrong to worry.

  11. 11.

    BR

    @Baud:

    They’re being way too forthcoming about it, saying “we’ve been hacked, it was Iran, etc.” I suppose it’s possible that they did get hacked but they clearly don’t see it as a bad thing.

  12. 12.

    Baud

    @BR:

    I guess we’ll see if any scandalous recipes have been leaked.

    ETA: the Iran thing is almost certainly an opportunistic lie.

  13. 13.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @lamh47: Trump campaign hacked? With all those crypto buying tech wizards supporting his candidacy, it’s unpossible his data operation isn’t as tight as a tire lug nut. Fake news!

  15. 15.

    M31

    sounds like someone inside the campaign is trying to get rid of Vance?

    I guarantee that the Vance “vetting book” is just a bunch of google searches and previously published campaign stuff from Ohio, and not actual research. Like did the Trumpies actually send someone to research Peter Thiel? I mean, ewww. Maybe they researched Thiel’s bank balance, though, and that was enough.

  16. 16.

    Citizen Alan

    Reading Quinn’s publication of Moreno’s crazy-pants texts makes me think of that toad Tim Russert, who testified under oath that he considered every single communication with a political figure to be “off the record” unless the person said otherwise.

    BTW, whatever happened to Lil’ Luke, Russert’s nepo-baby.

  17. 17.

    KatKapCC

    @Baud: You know, what’s kind of crazy to me about the way so many reporters seem to WANT Trump around for book-deal purposes is that they don’t seem to think that being around to witness and document the first woman president would also be good fodder for the bestsellers lists. Just as with Obama, this would be a massive thing to witness. When I think back to big events that I wasn’t around for, like the moon landing, I just think, wow it must have been amazing to see that happen. I feel like young kids now might feel that way about us having watched Obama get elected, and future generations would feel similarly about Harris. But reporters seem to feel very ho-hum about it. They’re so odd.

  19. 19.

    Another Scott

    @M31:

    Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR)
    @HC_Richardson
    21m

    So here’s the thing about the alleged hack of the Trump campaign: why would anyone, any longer, take anything they say at face value. Hacked? Maybe. Getting ahead of a disaster? Maybe. Let’s see how it plays out before assuming that serial liars are telling the truth. #BTDT1000x

    Aug 10, 2024 · 7:39 PM UTC

    +1

    Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.– DSquaredDigest

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  21. 21.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: Absolutely!

    I’m glad I’m a subscriber to the CPD, although I don’t get around to reading it.

    I wish more journalists would do this.

  24. 24.

    TBone

    @Another Scott: 👍

    It’s merely another effort to grab attention playing the victim is my speculative guess.  I don’t really care enough to look any further (unless additional treason comes to light as a result)…

  29. 29.

    TBone

    In local news, hubby just told me that he saw some fucking guy on our town’s Rails to Trails bike route with a pistol and holster strapped to his bicycle 😡 a lot of parents and kids use that flat, lovely trail.

    Meme posted by fElon Skum:

    THE BRITS GAVE UP THEIR GUNS

    AND NOW THEIR GOVERNMENT PUTS THEM IN JAIL FOR FACEBOOK POSTS

  33. 33.

    Jeffg166

    @karen marie: He will do anything if he thinks it makes him “look good”.

    He’s a 78 year old man who did nothing to try to stay in shape. An injection isn’t going to make him young again.

    He does look exhausted. Sleepless nights and nightmares about Kamala turning the key on his cell laughing maniacally will do that.

  37. 37.

    M31

    @Another Scott: ​
     

    oh yeah, ‘hacked’ I’ll believe it when the Iranians prove it

    until then it’s just another pity party invitation and they never have any good snacks

  39. 39.

    Bill Arnold

    @lamh47:
    That an AOL(email) account used to send documents to Politico is a nice touch.

    On July 22, POLITICO began receiving emails from an anonymous account. Over the course of the past few weeks, the person — who used an AOL email account and identified themselves only as “Robert” — relayed what appeared to be internal communications from a senior Trump campaign official.

    ETA the blame of Iran by the Trump campaign spokeshenchperson, without providing evidence, is also amusing.

  44. 44.

    M31

    I want Iran to disavow the whole thing and say “how could we harm the Trump campaign any more than they are already doing?”

  46. 46.

    TBone

    Texas Tribune

    “Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies, Texas has had to foot the bill for medical costs for individuals illegally in the state,” Governor Abbott said in a statement on Thursday. “Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.”

    Regardless of Abbott’s motivation, he has to know that the effect of this order will be to frighten undocumented immigrants from going to the hospital at all.

    https://crooksandliars.com/2024/08/tx-gov-require-public-hospitals-collect

  47. 47.

    jonas

    @KatKapCC: ​ Yeah, Kamala would be the first female president, but she’d just spend most of her time yammering on about policy this, tax reform that, Congress these. Total snoozefest! Nothing getting set on fire. No cabinet members resigning in disgust at her incompetence. No threatening to bomb Mexico. No aides leaking continually about what a shitshow everything is.

    What’s the fun in that? It’d be like getting busted down from broadcasting a WWE smackdown tournament to covering competitive darts.

  52. 52.

    M31

    actually, a serious question, here’s Trump’s guy, Cheung, saying “These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States,”

    if they were obtained illegally by foreign sources, but then sent to a media outlet, is the media outlet doing the illegal obtaining? That’s what the quote implies, but I’m remembering my Pentagon Papers and I don’t think that’s the case

    I mean, it’s a Trump guy, what are the chances he’s spouting nonsense out of his butthole for propaganda purposes?

  53. 53.

    Kay

    Chanting “we’re not going back” waiting to get into  the Harris rally in Vegas.
    I have never seen Democrats chant in unison BEFORE a rally before in my life.

  55. 55.

    M31

    oh no they leaked JD Vance’s entire browsing history

    ethanallan.com
    ashleyfurniture.com
    wayfair.com
    scotchguard.com
    upholsterycleaners24hr.com

  58. 58.

    jonas

    @M31: ​ Cheung is a particularly despicable lying sack of MAGA shit and nothing he says should be believed until confirmed by multiple other independent sources. My initial reaction is that this is always the go-to response when someone or some organization has fucked up on social media or online — “I never sent those dick pics! I was hacked!” Yeah, right.
    It’s not inconceivable that some foreign entity was probing around the Trump operation looking for weaknesses or whatever and hit a little bit of paydirt, if you can call it that, but until we have more information, I’m going to go with Trump’s Razor and just assuming it was an inside job by an IT contractor who wasn’t paid or something.​

  60. 60.

    BR

    @Kay:

    Finally with “We’re not going back” and “Mind your own damn business” we are back to the level of “Yes We Can” — simplicity and captures the mood.

  62. 62.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @KatKapCC:

    they don’t seem to think that being around to witness and document the first woman president would also be good fodder for the bestsellers lists.

    It would require work.

    That’s not a trite, hyperbolic answer, by the way.  Haberman got her information by going to the White House, hanging out and chatting with people.  She didn’t have to look up anything.  She didn’t have to verify anything or track down that one staffer who could be persuaded to leak.  All she had to do to get juicy insider details that nobody could pry out of the Biden administration at all was… sit on a couch and be friendly.

  64. 64.

    montanareddog

    I doubt very much the Russians hacked the campaign’s IT operation; I am sure they have enough agents embedded to get any information they want anyway. But it could be them ratfucking Vance because they see him as a drag on T34xFFG’s re-election campaign.

  65. 65.

    Jager

    We bought a new 1999 Mercedes AMG C43 at Chambers Motorcars in Boston. It was a great experience, and then Bernie Moreno became the GM. In short, he began charging the customers and staff for coffee, he got rid of the free Saturday carwashes for customers, and no more loaner cars. He nickel-and-dimed the customers and treated his staff like shit.

    A good GM at any car store will meet new clients, have a conversation, thank them for their business, give them his card, and tell them to call him personally if they have any problems or questions. Not Bernie!

    Bernie Moreno was an arrogant, dismissive prick to everyone. In other words a perfect republican senator.

  66. 66.

    catclub

    @Another Scott: Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.– DSquaredDigest

     

    Yes!  I have that link bookmarked! I think another thing they said was  “They will lie about anything.”

  69. 69.

    Geminid

    @M31: I would like to see Iran hint that they were behind the hack even if they weren’t. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed revenge for the drone strike Trump ordered that killed General Soleimani. He was a charismatic and revered figure and the IRGC wil not forget his assassination.

    I’ve read that Pompeo and Bolton still have enhanced security protection because of this. Maybe Trump will ask for more now. I do not favor an Iranian drone-strike on any of these guys, but I don’t mind seeing them sweat some. They did plenty worse things than killing that general.

  70. 70.

    M31

    @Geminid: If they did do it (which I doubt) I hope they release the actual phishing email which worked, I’m sure it was something like “click here for Protocols of the Elders of Zion After Dark Free Bitcoin Starter Pack”

  71. 71.

    Geminid

    @M31: I don’t know much about the world of computer hacking, but Iran has an educated populace of 85 million that skews young, so the IRGC and other Iranian entities ought to have the human resources they need for these operations.

  74. 74.

    wjca

    @Geminid: Iran has the talent, certainly.  So do Russia abd China.  Likewise Ukraine, most of Europe, India, Japan.  And, of course, we do as well.

    So no end of possible suspects.  Just a question of who might have had the motivation.

    Unless, that is, they weren’t hacked at all.  It will be amusing if it was a disaffected staffer.  (Perhaps TCFG is saving money by stiffing the campaign staff on their wages?  He’s done dumber things….)

  75. 75.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @M31: If the media merely receives stolen documents it’s been traditionally covered by the First Amendment. What got Assage charge was that he actively solicited/encourage others to steal documents.

  76. 76.

    karen marie

    @West of the Rockies:   I have no idea.  I try to look at pictures of Trump as rarely as I can manage.  I have a thing in my browser that changes pictures of him into pictures of kittens.  The question popped into my head because of the description of him being “haggard,” suggesting more saggy skin than usual.

  78. 78.

    Geminid

    @wjca: Yes, an internal leak seems the more likely. That’s embarrassing though, and it’s easy to pin the blame on the Villain of the Day.

    It beats blaming the Russians, that’s for sure. Few people would believe that the Russians needed to employ hacking technology to find out what the RNC is up to.

  79. 79.

    sdhays

    I’ll believe they’ve been hacked when I read Chris LaCivita’s recipe for spaghetti o’s on WikiLeaks.

  82. 82.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Sister Golden Bear: This does represent an important distinction. I wonder if it matters whether the documents in question are classified in terms of “not solicited but received anonymously.”

  83. 83.

    sdhays

    @jonas: How often do you get to document the demise of a republic and an empire? And do it with as much effort as writing up the rumors from the gossip mill?

  85. 85.

    Chris T.

    @karen marie:

    I bet a nickel he’s taking Ozempic.

    People have different reactions, but: I’m on it for type 2 diabetes and it doesn’t give me any particular problems other than slowed-down digestion (which is very good for my overall blood sugar and A1C). It’s important to eat a bit earlier so that I don’t have stomach issues while sleeping.

    I have no idea what combining it with all the stuff Trump is on would do, though.

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