Who cares that Limbaugh is selling his New York penthouse? Why should Governor Paterson even take a breath to address it... even if it is a "joke"? But these are small matters compared to the media's coverage of the "skirmish." NBC -4 on its 11 o'clock newscast called it a "controversy" and "Paterson versus Limbaugh." This is the same sort of false equivalency the press tried to create between President Obama and Rush Limbaugh. How can a state governor with umpteen years of public service who is actually making decisions that impact people's lives be on the same level as a radio personality who makes millions spewing invectives? I don't even like Gov. Paterson or think he is doing a very effective job, but that is not the point. These false equivalencies--aided by visuals (which I've tried to recreate here) give personalities like Limbaugh free publicity that they certainly don't need. More than that though, these kind of media-enhanced-pitched-battles only further cloud the real issues from the public. Complicated issues like the fiscal health of New York State and the tax code among other things get glossed over in favor of a contrived dog fight. Responsible journalism at its best.
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