“Keep it Local, Keep it Stupid”

I get trade magazines. I really do. You have your fellow businesses that you’re trying to reach. It’s all one big cozy industry and everything stays in the family. But  this particular trade magazine, Philly Ad Club’s Ad News happens to land on my desk every month so I assume they have some sort of a larger audience that they happen to know reads the thing. Today I opened up to the guest editorial written by one Michael Gillespie Jr. The piece started out fine, quoting Jefferson and his “Given a choice between a free government and a free press, I would surely choose the latter.” Cute, cute. Then Gillespie went on to discuss the closing of The Philadelphia Bulletin. Okay, fine. And then he talks about how the Bulletin would’ve survived if only it had Brian Tierney.

Brendan Skwire Writing for Philadelphia Weekly?

At least something good came out of this whole John Yoo deal. Brendan Skwire, who writes at Brendan Calling wrote a little letter that went something like this:

“There are so many reasons why I should be offered a paid column at the Inquirer or the Daily News. I’m fresher, funnier, and more relevant than any of these writers; I’ve got local name recognition thanks to the cover of the Philly Weekly; I’ve been a guest writer at several blogs, including local blogs like All Spin Zone and Suburban Guerilla, and national blogs like Firedoglake; and I have a passion for the interests of my low-income, working class community in southwest Philadelphia….

I bring a perspective that none of the current conservative writers at the Inquirer (or for that matter the Daily News) can offer: not only am I a fire-breating lefty community activist who’s unafraid to take controversial stances, I’m a member of the working poor, and I dish it out to Democrats as well as Republicans. When was the last time any of your current columnists (collectively, a right wing lawyer, a right wing lawyer, and a right wing lawyer) had to choose between “heat or eat”, as I have done almost every winter for the past 4 years? Do any of these well-heeled writers really represent the views of the millions of working people (most of them Democrats) who live in Philadelphia? I think not. John Yoo’s taste for torture cheesesteaks when he visits the city is immaterial, and of all three, only Flowers lives and works in the city.”

Read more here, it’s hilarious.

And yesterday, he got his chance. Check out Brendan’s new column at Philadelphia Weekly!

Quotable Quotes from Brian Tierney vs. Will Bunch

And more in the John Yoo saga. My favorite lines from today’s WHYY Radio Times discussion featuring Brian Tierney and Will Bunch. (I left out the parts where Tierney spelled out philly.com three times.)

Brian Tierney says:

“I suggested John Yoo, but in the end it’s Harold Jackson who runs the editorial page.”

“John Yoo is a brilliant lawyer and legal scholar…”

“His [John Yoo’s] story is a terrific story in terms of immigrant parents coming to America…”

“He is an internationally recognized constitutional scholar…he appears in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal…” [On why the Inquirer chose to feature JY as a regular columnist.]

“We have really been excited about finding people who have an international present…but have a local presence as well…for instance Lisa Scottoline” [On why John Yoo is a real Philadelphian.]

“He [John Yoo] hasn’t been indicted and convicted…”

“I want to be blunt with you – in terms of the amount of traffic that I’ve received on this issue – there’s not been a huge amount of mail…”

“I want them to paint in the boldest possible colors…” [Regarding the Inky/DN bloggers/columnists]

“I want every person to love certain things and absolutely hate certain things.” [Regarding the Inquirer’s editorial page.”

John Yoo Must GO

I hope you all are boycotting the Inquirer per Philebrity’s recent posts. I know I am. But now the folks at Philebrity are thinking it may be time to take the protest off the webpages and onto the streets (just how I like it :P)

“What we wanna know is, how many of you would be up for an actual protest outside the Inky building, say, Friday at noon? If we get the sense that enough of you care, we’ll start putting it into motion. What do you think?”‘

Here’s what I think, Philebrity. I think it’s a great idea. Anyone else in? (Because you know you secretly want to shout “John Yoo MUST go!” outside the Inquirer building. Come on.)

Read more about John Yoo in this article. Or this one.  Or just go directly to the source, Will Bunch’s Attywood blog.

Image: Philebrity