That's Not Exactly Correct, Ray Hagar

You would think that journalists would get their facts straight.

Had a laugh? Good. On to Ray Hagar, political writer at the Reno Gazette-Journal who has pretty much taken over the Inside Nevada Politics blog of the RGJ from Anjeanette Damon who's on a hiatus at Harvard and posts seldom and from afar.

What can I say. We haven't exactly been happy with Ray Hagar which doesn't have so much to do with his bias towards the Republican candidates but rather with his inability to understand how one blogs. He seems to believe that a blogger (or a journalist trying to do so) doesn't need to get his facts straight. Someone oughta tell him that bloggers value the facts since journalists so often just don't.

Today, Ray Hagar had the audacity to attack former President Carter - on a minor issue without doing any research whatsoever.

Apparently, President Carter was on Nevada Newsmakers with Sam Shad who seems to believe it's okay for a selfrespecting journalist to go on a show with odd sport shoes and white socks. But I'm drifting away.

I didn't actually watch this show. So, I have to take Ray Hagar at his word (which seems harder to do with everyone of his posts on Inside Nevada Politics) when he says the following:

Jack Carter has not lived in the Silver State for very long and indeed, some voters have complained about that.

Jimmy Carter shot back that Jack’s late arrival to Nevada should not be an issue because, according to the information he had received, that there had been no U.S. Senator from Nevada who was born in Nevada.

If President Carter actually said it like this he was a little off. He was probably taking aim at the fact that no Senator who was elected to the seat Ensign currently holds was born in Nevada. That is correct but something Ray Hagar didn't realize. Because he didn't do any research. Instead he called his "friend, Guy Rocha, the state archivist":

Five U.S. Senators from Nevada have been born in Nevada, said Rocha, who is the official final word on everything historical about this state.

Then he lists the five Senators. "The official final word?" Oh, Ray, this is so cute. So, I did what any self respecting blogger who actually does some research and not just calls "friends" who get the facts wrong would do and wrote a comment to this post:

upnorth is right. [he posted the comment before and referred to Ensign's seat]

Ray, it's really not that hard to find. All you need to do, is some research. I took a look at this ridiculous "carpetbagger" issue back in August:

http://turntahoeblue.blogspot.com/2006/08/about-that-carpetbagger-thing.html

As you well know there are two Senate seats. None of the Senators elected to the seat John Ensign currently holds were born in Nevada. Ensign wasn't either, he was born in California. Electing Jack Carter would only mean continuing this tradition.

I am sure that President Carter meant the seat that his son is running for. And in that he is correct.

One more thing, when you accuse the former President of making false statements you better make darn sure that your statements are correct.

You say there were 5 Senators born in Nevada. That is not correct. You (and Mr. Rocha) missed former Governor Edward P. Carville, who held Ensign's seat from 1945-47. Both Carville and Bunker, who also heald Ensign's seat were the only Senators to hold this seat who were born in Nevada but appointed to the seat, never elected.

So, in all 6 Senators from Nevada were actually born in Nevada, four of them were actually elected, all to the seat Harry Reid holds (including Reid himself).

It's amazing that the state archivist just forgets a Governor of six and Senator of two years. Man, maybe I oughta apply for that job once I finished my studies.

One can only hope that Ray Hagar either stops posting on Inside Nevada Politics or uses his time to do some research instead of calling "friends" who don't get their act together (and Mr. Rocha, if you're reading this: it is an inexcusable omission for a man in your position. And yes, I am aware that Ray might have just missed to pen down the sixth one. In that case: my apologies).

One last thing, Ray. What's worse: voting for the guy who moved to Nevada and cares enough about the future of the state to run for office, or voting for the guy who can't decide to listen to the guys on his right shoulder (the Casino and Telecoms lobbyists) or the guy on his left shoulder (President Bush whispering: "you can do better than 96%, hair do!")? Just a question.

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