New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof Bashes Microsoft Bing

Posted yesterday at 9:00 am by Brian Miller

Don't even ask about the Dalai Lama.

​While several nice things have been written about Microsoft's new Bing search engine, including by his NYT colleague David Pogue, op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof does not agree. In a scathing Friday blog post, Kristof accuses MSFT of tailoring Chinese-language search queries in Bing to censor sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama, Tiananmen Square, and Falun Gong.

Kristof writes that Microsoft's explanation, a software bug, "insults my intelligence and yours." He continues, "My hunch is that Microsoft simply has decided at a top level that it will compromise what principles it must to ingratiate itself with China." And further, "Now Microsoft is sacrificing the integrity of Bing searches so as to cozy up to State Security in Beijing. In effect, it has chosen become part of the Communist Party's propaganda apparatus."

Got a response to that, Steve Ballmer?

Topics: Business, Media, Newspapers, Politics, and Technology

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Washington Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell Tepid About Health Care Bill; at Least They're Not Ben Nelson

Posted Nov. 19 at 9:37 am by Caleb Hannan

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson makes Washingtonians thankful they don't live further East.

​As Joel Connelly at the P-I tells it, Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are just "mild about Harry" Reid's new $849 billion, 10-year health care reform plan that the Senate Majority Leader unveiled last night. Murray says there's a lot of work left to be done and Cantwell may be bummed because Reid's bill includes an opt-out provision to the public-option she favors. Ho-hum.

But If you're disappointed in Murray and Cantwell's less than enthusiastic responses, just be thankful you don't live in Nebraska. Because as the Huffington Post reports, Cornhusker Democrat Ben Nelson has made it clear he'd be comfortable being the lone donkey party holdout, a move that might allow for a Republican filibuster.

Question: Approximately how far away is Lincoln? Totally unrelated follow-up: Is that within range of this homemade catapult and the flaming Weekly distribution box I just put inside of it? Just wonderin'.

Topics: Politics

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Anti-Immigration Prankster Gets Teabaggers to Cheer for Deportation of Europeans

Posted Nov. 18 at 7:06 am by Caleb Hannan

Courtesy of HorsesAss comes video from an anti-immigration rally in Minneapolis. A prankster takes the podium and delivers an impassioned, and well-received, rant about illegal European immigrants. He's so convincing, it's not apparent whether any of the teabaggers catch on until long after they're chanting "Columbus, go home." And maybe not even after that.

Topics: Politics

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South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford Rides Boeing

Posted Nov. 18 at 5:54 am by Caleb Hannan

Taillefer Long

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Cartoonist Taillefer Long put the question of whether or not South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford used Boeing's shift to his state to stave off an impeachment and made a pretty picture. Your morning whimsy is a grown man riding Dumbo. Please enjoy.

Topics: Politics and Whimsy

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Seattle Blogs: Off With Their Head (Tax)!

Posted Nov. 17 at 1:04 pm by Caleb Hannan

​Trolling for the biggest bites in the Seattle blogosphere.

- hugeasscity breaks down what Councilmember's heads should roll for the repeal of the head tax. Bonus: Post comes with a funny picture! Words are secondary!

- SunBreak asks if the University of Washington could morph from football-crazy to basketball mecca. Answer: If the (football) Huskies keep losing, absolutely.

- Longtime conservative talk-show host Kirby Wilbur gives his side of the story after getting fired by WKVI.

Topics: Politics

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Comment of the Day: Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn Picked a Bad Time to Ask for an iPhone

Posted Nov. 16 at 5:28 pm by Caleb Hannan

Seattle's Mayor probably shouldn't make the city pay for this, says a reader.

​Reader MON responds to Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn Prefers Mac, Does It Make a Difference in Election?. They're of the opinion that the middle of the Great Recession is not the best time to ask for pricey gadgets.

"Why does the Mayor's Office need any additional computers or iPones at all? Our City is laying off people, requiring furlough days, asking for early retirement from folks. How can they justify changing formats, a more pricey option to boot, and ask us taxpayers to pay for them while our friends who worked for the City are out of work?"

Topics: Politics and Technology

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Pastor Joe Fuiten: Did God Change His Mind on R-71?

Posted Nov. 16 at 12:28 pm by Caleb Hannan

Pastor Joe Fuiten just isn't sure how the Big Guy voted.

​Cedar Park Assembly of God Pastor Joe Fuiten, a prominent evangelical conservative and head of one of the state's biggest megachurches, was one of the few religious leaders who opposed putting Referendum 71 on the ballot. And as Janet Tu of Politics Northwest points out, a week after R-71's passage Fuiten is enjoying a well-deserved round of "told ya so."

In his regular "Frankly Fuiten" e-mail, the Pastor says the Reject 71 effort failed because of too little money, too little leadership and too little outreach. More importantly, Fuiten says that previous polls showing God approved of denying domestic partners the same rights as married folk may have seriously misjudged His margin of error.

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Topics: Politics and Religion

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Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn Prefers Mac, Does It Make a Difference in Election?

Posted Nov. 16 at 8:55 am by Caleb Hannan

A younger, less bearded Mike McGinn?

​Mayor-elect Mike McGinn and his staff recently asked the city's IT department if they could use Macs rather than PCs. Symbolically, it's a pretty big deal to have the highest-elected official in Microsoft's "hometown" reject their products in favor of the competition. But would it have mattered if McGinn had announced his preference during the campaign?

That's the question asked by TechFlash's Todd Bishop. In his original post, Bishop just pointed out the curiosity of McGinn's Mac request. But when he started getting pilloried by readers for deigning to report on it, Bishop struck back.

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Topics: Politics and Technology

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Frank Bruni Ignores Washington's R-71 Victory

Posted Nov. 16 at 8:01 am by Caleb Hannan

Frank Bruni failed to mention R-71.

​In his Sunday New York Times "Week in Review" column , Frank Bruni used Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi's Oprah appearance to underscore America's seemingly conflicted views towards gay marriage. As Bruni pointed out, the show, which included footage from the pair's wedding video, aired less than a week after Maine voters rejected same-sex marriage.

It's hard to argue with Bruni's main point. Even though recent polls suggest a majority of Americans support it, same-sex marriage is now zero-for-31 when put to a yes-no vote. But as Washingtonians now well know, that discouraging scorecard comes with a very significant asterisk.

Continue reading "Frank Bruni Ignores Washington's R-71 Victory"

Topics: Media and Politics

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Video: Mike McGinn Talks About His "Open Source" Transition

Posted Nov. 13 at 10:21 am by Caleb Hannan

He didn't run a typical campaign and, if the above video tells us anything, it doesn't look like mayor-elect Mike McGinn will be running a typical transition either. As he says, in keeping with his grassroots "spirit and style," McGinn wants to talk to everyone. And that means a play on the tech-speak that dominates certain parts of the city he's charged with running: the "open source" transition.

Three town halls; one each for north, south and central Seattle. Meetings with community leaders and former mayors. It all sounds inclusive and wonderful. It also represents the first test of a politician who some say comes into his new role with sky-high, possibly unrealistic, ideals. Will listening to everyone grow old if it turns out everyone has a different opinion? We'll see.

Topics: Politics

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Olympia Legislators: Screwed No Matter What They Do on Labor Issues

Posted Nov. 11 at 10:08 am by Mark Fefer

Being a donkey has its challenges.

​Managing the conflicting agendas of labor and business—both of them critical campaign contributors—is always a contortionist exercise in the state legislature. But it's likely to be even more uncomfortable in the state house this coming session.

As today's Seattle Times reports—echoing stories that have been in the media all year—there's been a major falling-out between the usually-cozy state Democrats and labor unions. Labor donations to Democratic caucus PACs this year are "a fraction of years past," says the Times.

What the Times, strangely, doesn't mention at all is why this a particularly awkward time for labor to be throwing its weight around.

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Topics: Business, Campaign 2009, and Politics

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Ron Sims' ZIP Code Comment Makes Him New Conservative Whipping Boy

Posted Nov. 10 at 10:23 am by Caleb Hannan

Local boy Ron Sims goes national, as do his critics.

​Last Tuesday, New York's Westchester County voted out Democrat county executive Andy Spano in favor of Republican challenger Rob Astorino. The 58-42 margin in favor of Astorino came as a huge surprise.

Westchester is one of the nation's wealthiest suburbs and traditionally leans left. Spano had the advantage of incumbency and the deeper war chest that comes with it. So why'd he lose?

The conservative wonks at City Journal, the quarterly magazine published by free-market think-tank the Manhattan Institute, say Spano's loss came partly as a result of a comment made by King County's former executive, Ron Sims.

Continue reading "Ron Sims' ZIP Code Comment Makes Him New Conservative Whipping Boy"

Topics: Politics

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Mike McGinn Is Seattle's Next Mayor

Posted Nov. 9 at 5:30 pm by Caleb Hannan

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It's official: This adorable little tyke just got an early Christmas present. More details from the Joe Mallahan concession speech to come.

Details from Laura Onstot, at Mallahan's final stand:

Mallahan seemed as disappointed in losing as he was excited about being mayor in the first place; in other words, not very.

Continue reading "Mike McGinn Is Seattle's Next Mayor"

Topics: Politics

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Alan Gottlieb, Take Note: Report Says Officer Timothy Brenton Was Killed With an Assault Weapon

Posted Nov. 9 at 10:25 am by Nina Shapiro

Gottlieb spoke too soon

​Gun rights zealot Alan Gottlieb might want to think again before shooting from the hip. Last week, the chair of the Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms lit into Washington CeaseFire president Ralph Fascitelli for jumping on the murder of Officer Timothy Brenton in order to push a planned state bill banning assault weapons.

Continue reading "Alan Gottlieb, Take Note: Report Says Officer Timothy Brenton Was Killed With an Assault Weapon"

Topics: Crime & Punishment and Politics

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Rep. Brian Baird Only Pacific Northwest Democrat to Vote Against House Health Care Bill

Posted Nov. 10 at 1:28 pm by Caleb Hannan

Will a vote against health care reform come back to haunt Rep. Brian Baird?

​UPDATE: The FBI is investigating a death threat against Baird. Details after the jump.

Rep. Joseph Cao is getting a lot of attention for the way he voted late Saturday night on the health care reform bill that passed the House. The freshman from Louisiana was the only Republican to say "yea" in favor of the 10-year, $1.1 trillion dollar plan, making him a friend of the White House and an enemy of his own party.

Looking for the Democratic ying to Cao's Republican yang? Head south to Brian Baird's third district.

Sure, by making good on a promise he gave on Friday, Baird was one of 39 Democrats to vote "nay." But most of the opposition bloc consisted of "Blue Dogs" and Southern Democrats in name only. Baird is neither.

Continue reading "Rep. Brian Baird Only Pacific Northwest Democrat to Vote Against House Health Care Bill"

Topics: Politics

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