Reputation Stained
What a stain on your reputation gets you in Utah. Mia Love says some interesting things on The View. Plus, Marco Rubio, unlike Chris Stewart, takes a stand for journalists.
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Reputation Stained
How much is a stain on your reputation worth? Maybe not a whole lot in Utah, the Wild West where men are men and the victims are, well, victims. Let's be fair and note that the two Utah sheriffs recently hailed as the best of the best by the Utah Sheriffs' Association were not convicted of anything. Still, as The Salt Lake Tribune points out, one had been accused of choking a witness and the other of "dry-firing" his gun at a deputy. This is how we like things in Utah, where scofflaws are rewarded with seats in the Legislature. Yes, we mean newly elected Rep. Phil Lyman, the guy who rode his ATV over protected lands and who the Trib calls "a conservative firebrand" rather than an unrepentant ex-con. In Utah, a stain on your reputation can actually be a reason for pride—and a ticket to the top.
Mamma Mia!
Here is what we learned from Rep. Mia Love's interview on The View: Abby Huntsman was really disappointed when Love lost. Love believes (despite spending $2.2 million more than her opponent) that the Democrats targeted her because she is black, and that's why Ben McAdams, a "middle-aged, white male," took her place. Love also believes that just recognizing that pharmaceutical companies overcharge is a path to more affordable health care, and oh, she has no idea where all the money would come from to provide health care for everyone. You can find her take on "the president" if you read Utah Policy, but the best remark came from show co-host Joy Behar when she said unemployment insurance saved her life when she was a single mother. This in response to Love's belief that welfare hurts women's chances for promotion.
Thank You, Marco
Well, thank you, Sen. Marco Rubio, who with other lawmakers, introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. On the other hand, Utah Rep. Chris Stewart sees nothing out of the ordinary. "Journalists disappear all over the country. Twenty have been killed in Mexico," he said on a CNN interview. "You don't think it happens in Turkey and China? Of course it does." Well, 52 journalists have been killed in 2018, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. In the U.S., four killings specifically targeted journalists. One was Wendi Winters, who was fatally shot in Maryland's Capital Gazette newsroom. A stirring tribute by fellow journalist Joshua McKerrow was shared more than 49,000 times with messages of love and support. "One of the first replies you might see if you click on the link is from an account replying simply: 'Fake news'," The Guardian reported. "In that person's Twitter bio there's one word: 'MAGA!'"
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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