Ellison Ire Goes Global

“Bush like Hitler, says first Muslim in Congress”: Returning to blogging, Noah Kunin points out this misleading headline by the Telegraph (UK), calling it a “masterful rebranding” of Ellison’s recent comments at an Atheists for Human Rights meeting.

The Telegraph story says Ellison provoked outrage by “apparently comparing President George W Bush to Adolf Hitler and hinting that he might have been responsible for the September 11 attacks.” In the video, Ellison never mentions Hitler or Bush directly (his main criticisms are of Dick Cheney) and he discusses 9/11 as a “juggernaut event” in American history not unlike the Reichstag fire that was used by the Nazis to claim certain powers. Likewise, 9/11 paved the way for the Iraq war and previously verboten practices like torture. Said Ellison, “We could never be tolerating torture but for 9/11, because when they argue for torture they said, well if we knew that somebody could stop a bomb if they tortured them, would you go for it then — because, remember 9/11?”

Kamman signs off: After 34 years, the velvety voice of Leigh Kamman will no longer preside over Minnesota Public Radio’s “The Jazz Image.” A broadcaster for more than 60 years, Kamman announced he’d be leaving the show he created in 1973 with a farewell broadcast on September 29. But he won’t disappear. He says he’s planning on doing some public speaking and writing a book on the history of jazz, “this most important cultural art form.”

His memorable voice and unique style will be missed. As his friend, the bandleader Percy Hughes told the Star Tribune, “His instrument is a microphone. There’s only one voice like that in this world.”

Strib uses air-quotes in final brief: Final arguments were filed in the Pioneer Press/Star Tribune suit yesterday. Submitted on paper, the filings offered a final chance for both sides to sound off. PiPress attorney Dominic Cecere wrote, “Ridder has consistently violated his legal duties to the Pioneer Press, reneged on his promises to the Pioneer Press and MediaNews, and publicly lied about his use of Pioneer Press information.” The Strib, employing air quotes to express its opinion, said the “facts here simply do not warrant the draconian ‘remedy’ of enjoining Defendants’ employment at the Star Tribune.” A decision is expected by the end of the summer.

Media Monitor continues…Dish on the disher: Minnesota Monthly devotes more than 4,000 words to a profile on Strib gossip columnist Cheryl “C.J.” Johnson. It chronicles her start at the paper in the 1980s as a court reporter, and how, when Barbara Flanagan stopped writing full time in 1989, she was brought in as a counterpoint to Flanagan’s “breathless and boosterish prose.” Filled with sharp details, the piece describes her cluttered Strib office (which includes a t-shirt she made up that reads “Evidence suggests that Strom Thurmond found black women irresistible.”), the flood of not-so-Minnesota Nice emails she receives from readers (“We deny we’re racist here, but you can’t get as many ‘fucking nigger bitch’ e-mails and phone calls as I have without thinking that people here can be racist,” she says), and the loneliness that comes with the territory. As Taylor Carik writes, C.J. comes off as “less than endearing” at times. He cites this C.J. nugget: “The paper shouldn’t be filled only with things that are of interest to my colleagues who are humorless fuddy-duddy eggheads.”

Eskola’s back: C.J., like fellow media writer Brian Lambert, reports that Eric Eskola is returning to the mediascape after some time away. He resumed his show on WCCO radio Monday morning, and he resumes his post beside wife Kathy Wurzer on TPT’s Almanac this Friday.

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