North Dakota: Fargo Forum Not Correcting Smears Against Sarah Palin
A reader sends this in about Fargo Forum columnist Jane Ahlin’s column from last Sunday:
…is anyone going to challenge Ahlin on her column last Sunday about Palin. I have e-mailed her and Jack about getting the facts. Of course I will not get any response. I sent along statements from fact check to disprove what Ahlin stated. I believe that Far Left [Forum opinion editor] Jack [Zaleski] is in charge of the editorial page. Anyway Ahlin states that Palin cut funding for a home for unwed mothers, when it fact it was raised from 1.3 million (previous year) to 3.9 million. Of course Ahlin knows this but since Palin cut the requested 5 million to 3.9 million she cut funding. Also, a very serious allegation is made when Ahlin states that Palin tried to get books at the city library banned and tired to fire the librarian because she refused to ban books. This all seems to be attributed to an untrue e-mail, originating from an Alaskan critic of Palins.
What do you know about all of this??
What I know is this
First, the charge that Palin cut funding for a home for unwed mothers is false. She increased, as the reader notes, to $3.9 million/year. A near tripling in funding.
I also know that the claim that Palin wanted books banned is also false. The list of books Palin allegedly wanted ban that Ahlin’s claim is based on contained books that hadn’t even been published yet as of the date Palin supposedly wanted them banned.
Finally, I know that the folks at the Fargo Forum (particularly those writing on the opinion page) generally aren’t interested in fair and honest reporting. Granted, Ahlin was writing an op/ed and is entitled to her opinions about Sarah Palin, but facts are facts and lies are lies. The Forum should issue a correction (they haven’t to my knowledge) as the claims Ahlin makes in her column have long since been debunked.
But to date no correction has been issued, and I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for one.
It probably wouldn’t hurt to ask, though, so here is Jane Ahlin’s email address (as provided at the bottom of her columns): {encode=”janeahlin@yahoo.com” title=”janeahlin@yahoo.com”}. A polite email asking her to please try to be honest when writing about Republicans in the future probably wouldn’t hurt.



