Chronicle coverage of State of the Union leans left

The Chronicle’s coverage of President Obama’s State of the Union was considerable.  But, consistent with The Chronicle’s Jan. 19 coverage of “Honoring the Legacy of MLK with Dr. Fisher,” there were some problems with fact-checking and misquoting, that I would like to clear up.

Firstly, please stop referring to myself, the president of the Duke Republicans on campus, as a senior. Though I realize you may be trying to push me off me as soon as possible, this is not rocket science; nor is it economics.

Secondly, in reference to my “sound-off” quote Wednesday, it was implied that while I “have nothing to dislike about Obama,” I found his words frank, and even admirable. Although his insistence on insuring emergency room dead wood on the dole of the hard-working discredits his ability to see clearly the problems of the country, the President has done a good job in the following ways:

1. The delay of the Gitmo closure.
2. The refusal to release photos of tortured (yes, tortured) terrorist suspects was and continues to be good for this country’s security and envy abroad.
3. The President’s refusal to prosecute or discredit high-ranking anti-terror members of Bush’s administration upon entering office in January.
4. The M. Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act resolved, in the end, to be nothing but good for the country, warming especially to those who supported the President in 2008.
5. Mobilizing conservatives in such a critical mass

In what was intended to suggest to the Chronicle, as disclaimer, that I was not hating merely to hate, but instead find the President distasteful on a number of policy and personal fronts, my tasteful and guarded statements were jumped upon as if to say, “Look here! The Republicans flagellate over our Supreme Leader, as well! March onward, lovers of peace and welfare, we have strange bedfellows!”

You work at an “independent daily,” and not at Pravda.

Justin Robinette

Chair, Duke College Republicans