The Daily Journal Does PR for LoBiondo

Editor's note: This letter is regarding Rep. Frank LoBiondo visit to St. Mary's Regional School in Vineland (DJ-6/4).

It is hard to believe this puff piece made it onto A3 (lead story) of The Daily Journal. Is the newspaper doing Mr. LoBiondo's public relations for him? The paper is notable for its lack of critical analysis when it comes to Cumberland County's native son, but this is carrying it too far.

The reporter noted that the students asked a number of questions, but she did not report on the congressman's reply. For example, questions about the war: Was Mr. LoBiondo honest in reporting how many American soldiers have died (nearly 1,700), how many have been seriously wounded, and how many innocent Iraqis have been killed? Did he decry the use of the term "collateral damage" to describe loss of Iraqi life? Did he talk about the White House skewing intelligence about WMDs to drive us to an unnecessary war? Did he abhor the fact that Iraq has now become a hotbed for terrorism, a status it did not have before we invaded the country? Did he say when our people can come home?

Did the representative of "about 650,000 people" explain that, when he stands next to our servicemen and women in a false show of support, he voted against exemptions for them in the new "Bankruptcy Reform Act"?

Did Frank LoBiondo explain why he voted against stem cell research that may benefit the living, or voted for the federal government's intrusion into the very private Schiavo case? Did he explain why he supports the Catholic notion of "the culture of life," but also supports war and capital punishment?

Did Mr. LoBiondo explain that, while he voted against drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), he cast a rather safe vote in what was otherwise a foregone conclusion? Did he bring any votes with him? Did he take out full-page ads himself? Did he place his resistance in the Congressional Record? Did he stand on the steps of the Capitol and speak out against his fellow Republicans who want to plunder this priceless and pristine refuge? No. Representative Frank LoBiondo will have to do more for us than "introduce his dogs" to keep "his constituents happy."

Shame on The Daily Journal for not asking those questions. And shame on Mr. LoBiondo for not having better answers.

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JANET L. FAYTER

Egg Harbor Township

Letter published in The Daily Journal, June 7, 2005

http://thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050607/OPINION03/506070326/1014/OPINION