As you may recall, KMOV reporter Larry Conners was fired last May after making national headlines for actually asking President Barack Obama some tough questions. Conners then speculated that his insolence might’ve had something to do with his subsequent IRS audit, and KMOV canned him.
Now another journo is out of work after crossing Obama.
On Tuesday, the Chattanooga Times Free Press published the following unsigned editorial:
Take your jobs plan and shove it, Mr. President: Your policies have harmed Chattanooga enough
President Obama,
Welcome to Chattanooga, one of hundreds of cities throughout this great nation struggling to succeed in spite of your foolish policies that limit job creation, stifle economic growth and suffocate the entrepreneurial spirit.
Forgive us if you are not greeted with the same level of Southern hospitality that our area usually bestows on its distinguished guests. You see, we understand you are in town to share your umpteenth different job creation plan during your time in office. If it works as well as your other job creation programs, then thanks, but no thanks. We’d prefer you keep it to yourself.
That’s because your jobs creation plans so far have included a ridiculous government spending spree and punitive tax increase on job creators that were passed, as well as a minimum wage increase that, thankfully, was not. Economists — and regular folks with a basic understanding of math — understand that these are three of the most damaging policies imaginable when a country is mired in unemployment and starving for job growth.
Read the whole thing, if you don’t know all this stuff already. It’s not exactly breaking news that Obama is a disaster in all sorts of ways, but especially his economic policies.
You’re not supposed to say so, though. Which is why Drew Johnson, the opinion page editor of the Times Free Press, just tweeted this:
I just became the first person in the history of newspapers to be fired for writing a paper's most-read article. http://t.co/BPOTzihZoT
— Drew Johnson (@Drews_Views) August 1, 2013
Dumb people are already presenting their theories:
.@Drews_Views Seems like you actually got fired for changing a headline to tell the president to put something into his butt.
— Rich Abdill (@rabdill) August 1, 2013
Yeah, that’s probably it. This would’ve happened during the Bush administration, for sure.
And now, a long-distance dedication to Drew Johnson, who’s probably feeling this right now:
Update: The Chattanooga Times Free Press explains.
Free Press editor Drew Johnson has been terminated after placing a headline on an editorial outside of normal editing procedures.
Johnson’s headline, “Take your jobs plan and shove it, Mr. President: Your policies have harmed Chattanooga enough,” appeared on the Free Press page Tuesday, the day President Barack Obama visited the city.
The headline was inappropriate for this newspaper. It was not the original headline approved for publication, and Johnson violated the normal editing process when he changed the headline.
Seems pretty weird for a Tennessee newspaper to have a “no Johnny Paycheck” policy, but…
Update: The plot thickens.
Any time the paper wanted to change the headline online (which is how most people read the editorial), they could've.
— Drew Johnson (@Drews_Views) August 1, 2013
The policy I "broke" did not exist when I "broke" it. It was created after people complained about the headline & was applied retroactively.
— Drew Johnson (@Drews_Views) August 1, 2013
Hi, @TimesFreePress. Regarding these "normal editing procedures" you claim @Drews_Views violated: Are they written down somewhere?
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) August 1, 2013
Update: Let’s help the guy out.
I need a job.Resume: Columnist & opinion pg editor, founded thriving free market think tank, exposed Al Gore's home electricity consumption
— Drew Johnson (@Drews_Views) August 1, 2013