The Mailbag

To: NPR's Morning Edition
From: your humble folkbum
Date: 25 April 2005
Re: The "Nuclear Option"

On Monday, April 25, David Welna reported on Senator Bill Frist's video appearance at the "Justice Sunday" event. In the story, Welna rightly points out Frist's misrepresentation of something Democratic Senator Harry Reid said. Yet, Welna falls for another Republican misrepresentation.

Welna refers to the Republicans' plan to disallow filibusters during Senate confirmation hearings on judges, saying that, quote, "Democrats call [it] the 'nuclear option.' "

In reality, "nuclear option" is a term originally coined by Republicans. They used the phrase repeatedly until the last few weeks, when they learned that it did not poll very well. In fact, Senator Frist himself used the phrase in a November 16, 2004 interview with Juan Williams on Morning Edition! ("Frist on Advancing the Bush Second-Term Agenda," about 2:30 into the interview)

I expect a higher standard from National Public Radio; I do not expect you and your reporters to be played by politicans' deceptions and tricks with language.