The fact that David Kranz, the dean of South Dakota political reporters, is not a "moderator" for the October 11th KELO-TV debate but instead is a "panelist" is a distinction without a difference. Kranz has no business being involved in a debate that includes Senator Daschle, given Kranz's long history of shilling for Daschle and other Democratic politicians. The bottom line is that the debate be conducted fairly and impartially, and not have the taint of being conducted unfairly. David Kranz will not ask fair questions. He'll lob softballs at Daschle and try to skewer Thune, just as he does in his columns. In light of Kranz's history with Daschle, I think reasonable people can agree that Kranz is unable to be fair and impartial in this debate. Even the Argus Leader does not have Kranz covering the Daschle v. Thune race. If the AL is mindful enough of the criticism of Kranz to pull him from covering the race, KELO would be well advised to pull him from the debate.
Because it seems people have forgotten documents exist that indicate Kranz collaborated with Democratic campaigns in the past in his capacity as a "journalist," it's time to release another document that is evidence of Kranz's inability to be impartial. This document is a letter from Senator George McGovern to David Kranz dated October 3, 1979, when Kranz was the managing editor of the Mitchell Daily Republic. It can be found in the McGovern Papers at Princeton University. Here's a screen capture of the letter:
You can view a pdf copy of the letter HERE.
The fact that a sitting Democratic senator was moved to write to Kranz "...I trust you will do your best to keep the McGovern name in the headlines" speaks volumes about the efforts Kranz must go through to generate good press for his favorite politicians under the guise of being a "journalist." Does KELO-TV really wish to taint this debate in the biggest Senate race in the country with even the perception of being conducted unfairly?
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