Anthony Piraino's first cartoon for the N&R ran today, and it was a good one. Will we see it online, from the N&R, or at Plead the First, or both?

UPDATE: Per Anthony's comment (below), his cartoons will post at his personal site one day after publication, and the N&R will start putting them online at its site when it is able to do so. Sounds like a smart deal for all that they worked out to get a blogging cartoonist into the paper.

Comments

[PotatoStew]

Thanks Ed - glad to hear you liked it. I'll be posting it at Plead the First tomorrow morning, first thing. Part of my agreement with them is that they get it to themselves for a day. Eventually they'll be publishing them on the web at the same time they appear in the paper, but I talked to Allen about it on Friday and he said their site isn't set up yet for posting them.

[Fred Gregory]

Gee, I could be wrong but couldn't the cartoon just as well included the carpet bagger from Charlotte running in the 6th against Coble. Naw that wouldn't be jabbing a conservative. Nice start, one day you may be compared with Ted Rall or Herblock.

[Bubba]

Don't forget Jeff Danziger, Fred. He's in the same category as Rall.

[PotatoStew]

"I could be wrong but couldn't the cartoon just as well included the carpet bagger from Charlotte running in the 6th against Coble."

Why, has he made fear-mongering commercials that play on resentment of illegal immigrants, just like Robinson has?

"Naw that wouldn't be jabbing a conservative."

I've poked fun at Democrats as well, so try to keep your knee from jerking too far.

[Ed Cone]

Stew, how dare you express your own opinion in an opinion cartoon!

Please check with Fred and Bubba for political correctness before expressing your opinion in the future.

Remember, the content of the cartoon is not what matters, it's the conformity with somebody else's view of how you should express your opinion on the opinion page.

Welcome to the world of professional opinion journalism.

[Fred Gregory]

Stew,

So what exactly is wrong with maintaining our sovereignty as a nation.? So what exactly is incorrect about pointing out the adverse impact of millions of illegals on our resources and institutions? So what is exactly is morally wrong with resenting an invasion of this country ? Wake up Stew the de facto elimination of the border between Mexico and the US is underway.

I heard Robinson's radio commercial. Perhaps you should hear what the leftists who organized the recent demonstrations are saying. Is it wrong or inflamatory to use their own words ? Open borders are their goal . If you don't believe this just listen. They are serious about reclaiming stolen lands through the use of numbers.
http://www.idawg.com/azatlan.wmv

We talk about reform but nothing gets done. Plenty of rhetoric in the N & R Ideas section this morning but at the end of the day unless congress has the will to confront the problem in a responsible way the future looks bleak

So you have poked fun at Democrats in the past. There is certainly plenty of material out there on both sides so I'll try and keep score but based on your frequent comments on local blogs, Kindley's in particular, I won't be expecting a lot of balance.

Ed, so what exactly is wrong with expressing an opinion about an opinion piece.? It is done every day. You feign shock and offense that I exercised my right of free speech and imply, by overcoloring that Bubba and I are attemping to censor. Hogwash and you know it full well. Also poor use of exaggeration as a arguing technique. BTW I had a valid and legitimate point also about the non 6th District resident opposing Howard Coble in the context of criticising the cartoon. Don't you ? Or do you find it so difficult to hide your obvious revulsion of Robinson's ideas for governance that my observation is brushed out of your mind as not worthy of discussion.

[Ed Cone]

Shock and offense? Nah, just reminding my new colleague that no matter what the content of his work, someone will tell him he should have done it differently.

You want to talk about the "leftists" and immigration, but you ignore the real force behind it: business.

You are railing against poor people and liberal bogeymen while the big-money boys are running the show.

It's funny, if sad, the way people with legitimate concerns are manipulated on this issue.

Open your eyes, Fred. The borders are open because the government wants them open, and the government wants them open because their corporate masters say so.

The GOP controls the government, and has for years. Who controls the GOP? "Leftists?"

Wake up.

[Bubba]

I made no comment about Potato Stew's cartoon. My reply to Fred was in reference to the hate speech evidenced by the cartoonists in reference.

Witness the racist cartoons attacking Secretary of State Rice by Rall (having her call herself a "house nigga") and Danziger (having her paraphrase the infamous "Lordy, Miss Scarlett, I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!" line from "Gone With The Wind")?

You think those works represented "Political Correctness"?

[Ed Cone]

Why not start a thread at your blog about cartoonists you don't like, Bubba? We're having a conversation here about Stew's cartoon and the issues it raised.

[Fred Gregory]

Ed,

Have you fallen under a sorceer's spell induced by a soporific DNC potion. How else is your muddled response explained ? Your Rovearian conspiracy about the borders sounds like stupor straight from Howard Dean's ouija board. Sound of snapping fingers !! Arise now.

I must assume you felt uncomfortable listening and watching the link I provided above. Those are not Repuplicans or the business community speaking. They are the voices of jingostic racism.

Railing against poor people ? Come on Ed, cut out the class warfare demagoguery and play fair. We are facing a complex problem and language like that from your friends in Washington is what is stalling if not halting altogether progress toward meaningful action to address and solve this crisis.

[Ed Cone]

Fred,

There's no conspiracy, it's happening in broad daylight.

Read the Wall Street Journal editorial page. It's been clear on this for years: Big business wants cheap labor.

The government controls, or chooses not to control, immigration.

The GOP runs the governemnt.

Who runs the GOP?

You're a sucker, Fred, if you think this is a conspiracy theory instead of plain and obvious fact.

You want to look at the people in the demonstrations, but not at the people who make the decisions that let them come and stay.

Sucker.

[Bubba]

"Why not start a thread at your blog about cartoonists you don't like, Bubba? We're having a conversation here about Stew's cartoon and the issues it raised."

Could have fooled me, Ed. I added something to go with Fred's post, you replied, and I replied back. If you had not replied to my first post, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Your insecurities are not my problem.

[Bubba]

Correction: Technically, you did not respond to my first post. You just made your usual snide remark about it in a subsequent post. The effect was the same.

Your insecurities are still not my problem.

[Fred Gregory]

Ed,

The WSJ is right on one part of this vexing dilemma. But there is an entirely separate aspect that you are ignoring. What do you have to say about the intentions of those who shout civil war.? Do you think they are bluffing or deadly serious.? Sucker, huh.? Okay ostrich ! Press 2 amigo.

[Ed Cone]

I think they are shouting political slogans that are relatively meaningless.

I think you are a sucker because you are cursing the water on the floor, oblvious to the hand on the tap.

It would be funny, the way you think you are seeing things so clearly, if it wasn't so pitiful.

You've been used, Fred. Your emotions manipulated, your anger sparked...and the people responsible are laughing all the way to the bank.

Sucker.

[Fred Gregory]

Yeah Ed,

Hitler was shouting meaningless slogans in a Munich beer hall. Subsequently Eden thought he would behave if thrown a scrap. Since you are reduced to name calling it is you who are the sap.. er Dupe.

[PotatoStew]

Fred,

Just because I think Robinson's approach is bad doesn't mean I think we should have open borders, or that I fail to recognize that some people think we should have open borders, or that I deny that there are problems with immigration in our country. I think Ed summed it up well by saying "you are cursing the water on the floor, oblivious to the hand on the tap." And that's the problem I have with Robinson's approach. The action against IFCO for instance, seems like a potentially better way to address the problem, rather than stirring up resentment of the illegal aliens themselves. Make the cost of hiring illegal workers too expensive for employers to consider, and you'll see the problem decrease. Stirring up fear and resentment will only exacerbate problems, and these are the emotions that Robinson's ad plays to.

"So you have poked fun at Democrats in the past. There is certainly plenty of material out there on both sides so I'll try and keep score but based on your frequent comments on local blogs, Kindley's in particular, I won't be expecting a lot of balance."

And you shouldn't expect a lot of "balance". As was pointed out, my cartoons are opinion pieces, not straight-up journalism.

[Ed Cone]

Godwin's Law, Fred: first person to invoke Hitler in an argument, loses.

Your inability to focus on the substance of the argument makes pursuing it further pretty pointless.

I'm asking you to consider a simple proposition: WHO really controls our borders?

You've been fed a steady diet of fear by people who don't want you to focus on the truth. Stop for a minute, and consider the larger picture.

The US could build a fence yesterday.

Bush has been in office for more than half a decade, 9/11 was almost 5 years ago...if stopping this flow was a priority, wouldn't it have happened by now?

It's not the "liberals", Fred, who are allowing this to happen.

Certainly there are lefties who support this movement of people, but who controls the borders? And who contols those people?

Wake up, Fred.

[Fred Gregory]

Stew,

And you are a southpaw, right.? Why not pile on Jim Black. He's an easy token target and you can claim you are an equal opportunity satirist, without making any difference in the world. Other than that the readers are most likely going to get a dose of Doonesbury light on the local level with your toons.

Sanction the employers till they say uncle but that is isn't going to stop the hordes intent on taking back the land they owned for 40,000 years prior to the present geo-political layout. Put your ear to the ground and hold Ed's head down there also. The din is
shattering and they will keep coming as long as they egged on by people like Prof. Guiteriz and the Mayor of LA in addition of the other generous incentives we offer. Get a grip dude the battle for survival is just begining.

[Fred Gregory]

Ed,

In case you pull your head out of the sand look at who controls our border with Mexico and it isn't the US or any interests within our borders . It is el Presidente and his policies. And stop acting like a cafone. It it is unbecoming a man of letters like your self.

I was expecting the Godwin's law response and sure nuff you pulled it out . Trouble is the context in which I used the H word was appropriate in that glove was a perfect fit for your naievte and gulibility on this issue Repeating ad nauseam that Bush controls " the borders doesn't make it so.

Your argument is likened to the least plausible hypothesis with a demanding perfection thrown in for good measure.
You have demonstrated an abysmal lack of knowledge about the problems and solutions and the political realities of partisan border politics. Being told that I lose reminds me of a story about a guy named Roberts who had 7 children. He named the first boy Loser and the 7th son Winner Roberts. They turned out quite differntly. Good night.

[Roch101]

"but based on your frequent comments on local blogs, Kindley's in particular, I won't be expecting a lot of balance." -- Fred Gregory

Are you refering to the comment where Anthony pointed out his defense of Bush against accusations that he had a hand in 9/11?

[darkmoon]

"And you are a southpaw, right.? Why not pile on Jim Black. He's an easy token target and you can claim you are an equal opportunity satirist, without making any difference in the world. Other than that the readers are most likely going to get a dose of Doonesbury light on the local level with your toons."

Hah. Fred, you obviously don't exactly read the local blogs if you're asking about Jim Black from PotatoStew. Back in February, this was posted. Don't blame me for the egg on your face since you don't pay attention.

Sorry Stew, I just had to chime in since you mentioned this elsewhere already.

[Roch101]

Fred, you've been darkmooned.

[Ed Cone]

Liberals shouldn't apologize for being liberals. Nor, for that matter, should conservatives apologize for being conservatives. You don't want to be a partisan hack, and you do want to call out hypocrites and bad arguments across the spectrum, but the idea that an opinion cartoonist has to achieve some sort of neutrality or balance is ludicrous.

[Fred Gregory]

Darkmoon (and Roch),

I don't read local bloggers ? No not all of them . Too much idle chatter and personal diary type crap out there. I never heard of Piraino until Allen Johnson announced his forthcoming arrival on the op-ed pages of the N&R. So if you are pleased with yourself for this pathetic little gotcha over a couple of obscure cartoon..then, well, I can imagine you finding amusement by catching houseflys with your hand.

Ed,

For 35 years Gary Trudeau has been a very successful partisan hack and Herblock before him. Neutrality is for whimps. I just would like to see my hack cartoon in the N&R. Not a chance.

[Roch101]

It sucks to be fact checked, don't it, Fred?

[darkmoon]

@Fred:
Heh. Amusing that you start dishing out insults when you're caught without checking first. But that's okay, I can see where someone that has some insecurities about whatever has to belittle others because of their own issues.

In any case, the reason I brought it up is because PotatoStew has played both sides of the political field, with both his cartoons and his views. Yes, I would probably say he tends to lean more left than right, but then again, I don't believe there were conservative cartoonists applying for the position? And since when has opinion columnists had to side with anyone? That's like saying Michelle Malkin should write one liberal post for every ten conservative posts.

@Ed: Regarding Fred, it's really not worth your breath trying to explain how corporations work and how they effect politics People choose to believe what they want to believe, no matter what you tell them, be it lies or truths. Call it stubborn humanity.

[The Chairman]

I have found this chatter interesting. Just one little fact to point out with the Vernon Robinson thingy, Vernon isn't breaking the law, local, state or Federal. You know that constitution thingy, that says you don't have to live in the district to represent it. Therefore, some people would say this is apples vs oranges. but hey we can't be critical of someones opinion now can we. that would not be nice.
I always wonder where you guys were when civic class was held.
Oh and I love the comment about Big corporations by people who owe their lifestyle and name to big corporations that took advantage of people and a town for a hundred years. Whew! now that is a good one.
I love how limosine liberals tell the "worker" how we need to feel.
Now some would say well we started schools and the health department... yeah and you had to curry your horse and feed it to have it draw your wagon too.
The GOP raises most of it's money with $25 dollar contributuions, vs the Democrat Party and it's big dollar contributers such as,... oh I don't know the UNIONS.
In 2004 the GOP had over 100 volunteers at the polls poll watching, the Dems, they hired Union Members for over $200 a day. Now that's commitment.
Well typical is as typical does.

[Roch101]

According to a study of the 2004 presidential race by the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, 31% of the contributions to Bush were $200 or less. 37% of Kerry's contributions were $200 or less.

[Ed Cone]

Marcus, it has been discussed at this site before that Robinson's run as a carpetbagger is legal. Nobody disputes that.

I am unaware of the argument that Cone Mills "took advantage" of Greensboro. I have been under the impression that the company was generally well-regarded. In any case, I don't "owe my name" to the company.

And my simple statement of fact that relatively open borders are favored by big business is value-neutral. It was offered in response to the ludicrous argument that our government policy is somehow determined by "liberals." Given that the GOP has run the federal government for years, that's just a non-starter.

And in case you had trouble following the thread, I'm not the one who's freaked out by immigration. I do have concerns and questions about it, including the impact on US workers and on the immigrants, but again, it's a simple statement of fact, not a judgment: big business favors massive immigration.

Are you disputing that fact?

[Fred Gregory]

Darkmoon,

And eight crack reporters at the WaPo yesterday colabborated and wrote a nauseatingly sympathetic column anout the law breaker/leaker at the CIA , Mary McCarthy yet failed to report the objective fact that while on government salry , in just one year alone she gave $7,700.00 to Democratic political campaigns.. That information is available online !! Now that is "Fact Checker Wanted " city.

You are behaving like you caught a whale
when all you did was embarass your self bragging about a guppie and one that got of the hook, thank you. A cartoon back in Feb. in a murky blog. Are you really proud of this ?

So Moon/Roch gloat till you float but the more you blowhard over it the sillier you look .

[darkmoon]

And that has to deal with local politics exactly how? Subject at hand was dealing with Stew's cartoon. You pointed out he wasn't neutral. I pointed out he played the other side.

And so that information is online. So? So it many other things. Powerline covers most of the conservative news, while DailyKos covers the left. What's your point?

If you think that this is bragging, boy you haven't met many people in your lifetime, nor do you read online forums much. Whatever. Keep smoking whatever you're smoking since it obviously makes you feel like Rainbow Brite.

[Jim Caserta]

"Oh and I love the comment about Big corporations by people who owe their lifestyle and name to big corporations that took advantage of people and a town for a hundred years."

You mean like this?

[Fred Gregory]

Moon,

Please, I find the "Rainbow " reference personally offensive and inappropriate.

Sounds like braggin' to me. If you did it, that ain't braggin' but you didn't git'er done, boy.

It has to do with your ersatz fact check gotcha. I pointed out that the WaPo's first team deliberately or incompently missed important info about Mary McCarthy that was online and is usually checked on even the Republican astroleger and how that is soooooooo much larger than me not knowing of the existence of some insignificant blogging cartoonist's archived work. Capish cafone.

[Roch101]

"is soooooooo much larger than me not knowing of the existence of some insignificant blogging cartoonist's archived work."

No, it was you making assumptions as a premise to insinuations and insults without knowing Anthony's work and ignoring the little bit you were familiar with from comments on The Chairman's blog that was irritating.

[Fred Gregory]

Well Roch get over your irritation and be nice. Is there a warm fuzzy person under that arrogant hide ? Gee I hope so. My previous encounter with you left me with a favorable impression. My a-hole alarm didn't sound and I felt comfortable.

Now admit you see my larger point.

Cheers