8 Days before the new election: Is this Blog Post Illegal?

Some of our readers pointed to an article in the Tahlequah Daily Press the other day that deserves the attention of Cherokee Truth, and we would’ve got to it a lot faster if it weren’t for that pesky election- may-not-happen thing that came up.

The Tahlequah Daily Press (TDP) took issue with the Smith campaign for using its stories on two separate mailers, saying the mailers ‘may mislead voters’ into thinking the TDP endorses a candidate (that seems like a stretch). The TDP apparently did a story on this particular round of mailers because their name was on it.  The TDP blamed Smith for using different words in the headline than the Press originally did, and said it might violate copyright law to do so.

But, interestingly, they did NOT deny the truth to the actual stories Smith used, which said Baker and his family have been paid more than $1 million over a period of several years for work they’ve done for Cherokee Nation’s housing group, and Baker saying he didn’t think it would be a bad idea for Cherokee folks to come back home to Tahlequah to vote, even if they lived far away.  

If the TDP went so far as to get a lawyer, we’re sure they would do something if they had a good case, and since Baker did the same thing recently with a Muskogee Phoenix article, we’ll assume that either he’ll be hearing from their lawyers. But more likely, it’s a situation the TDP just didn’t like and used their printing press to make a point.

Earlier today, the Press went a little further on this subject, and you can find out more on their facebook page.

They said "We have NOT filed a lawsuit against anyone, nor have we threatened to. Do not take the word of partisan commenters looking to grind their own axes; check the courthouse records yourself! :)"

Yes, that smiley face does belong to the TDP!  TDP even says a couple of Baker folks (not Baker himself, according to an earlier post) were the ones spreading the lawsuit rumors.  Stop already!  Thank goodness there just a few days until the new election, and then everything will be over, right?   Right?