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bcubbison · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:55 am

From syndicated columnist Tony Blankley:"The reign in Spain died mainly on the train. I apologize for a silly, but irresistible, opening to a deadly and portentous topic: the electoral fall of our ally Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party in the aftermath of a presumed Al Qaeda terrorist assault on a Madrid train."

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:57 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Brian Cubbison:
From syndicated columnist Tony Blankley:"The reign in Spain died mainly on the train. I apologize for a silly, but irresistible, opening to a deadly and portentous topic: the electoral fall of our ally Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party in the aftermath of a presumed Al Qaeda terrorist assault on a Madrid train."<hr></blockquote>That's not "silly," it's "stupid." "Irresistible" to whom?

vtuss · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:27 am

I'm all for morose humor, but to let it see the presses? How about apologizing to the families of the victims?

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:29 am

Have any papers run it as submitted?

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 3:07 pm

ROUND ICopy editor: This lede is offensive.Columnist: I woke up in the middle of the night with that running through my head, and now you want to get rid of it? Talk to City Editor.
ROUND IICopy editor: This lede is offensive.City editor: Columnist was hired to write stuff like this. I don't dare change it.
ROUND IIICopy editor: This lede is offensive.Managing editor: It's brilliant. But I can see how some people might take it the wrong way. Let me talk to Columnist and City Editor.
ROUND IVColumnist: Hey, they said I can stick with it, but I put in a line saying I'm sorry for using it.Copy editor (glancing at clock): Er. On second thought, let's just leave it as it was.Columnist (sputtering): Then what did you call me for?

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 8:30 pm

How about this scenario: You have something on standby if you don't like a column and someone in the newsroom with the delegated authority to make that decision. That's a darn fine encouragement for columnists to use a bit of common sense.

KfitzR · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2004 1:19 pm

That lede takes tasteless to quite appalling levels.

car copy · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2004 3:55 pm

Disgusting. Why don't they let us save them from themselves. I work with a very good editor, and a good man, but sometimes his humor is a little childish. As in 12-year-old-boy childish. Offensive. I know that he appreciates the times I've questioned things, and kept him from embarrassing himself.

Dapper Dan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:01 am **Posts:** 273

Another tasteless lead went something like this: "Teens who pledge to remain virgins until marriage may be getting applause, but a new study shows they're just as likely as their peers to get the clap."It got some laughs, but we had the good taste not to use it.

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:22 pm

Ann Coulter, unsurprisingly, was not averse to taking a tasteless pun even further.

Rio · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2004 1:19 am

Assuming Ms. Coulter herself wrote "The reign in Spain falls mainly on the lame," it's not tasteless. How can you compare that to "The reign in Spain died mainly on the train"? And no, you need a better answer than "the reign in Spain."

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2004 11:47 am

And now, here's someone who really loved it:http://news.killfile.org/index.cgi?group=humanities.philosophy.objectivism&number=136803

johnhayter · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2004 12:02 pm

Revolting. I'd like to see his comments printed in a Spanish paper, along with his 'phone number.And while we're at it, let's hear it for Mark Steyn, scribbler on the London Daily Telegraph, who squeezed and squeezed until he came up with this:"The rain in Spain falls mainly on the slain."[ March 20, 2004: Message edited by: haytj ]

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:58 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Gary Kirchherr:
And no, you need a better answer than "the reign in Spain."<hr></blockquote>No, I don't.

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