Monte sings the blues

If a contest were held in Oshkosh looking for new country singing talent, I think Kent Monte would surely have a good shot at winning it. I don’t know if he can actually sing, but it’s been some time since I’ve heard someone sing the blues like he does (except for maybe his wife or those they associate with). The latest “somebody done us wrong” song was posted by Kent “Crying in My Beer (or is it ‘whine’)” Monte on Monday and several comments have been made on both the Monte blogs since then in response.

Though I’m flattered by the attention once again raining on me (and I’m not even a candidate), I always chuckle at those who try playing gotcha politics, but clearly don’t know what they’re talking about.

As part of his “Sermon on the Monte” Kent referred to my recent editorial and followed it up with his usual nonsensical comments. First, as anyone can see, neither that editorial nor an earlier one said anything about my approving of the Labor Council’s endorsement process. Second, I did not take a formal position on his wife giving her blog readers the impression that endorsements don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of election success or failure. I merely questioned why she lists all her endorsements on her blog, if that’s how she feels. Hardly “lashing out,” as Crybaby Kent called it.

He and some anonymous ninnies on both his and his wife’s blogs have also referred to positions I took on endorsements three years ago. They’ve tried desperately to make a correlation between them and my most recent editorial. But, anyone with half a brain can see they have nothing to do with each other. Moreover, contrary to what Kent has said, my position now is consistent with my position then.

I realize it may be difficult for them to stay focused on what’s important, but Kent, Michelle and their anonymous supporter(s) really should stick with issues and the candidates who are running. To do so would serve them better than to continue with their usual muckraking, especially in the final stretch of a campaign.

While on the subject of whining, I watched about 10 minutes of the recent roundtable discussion with school board candidates. That was all I could stomach. After hearing from others who suffered through the whole hour, I am glad I watched something else. The one thing I did hear right at the outset was city councilman and a discussion moderator, Paul Esslinger, bellyaching about how “at least one” venue would not invite all the school board candidates and how they (Who? He and his friends, the Montes?) didn’t think that was “fair.” It was clear he was talking about Eye on Oshkosh because we invited all school board candidates except Mrs. Monte - and with good reason.

The spin Michelle Monte put on it on another blog was that she was not invited on because her husband had become an acquaintance of an adversary of mine and she was guilty by association. This is pure, unadulterated hogwash and Michelle knows it. If what she said was true, she and Kent would not have been invited on the show during the last two elections they ran, but they were. Additionally, Ben Schneider II wouldn’t have been invited to come on either, but he was. I wouldn’t have thought a candidate for public office would have their head buried that far in the sand or be that disingenuous, but I guess anything’s possible.

I’ve previously explained why candidate Monte was not invited, but for those who missed it or who need another reminder, here we go. During the last couple of years she has regularly made or allowed negative comments about the show or its hosts on her blog. Included in that, she (and Kent, too) has either made and/or allowed slanderous comments about my reporting and professional ability to appear on the Monte blogs. Yet, despite that, they and their friends apparently live in such a world of entitlement that they still believe she has the right to come on the show. Without a doubt that is the height of hypocrisy. Here's some advice for them: If I'm such a lousy journalist, so unfair, so biased and the show is so irrelevant, be grateful you don’t have to be associated with it and move on, people. Don't keep whining about it.

On the positive side of things, I find it flattering that despite everything, they continue to watch the show and read the blog. So much for “irrelevancy.”