Criticizing a December 4 Colorado Media Matters “Extreme Voices” item in a December 5 entry on his Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction blog, Managing Editor Dennis Herzog stated, “I know full well I'm likely to make my next appearance on CMM's website as a result of this post. If I do I'll consider it a badge of honor.”

In addition to calling Colorado Media Matters a “nit-picky organization that pushes an extreme left-leaning agenda,” Herzog repeated the falsehood that the organization is funded by progressive philanthropist George Soros. As noted the first time Herzog made this claim in a June 26 blog entry, Soros has never given money to Colorado Media Matters or its parent organization, Media Matters for America, either directly or indirectly -- a fact Media Matters repeatedly has pointed out.

As Colorado Media Matters noted in its December 4 item, the Greeley Tribune published a guest column by Weld County Sheriff John Cooke in which he declared it his “duty to speak out and stand up to” what he called “the vocal minority's attack on Christmas.” Cooke indicated that by “vocal minority” he meant those who use seasonal greetings such as “happy holidays,” as opposed to "[m]ost Americans," who he said “identify with the Christmas season.” Although he acknowledged early in his commentary that some of his readers might celebrate Hanukkah, Cooke further declared, “This time of year is ... about Christmas.”

Cooke's column also stated that since a waitress at a Red Lobster wished him “happy holidays” last year, he has not returned to the restaurant because, he wrote, “of Red Lobster's willingness to offend my faith and beliefs.”

In his Daily Sentinel blog entry, Herzog wrote, “This newspaper has received its share of brickbats from Colorado Media Matters, the liberal media watchdog organization that is backed by the likes of Hillary Clinton and George Soros. It's a nit-picky organization that pushes an extreme left-leaning agenda.” He continued:

If you doubt that, check this out: Today it bestowed on Weld County Sheriff John Cooke, its “Extreme Voices” designation for, of all things, defending Christmas. That's right. Colorado Media Matters considers someone who prefers to say “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays” to be “extreme.”

Cooke's column, which CMM found so offensive, was published by The Greeley Tribune. In it, the good sheriff took to task the Fort Collins City Council for its wishy-washy holiday display policy, and let it be known that he prefers to hear people say Merry Christmas at this time of year.

I know full well I'm likely to make my next appearance on CMM's website as a result of this post. If I do I'll consider it a badge of honor.