THE SMATTERING SPEAKS - AT 6:39 A.M. ET:  California made news yesterday, but The New York Times want to convince you that, well, it really didn't amount to much.  I mean, who voted?  Get this for a slant:

LOS ANGELES — A smattering of California voters on Tuesday soundly rejected five ballot measures designed to keep the state solvent through the rest of the year.

The results dealt a severe setback to the state’s fragile fiscal structure and to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state legislators who cobbled together the measures as part of a last-minute budget deal passed in February.

The measures, which would have prolonged tax increases, capped state spending, earmarked money for education and involved the state in a complex borrowing scheme against its lottery, were rejected by roughly 60 percent of those who voted. The failure of the measures, combined with falling revenues since the state passed its budget, leaves California with a $21 billion new hole to fill, while foreclosure rates and unemployment remain vexing problems here.

COMMENT:  All polls showed these measures would fail.  But if they had passed, do you think The Times would have attributed the great victory to a smattering?  I suspect the lead would have read:

Californians stormed to the polls yesterday to approve a wide range of finely crafted measures that will save their state from bankruptcy.

It's so outrageous when these smatterings are allowed to vote.

May 20, 2009