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The Sunday U-T editorial describing Assemblywoman Diane Harkey's outraged response to basic questions about a financial mess involving her husband (and maybe her) was picked up by the Total Buzz blog. (Harkey's district is mostly coastal south O.C., but also includes Camp Pendleton and Oceanside in San Diego County.) Buzzer Martin Wisckol noted this wasn't the first time Harkey claimed media bias, citing his post from October 2007:

Diane Harkey left me a phone message .... saying the blog was singling her out and posting unflattering photos. .... "I'm not that unphotogenic," she said. "I think it's totally unfair and extremely biased."

How is it possible Harkey managed to get elected to any job, much less the Assembly? She has no conception of her role; of the proper role of the media; or of her responsibilities to the media. I have another example to offer.

Last fall, the U-T editorial board met with nearly two dozen candidates for state Assembly and Senate seats. I asked every last one how they would balance the state budget and was ready with follow-up questions seeking specifics if they offered vague answers or it's-that-simple Ross Perot-style sophistry. Guess who thought that amounted to unfair treatment? You got it.

Last week, after I had an unproductive phone interview with her, I wrote Harkey to say I needed to get fuller answers so I could understand her position. Part of her response was to harken back to the candidate interviews:

... you have a personal bias in my case. I recall the unbelievable grilling you gave me when I interviewed with your editorial board.

I asked the same questions of everyone, with the same follow-ups to all the evaders. To Diane Harkey, it was an "unbelievable grilling." Here's the kicker: The U-T ended up endorsing her, and I wrote the editorial! Despite my "bias"!

South O.C. and Oceanside, you have my condolences. There doesn't seem to be much of a learning curve on display with your Assembly rep.

Posted by Chris Reed to San Diego Union Tribune Blog