Warren GOP and Express-Times exchange some harsh barbs

Complaints from Warren County Republicans over their treatment by the Express-Times has provoked an angry response from the newspaper's publisher:

Warren County GOP Chairman Douglas Steinhardt, in an e-mail to local GOP leaders:

"What can you say about the Express-Times? Sure, they got the legislative races right, but Daggett, Fitting and Theise? Not only does it show its political bias and obliviousness, but they went about by dragging our Freeholders through the mud. We can be proud of our Freeholders' accomplishments and relieved that the Express keeps endorsing their challengers.  It seems to all but insure our success!"

Former Warren County GOP Chairman Walter Orcutt, responding to Steinhardt's e-mail:

It's time to send a message to the Express Times.  We have put up with their bias for years and I for one have vowed not to ever purchase that paper again.  As elected officials, planning and zoning board members and other who direct the placement of legal notices and advertising; it's time to stop feeding the machine that does NOTHING for Republicans, and in fact,  they appear to go out of their way to do harm to our message, our values and our accomplishments. Drop your subscriptions or simply do not purchase the paper.  Pretty much every bit of the "news" is available on-line at their site for free (or go to the library) so let's beat them at their own game!   (...and you will be doing something positive for the environment - ok, maybe you need to find something else for the bottom of the bird cage)

Express-Times publisher Martin Till, responding to Orcutt:

Mr. Orcutt,

Can you please explain our bias to me.  Let me see, we endorsed Bush twice, we endorse more Republicans than Democrats, we cover all the candidate equally (both sides complain to us, so we must be doing it right).

I can assure you The Express-Times has no agenda or bias.  And I'm glad that as an a American, you value free speech and opinion.

As a registered Republican, former Army Green Beret and Publisher of this newspaper, I find your email to be insulting and quite frankly, stupid.

Debate, discussion and differing opinions are what have made this country great.  Believing there is only one way to solve problems and trying to eliminate different opinions is to me, un-American.

If you need paper for you bird cage, just print out your stupid emails.

Best.

Martin K. Till
President & Publisher
The Express-Times