Does Journalistic Integrity Exist at NPR?

One of my resolutions for 2007 is to minimize the amount of time I spend listening to talk radio. But I was driving this morning and couldn't resist sampling the local NPR station. I heard something so preposterous that I felt compelled to send them this e-mail:

I'm a Canadian on an extended visit to Miami. Around 8:10am on Monday, March 12th I listened to your senior correspondent, Juan Williams, present the case of why Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel will be a strong threat against the other Republican presidential candidates.

Mr. Williams argued that if 60% of Americans are now against the Iraq War then this will provide Hagel with tremendous support in his campaign because he's the only one on the slate who was adamantly against the war.

The obvious question has to be asked: Are there any basic math skills required to work at NPR? For if 60% are against Bush's efforts in Iraq then 40% are not. And of those 40%, what percentage of them do you think might be Republicans? 90%? 95%? 99%? Whatever the exact amount, it doesn't speak very well for Hagel's chances.

I'm not much of a betting man but I am willing to bet Juan Williams $10,000 that Chuck Hagel will get absolutely nowhere with his campaign. And I'm willing to give him any odds he wishes.

Either Juan Williams never got past Grade 3 math or he feels his own political biases are more important than his journalistic integrity. In my country, our public CBC Radio has become a huge joke for its exceedingly blatant bias against anything right of centre. I would have expected something better from NPR.