The Thumbs! column on the Forum page has become a nonsensical rant that strays from the virtues of good commentary. Not only is Thumbs! pointless and unnecessarily nasty; it’s also littered with factual errors.

The golden rule of opinion writing is that it has to have a point. Lately most of the thumbs have had no point at all, like Monday’s sarcastic thumbs-up to the library for its new collection of airline menus. Also, the thumbs down to “squirrels” for being “fiercer, harder, tougher, better, greater, faster, awesomer, stronger and other adjectives-er than normal squirrels.” Is this supposed to be funny? You’re comparing “squirrels” to “normal squirrels.” Huh?

The snarky thumbs down to Valerie Plame Wilson actually did have a point, but it wasn’t reasoned. The Daily criticized her for stipulating that her hotel couldn’t be in Evanston. Perhaps this is excessive, but speakers and performers regularly make odd demands. Had The Daily inquired, it could have learned that one of last year’s Dillo Day performers demanded three different kinds of organic jam, and another insisted that Mayfest purchase a collection of Vitamin Water. Two years ago, speaker Ralph Nader refused to stay at a Best Western and would only ride in an American car.

In contextualizing the Wilson event, the writer asserted that former Vice Presidential Chief of Staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby is in prison. I wish this were true, but President Bush commuted Libby’s sentence on July 2.

Readers deserve better than this vapid commentary. Forum editors are in a unique position to shape campus debate, but they are abusing their power. I know they are capable of better.

– david spett

Medill senior

Former Daily public editor