September 2, 2009

Mason denounces baseless rumor

State Rep. Cory Mason denounced a rumor that he won't seek re-election.

"I have no plans to retire," said Mason, D-Racine, who is serving his second term in the state Assembly.

The rumor cropped up at a County Board meeting a few weeks back and has shown up on the RacinePost blogs as anonymous comments. We called Mason Wednesday to ask if we'd missed some kind of announcement about his political future.

Mason said he has no idea where the rumor started, but it definitely didn't start with him. He said he hasn't talked to anybody, including his wife, about leaving office in 2010.

The rumor is a classic journalism example of a person having to deny a negative. In journalism classes we call it the, "Do you beat your wife?" question. If the person denies the question, the story is, "So-and-so denies he beats his wife."

In this case, the story would read "Mason denies rumor that he won't seek re-election," a double-negative that reinforces an unfounded assumption.

We only report it here to cut off a rumor that seems to be spreading. Mason wasn't ready Wednesday to declare his candidacy in 2010, but everything he said suggested he'll pursue a third term.

So we're calling the suggestion that Mason won't run for re-election for what it is - an unsourced rumor lacking validity.

36 comments:

  1. Interesting will he next say he really is at redevelopment committee meetings?
    More then a few in the Racine Dem Party are saying the same thing, "Mason is not running"
    Be nice if he did run be the easiest to beat

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  2. Mason will stay to bulk the taxpayers out of more money. He doesn't even live in Racine County.

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  3. Kringle for All9/03/2009 7:18 AM

    If it anything about cutting or eliminatng government programs and lower taxes, Mason is against it. If it is about more government programs and "enhanced state revenue" Mason is for it. Pretty simple...if you are on the dole, you vote for this dude. If you stand on your own two feet, you don't.

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  4. I think Mason should reconsider.

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  5. Roland the Tommy Gunner9/03/2009 7:50 AM

    I belive that if Mason is not going to the meetings for City of Redevelopment Committee, The Mayor should remove him.

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  6. You might as well consider calling it quits Cory, save yourself the time and money. No way this kid gets re-elected... fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!

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  7. Robert Mugabe9/03/2009 8:35 AM

    Corry been good for Racine like Hamas has been good for Palestine

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  8. Maybe he will run for County Executive or Mayor.

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  9. Mason's Neighbor9/03/2009 9:17 AM

    I live in the city of Racine. Cory, his wife and daughter live next door to me. I saw him leave his house this morning before I left for work. If he doesn't live in Racine, County, then he has a darn good holograph.

    BTW, I lean towards Republican. I still think Cory has been good for Racine.

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  10. Did he really 'denounce' the rumor, or did he just refute it? The headline seems to be hyper-ventilating a bit compared to the content of the story.

    Seems to me that a more accurate and sober title might have been 'Mason refutes retirement rumor'.

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  11. Mason's philosophy is tax and spend.

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  12. 9:19 - isn't it spend, spend, spend, then TAX?

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  13. If he'll tax the corporate oligarchy and spend the money to help ordinary citizens, I'll support him. Our hyper-privileged elitists dodge property taxes galore and dump the burden on the rest of us. It's time we had a government capable of making the rich disgorge their ill-gotten gains.

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  14. If he'll tax the corporate oligarchy and spend the money to help ordinary citizens, I'll support him. Our hyper-privileged elitists dodge property taxes galore and dump the burden on the rest of us. It's time we had a government capable of making the rich disgorge their ill-gotten gains.

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  15. 9:17

    Are you Greg Helding or Dave Macck only a Rino would say that

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  16. Anon 9:51, you might want reconsider how you represent the "corporate oligarchy," because when you spew "ill-gotten gains" you are accusing them of attaining wealth through illegal actions. Not all corporations are Enron.

    As for Cory Mason, I hope he does run in the next election. After the disgraceful way he has NOT represented his constituents, proven himself to be a tax-and-spend liberal and a brown-nose for Doyle, he should be very easy to beat. Kind of like the way Bush handed the presidential election over on a silver platter to ANY democrat that would have run against him. Cory has done no less. We could run a cartoon character against him and Cory would probably lose.

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  17. "9:17 Are you Greg Helding or Dave Macck only a Rino would say that"

    Only RINOs are concerned about decptive headlines? I think not!

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  18. Cripes, we got one or two persons really repeatedly posting anti Mason crap. You look foolish.

    I hope Mason runs and beats out any opponent, again.

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  19. 1:59 - pull out your wallet - it's going to continue to cost you with him in office.

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  20. Dear 10:48 A.M., Perhaps not all corporations are Enron, but it's a safe way to bet. Nearly always, whenever you investigate a corporation, you'll find a porker-ation. I live and work for the day when the common man will send the oligarchic oinkers to the pig pens and keep them there.

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  21. Dear Kringle For All, Very few people can stand on their feet in a system whose corrupt rulers yank the economic rug out from under them. The only freedom worth having is emancipation from poverty and the misery it inflicts on its victims.

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  22. The ONLY reason this rumor got started is because Republicans do not stand a chance at retaking this Assembly seat unless Mason decides not to run. If Mason's in the race, he will defeat any Republican challenger.

    Also, 10:30 you are the most disgusting piece of Human garbage I have ever encountered. And this is exactly the reason why the Republican party comeback is not even in sight -- not even on the horizon yet. You cannot win elections by castrating Moderates. I know the base-conservatives shut up and get in line if their leaders shame them properly, but Moderates are not cowards, they don't just jump to attention when you accuse them of disloyalty. Conservatives keep trying to force the Moderates back into the coalition. That's not going to work. And getting angry and whiny isn't going to help the conservative case.

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  23. Mason is not running My understanding is that Polling shows not good things . once again The Post is providing cover for someone they like. As Mason and the Dems try to find someone to run for that seat.
    Why did The Post not ask why Mason is not attending committee meetings?

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  24. Pete why did you delete my post that your daughter works in Cory's office.

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  25. Anon 7:14: Actually, I didn't. If it's gone, Dustin must have removed it.

    I thought it an unnecessary personal intrusion, and that it carried untrue implications -- but it's true, and I'm proud of my daughter. Anyone who knows her or me knows that we both are our own people who would not abuse such a relationship.

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  26. Anon 7:14 - No posted was deleted.

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  27. Anon 7:14: MYSTERY SOLVED!

    You posted about my daughter on another article. It's still up. I'll await your apology.

    HERE. Scroll down to Sept. 2 at 6:52 a.m.

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  28. Anon 7:23, you better wake up and smell the coffee. Doyle and his liberal cronies are doing exactly what George W. did in the last election: handing the election over on a silver platter to whoever runs against them. Dummy Doyle and his liberal/socialist minions have all but ruined the state of Wisconsin. They continue to tax and spend on projects the citizens of Wisconsin don't want to support, they continue to socialize (or support socialization of) everything they can, they think it expedient to outsource work to Spain and leave our people unemployed, they continue to tax and over-regulate businesses until they pull up stakes and leave the state, they do nothing to provide incentives for new businesses to come to Wisconsin, they refuse to pass C&C laws so Wisconsin citizens can protect themselves, and they continue to NOT represent their constituents in the way they were elected to do.

    The conservative come back is not just over the horizon, or on the horizon, it's about stampede right over you. Open your eyes! And "conservative" doesn't just mean Republican. You would want to count the many, many centrist and right wing Democrats and independent conservatives right in with them. Look at the falling approval ratings of Dummy Doyle and that thing occupying the Oval Office. Adios liberals/socialist, in the next election.

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  29. Nope, Doyle hasn't ruined Wisconsin--the corporate porkers who really run the badnews Badger State are responsible. Here in Racine, we have a multi-billionaire clan of private-sector predators and loot-lackeys who've dodged property taxes galore. Don't think they didn't twist Doyle's arm to make him grant them the exemptions on two Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and a ridiculous shrine for a fake SICK-orsky seaplane. Because of those greedy grab-it-all-ists, the rest of us will be paying higher property taxes.

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  30. Wow, Pete your alittle thin skin when someone calls you out. You should remember that when your cheap shots, which is often.

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  31. 5:31, you are a just another dickless conservative coward. How can you rationalize calling Pete "thin skinned" when you don't even have the balls to use a poster ID. You have no balls. You are a eunuch.

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  32. Kim Possable9/07/2009 12:39 PM

    Mason should quit Redevelopment since he can not or will not go to the meetings.
    Sure The Mayor could find someone who want to server vs pad a resume.

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  33. No one doubts that Pete is proud of his daughter. That's why it seems a bit strange that he didn't disclose his family's working relationship with Cory Mason before another poster called him out. Wouldn't he want everyone to know?

    This is where some people who really appreciate the news service the Post provides feel uncomfortable endorsing the operation all the way.

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  34. Wow Mason finally had a good idea, not running again. Then to find out he says it was a rumor. Well maybe the old saying will come to pass that behind every rumor there is some fact.

    Hopefully, if he runs or not someone will run and win against him so we can get some representation for the district rather than just the governor and Madison getting representation from him.

    The real issue here is Cory's lack of representing us and being involved in Racine not where Pete's daughter works. Mason is the issue/problem not Pete's daughter.

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  35. Mason's mind is baseless.

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  36. "Mason Denounces Rumor" = Fact & it can be reported in a news story.

    "Mason Denounces 'Baseless' Rumor" = Opinion & it should be reported as Op-Ed.

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