How One journalist defines a 'staunch Republican'

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

By Brit Hume

Republican Defector?

Chicago Sun Times columnist Jennifer Hunter is taking heat for a recent story headlined "GOP Lawyer Sold on Dems." She wrote that after watching the top Democratic presidential candidates speak —one "staunch republican" lawyer said he will not vote for anyone from the GOP in 2008.

But federal election contribution records show the so-called "staunch republican" — Philadelphia attorney Jim Ronca— actually has contributed overwhelmingly to Democrats since 1994 — giving them more than $10,000 — to $1,250 for Republicans.

Hunter — who is married to the publisher of the Sun-Times — subsequently blamed the headline writer for emphasizing the Republican lawyer angle and critical readers for making the contributions an issue.