Republicans, MZone snipe as election nears

WASHINGTON (from MZone wire reports) - Growth in productivity skidded to a standstill during the late summer in the United States and many Republicans are blaming the MZone just days before the mid-term elections.

The latest data reveals productivity, the amount of output per hour of work, showed no growth at all from July through September. Growth was just 1.3 percent over the past 12 months, the weakest showing in nine years. And that 12 month time frame, Republicans are quick to point out, just happens to coincide with the start of the college football website, MichiganZone.net.

"The MZone is soft on productivity," said Sen. Rick Santorum at a campaign stop outside Philadelphia. The Pennsylvannia Republican, locked in a tight re-election race, has already shot ads blasting the MZone. In the spots, set to air the final weekend of the campaign, Santorum claims the MZone is run by a bunch of "cut and runners" who "start things like the Blog Co-ed Showdown but never finish. They suck you into this blog but don't follow through. And that's not good for America."

The latest controversy was further inflamed when MZone co-editor-in-chief Benny Friedman, spoke to a group of college students Monday and said, "You know education, if you make the most of it, and you study hard, and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck going to Ohio State."

After initial outcry over his remarks, Friedman apologized for what he claims was merely a "botched joke."

"That's why I do all the Photoshop stuff on the site," said Friedman. "I'm not real good with words and stuff."

While this had nothing to do with productivity, the war in Iraq or any other issue of importance, sensing a great sound bite that would make for easy talk show fodder, Republicans were quick to pounce.

Speaking at a rally in Georgia, President Bush said Benny's comments were "insulting" and "shameful" to Buckeyes across America. "The Buckeye Nation are plenty smart for people who aren't too bright, and plenty brave when they're drunk and outnumber Wolverines on Lane Avenue 10,000 to one. And that blogger from the MZone owes them an apology," said Bush.

Even Democrats were distancing themselves from the MZone. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry said he understood Benny was simply making a joke before the big Michigan-Ohio State game on November 18th. However, that was no excuse. "I was for the MZone before I turned against it," said Kerry.