Politics brings out the worst in people. But that statement doesn't suggest politicians are evil beings - at least not all of them.

OK, maybe that wasn't my best-ever joke, but as a journalist I admit I have a bias when it comes to politics: I do not blindly trust any politician, regardless of party affiliation. And I look at elected and appointed officials the same way, even though I'm sure the percentage of honest and good politicians or officials is probably equal to most other career professions, such as journalism, health, legal affairs and sales.

But, in the political world, it seems easy to get caught up in shading or coloring the truth. Some believe it is a necessary evil to get elected and/or serve effectively. And in doing such, it is common to try to manipulate or use the media to portray the propaganda of positive, or negative, messages to the public.

One of the battlefields historically has been a newspaper's editorial page where points of view are not only expected but preferred. And letters to the editor or opinion pieces morph and breed when, like now, the political season is upon us.

So, this is an instructional column about submissions - political or otherwise - that will or won't be accepted for publication, not only from politicians and supporters, but the common woman or man.

The key to submission acceptance on the editorial page - a forum for democracy and different voices - is the depth/breadth of reader interest and relevance. But there are a number of other factors that will be considered in publication or rejection. Here are some of those guidelines:

n Submissions should be civil in discourse and meet community standards/norms.

n They should focus on one current issue or idea (preferably with local impact).

n Facts and information should be accurate, sourced/annotated and easily verified.

n The submission must be free of libel and innuendo.

n It should be an original work, not plagiarized or part of a letter-writing campaign.

n The content should stimulate or add to the public policy debate and community concerns.

n It should not include inflammatory statements or name calling.

n Full disclosure of a relationship or conflict with an issue, campaign or candidate must be included.

n Letters should not be written to promote a product or service.

Letters from politicians, elected officials and others who have ready access to the media and usually have more available resources to communicate with citizens (such as the ability to purchase advertising) are less likely to be used than those from "average citizens."

Those wishing to write letters in support of candidates should focus on the positives of their candidate, not the negatives of the opposition. Authors will be limited to one support letter until Oct. 27, when support letters will no longer be accepted. The final publication day for these letters will be Oct. 31.

Letters to the editor should be limited to 300 words. Few exceptions will be allowed. Writers must include their name, home address, work and home phone numbers for verification purposes.

Since the letters column is intended for discussion of public issues, letters of thanks will generally not be accepted; nor will poetry. We also reserve the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity, good taste and, on occasion, factual accuracy.

Because of the volume of letters the Tribune receives, and wanting to provide access to as many people as possible, letter writers are limited to two publications a month. E-mail is the preferred submission format (letters@;bismarcktribune.com) and attachments must be ASCII text files. Letters can also be mailed to Bismarck Tribune, Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 5516, Bismarck, N.D. 58506 or faxed to 223-2063.

Finally, strong views or espousing any particular philosophy wil not preclude the use of a letter. A letter to the editor is your opinion, not necessary that of the newspaper.

(You can reach editor John Irby at 250-8266 or john.irby@;bismarcktribune.com and go to www.bismarcktribune.com/blog/?wthepaper&e_id2671/ to read his blog.)