Gee, why don’t more Hollywood conservatives come out of the closet? Well, part of the reason is that the only media pipe organ in Los Angeles is left of Fidel Castro, even more dishonest, and almost as mean. Nothing Ms. Heaton said at a recent Romney-Ryan campaign event in any way justifies this headline the L.A. Times, uhm, slammed her with: “Patricia Heaton slams California, Obama at Romney-Ryan rally.”

According to the Times’ own reporting, here’s what she said: “I live out in California, it’s a beautiful state with a lot of beautiful resources and wonderful people but it’s being run into the ground,” she said. “The taxes are out of control in California, the jobs are going down, businesses are fleeing, and that’s happening all around the country as you know.”

Heaton cited the nation’s debt, the high unemployment rates and the number of Americans on welfare, telling the crowd, “It doesn’t have to be that way.”

As you can see, Heaton praised California but did “slam” the policies that she knows are ruining her “beautiful state.”

Maybe it’s just an honest mistake. When right-of-center folks like Heaton think of a state, they think of its people and resources and landscape — all of which she expressed admiration for. When old-school socialists like the Times think of a state, though, they think of The Government, which Heaton rightfully criticizes.

But anyone familiar with the Times knows that, no matter how awful California’s gets, as long as the government is growing, increasing taxes, and ineffective, the Times has its back, because they wouldn’t have it any other way.

So in the eyes of the Times, if you criticize its precious, failed, bloated, ineffective, corrupt and crippled left-wing government, you’re attacking California.

Yep, honest mistake.

Because it certainly couldn’t have anything to do with a left-wing newspaper attempting to turn Californians against a conservative star.

The Times do that? Go on.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC