“President Bush and the Republicans should lay off Graeme Frost and all the other children who are getting health care . . . I thought I’d seen the depth of political partisanship and mean spiritedness but the Republicans and their right wing allies have really taken the cake this time."
Of course, it's not like the term "mean-spirited" does not have an honorable lineage in relation to the Republicans. Kentucky Democrats often refer to Republicans as "mean-spirited" Republicans.
And "mean-spirited" might still be a good term for regular Republicans.
But "mean-spirited" does not adequately capture the sick viciousness of the right-wing attack apparatus. In fact, what the right's been doing to the Frost family isn't unusual or distinctive at all. It's the same thing they did to 9-11 widows, Michael Schiavo, John Kerry, Max Cleland, gay people, the Alabama Democrats Rove attacked as pedophiles, and the impoverished black women the right used to stigmatize as "welfare queens.
In each case, the smear artists of the right sensed a smearing opportunity and moved in for the kill as if smearing was the only thing that made their lives worthwhile. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case for a lot of them. They smear, therefore they exist.
That's not mean-spiritedness, it's a particularly repulsive kind of sadism that the right confuses with toughness. As a type of politics, it's best characterized as the "politics of repulsiveness."
Posts
4 comments:
Senator Clinton probably has quite a few harsh words for these people in her private moments. Their tactics, both word and deed are beyond reprehensible. These are the most the most dangerous, poisonous,right-wing, extremists ever to wield power in the history of the United States. And that was an understatement.
Their influence is pervasive. This is so because they have hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on the political process. They control
most of what passes for news. Their
attack machine goes from Fox "News" to Rush Limbaugh,to the Drudge Report, to Ann Coulter and all over the place.
My view is that any person or movement or cause that these people oppose and/or critize must be doing something right. In an earlier post Ric, your premise was that Ann Coulter is the best friend of liberalism. I agreed and I feel the same about Limbaugh, Hannity, and all the others. I view their attacks on enlightened, progressive movements and leaders as a badge of honor to those causes and those leaders.
If they really cared about their country I might at least respect them if not their tactics. But it's not about patriotism with the leaders of this movement or their mouthpieces. Their only goal is aquisition of power and their method of aquisition is causing fear among those of us who tell the truth.
These people and their filthy movement diminish the humanity of the American people and tarnish the image of America around the world.
So yes Hillary's words were definately an understatment. I guess she subscribes to the idea that if we return insult for insult and attack for attack it only serves to further pollute public discourse. The right wing sycophants have done enough of that over time for all of us.
Timmah - What say you about Todd's comments?
Despite Caric, todd, Hillary complaining about attacks against the child, I have yet to see anyone do that. I have seen much criticism of the Dems trotting out a disabled 12 yr. old to be their mouthpiece and human shield. I have seen much criticism of the family allowing their children to be used in such a manner, and then being surprised that their might be a little pushback.
When you stroll past the truth, Caric and todd, do you laugh, or just flip it the ole' bird?
Jd, I largely agree with Todd, except tht I think he makes a mistake when he supposes Hannity and Libaugh and Coulter believe most of the stuff they rant about. Limbaugh cares about being cool and having cool people like him. He's always been the lonely outcast, ostracized from his well-liked father and feeling resentment for being the fat kid. Afterwards, he drifted like most loners, displaying a gift for gab and some damn strange politics. He learned people think righties are doomsday, dark, rage-filled folks, so he started making fun of the other side, rather crudely. He believes almost nothing about what he says. He's a DJ with a persecution complex, desperate for approval and resenting the fact he's not widely loved.
Coulter is just a bigot. She's clearly got some mental problems, but she had a gift for looking good and saying "honest" things. She chose a side a long time ago (like you and Jeff, JD) and she knows deep down what those people say when they are not in front of cameras. She is willing to say Jews should convert, Muslims should bombed, women shouldn't vote, etc because she knows she is the Jessie Helms if the 21st century. She appeals to the darkness inside of the righties (after all we have some darkness) and, refusing to bow to shame makes her rich.
Hannity is just a tool. He's the epitome of Roger Ailes and Lee Atwater attack politics. He has the ability to choose a side (your again) and he will literally say anything to see them win. After all, he has -- finally -- come out publicly in favor of Rudy. That's right our good Catholic boy who hates abortions, loves guns, and can't stand the gays, is supporting a man who opposes all of those. Why? His side, JD.
Besides the money is grand. Not only can he make a bundle being on TV, he gets around 8 million to on the radio, produces some coloring books for the fans, and then turns around and fleeces them for concerts "for the troops." (Seriously, he and North and their charity borders on fraudulent. They won't release their books, but outside audits have indicated less than 10% of the proceeds of those concerts go to scholarships. The rest goes to North and the "board.).
Simply put, JD, you come to the wrong person if you want to defend conservatives. My family is conservative and I find they know almost nothing about how government works. All they know is what they find out in church or on the radio. They're not stupid, but they have lives.
It's why I give you a pass most days.
Are there respectable conservatives in the world. Sure as hell are. Justice Scalia comes to mind. He's not a guy I would want as a judge, but his ideas are honest and frank and he's bright and articulate. He's the opposite of Thomas, who is a movement conservative using his politics to fight personal battles against classes of people he hates.
I guess I believe in humanity and, when I survey people, I find that almost anyone of education and culture has come to the same conclusions as I have. Someday, in describing America at this time, historians will have to explain who was behind the 30% of Americans and 20% of Brits which make up the internal right wing, and why those people were beyond reason.
In the end, I think they will settle on Faith, Money, and Race.
Go and look at Karl on the front page of PW, seething with rage because 80% of the world thinks a different way.
It's quite a phenomenon.
Post a Comment