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| The “worst person in the world” speaks out |
| 2007-10-05 |
| Jonah Goldberg, National Review Keith Olbermann, MSNBC’s answer to a question no one asked, declared this week that I’m the “worst person in the world.” Worse than Kim Jong Il. Worse than the Burmese thugocracy. Worse than Paeleostinian suicide bombers. Worse than Michael Vick or Paris Hilton. Worse, even, than Keith Olbermann. This is not as bad as it might seem. It’s sort of like being called uncool by the asthmatic assistant recording secretary of the high-school chess team. Zing! I’m the worst person in the world — the designation is apparently a nightly feature of Olbermann’s show — because during a Fox News interview about the current idiotic Rush Limbaugh flap, I said that conservatives don’t actually question the patriotism of liberals, they merely call attention to the statements of liberals. . . . Anyway, the point I’d been trying to make was that liberals routinely and righteously condemn the “questioning” of anyone’s patriotism — until they have a chance to do it themselves. For example, in the debates over the formation of the Department of Homeland Security and the passage of Patriot Act, Democrats accused George Bush and the GOP leadership of questioning Democrats’ patriotism. But they never did any such thing. Rather, Democrats asserted that Republican criticism of their opposition was tantamount to questioning their patriotism. John Kerry was the all-time champ of this sort of thing. He routinely insinuated that criticisms of his positions on national defense were tantamount to McCarthyism. Indeed, like Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent, Kerry could psychically predict the reaction before it happened. Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations, he prophesied, “I know what the Bush apologists will say to this — that it is unpatriotic to question, to criticize and to call for change.” This in itself is a backhanded way to question the patriotism of your opponents. After all, to liberals, Joe McCarthy is synonymous with “un-American.” So, by preemptively and wantonly declaring any criticism to be McCarthyite dirty pool, Democrats are questioning the patriotism of their opponents in order to silence dissent (they play a similar preemption game with charges of racism as well). But Democrats did worse than merely question the patriotism of their opponents; they flat-out denied it. Sen. Bob Graham called Bush’s war policy “anti-patriotic at the core.” Kerry dubbed Bush’s “creed of greed” — you guessed it — “unpatriotic.” Howard Dean, the nearly invisible chairman of the Democratic National Committee, used to get himself into those I’m-turning-into-the-Hulk rages over the merest hint that Republicans questioned the patriotism of Democrats. But he saw nothing wrong with righteously proclaiming that John Ashcroft “is no patriot. He’s a direct descendant of Joseph McCarthy.” It's even worse when they're talking to each other and don't think the rest of us are listening. Over at Kos or DU or RabidDogLake (and even in the comment sections at quasi-respectable places like TNR) there are innumerable references to "Likudniks" and the "PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel" and so forth--and you really don't want to see some of the stuff they say about "Jew" Lieberman's alleged loyalties. And now with Rush Limbaugh, Democrats, starting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, are lining up to call the radio host “unpatriotic” and do whatever they can to discredit him. Now, the fact that no serious person actually thinks Limbaugh really or intentionally called soldiers dissenting on the war “phony” doesn’t matter to the Democrats. Rather, they’re just gleeful to play the pot to Limbaugh’s kettle. Never mind that it’s unfair and dishonest, never mind that what they’re doing is far closer to the McCarthyism they routinely denounce, never mind that such Limbaugh-lynching Democratic senators as John Kerry and Dick Durbin have suggested, respectively, that American troops are “terrorizing kids” in Iraq and are akin to the torture masters of Nazi Germany or Pol Pot’s “mad regime.” All that matters is that Democrats get a free hand — thank you, mainstream media — to do what they’ve spent years denouncing as the worst, lowest form of politics. And, unlike Republicans in most cases, the Democrats actually know they are lying. They just don’t care. But don’t take my word for it. I’m the worst person in the world. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #7 It is amazing to me that the left would even try this with Rush since it is well known that he supports the military and their mission. This is the same tactic that the Clintons attempted during the 92 election. They tried to start rumors that GHWB was a womanizer (like Wee Willie Winkie), but it didn't stick because it was obvious that this isn't who Bush is. Imagine another eight years of Clinton War Room. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2007-10-05 22:15 |
| #6 RUSH > STALINISTS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE US LEFT. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-10-05 21:19 |
| #5 Dan Patrick had the talent. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2007-10-05 18:52 |
| #4 He may not be the worst person in the world but he certainly is one of the most boring. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-10-05 17:50 |
| #3 Who the hell is Keith Olbermann? He has a show? |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2007-10-05 16:41 |
| #2 Keith Doberman? |
| Posted by: Highlander 2007-10-05 15:09 |
| #1 While the right hand is arguing with Mr. Limbaugh and consuming mountains of air time about what he said or not, what's the left hand doing? |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2007-10-05 14:46 |