If anything, we can thank Joe Biden for being instrumental in preventing nutjob conservative Robert Bork from being on the Supreme Court.
Later, in closing the debate, the Judiciary Committee chairman said: ”This has been a great debate, a debate about fundamental principle, about how one interprets the Constitution.”
Senator Biden repeated the statement with which he opened Judge Bork’s confirmation hearings last month, and which he has made a theme for the entire proceeding. ”I believe I have rights because I exist, in spite of my government, not because of my government,” he said. ”Judge Bork believes that rights flow from the majority, through the Constitution to individuals, a notion I reject.”
UPDATE: Not surprisingly, the McCain campaign is selectively editing Sen. Biden’s words. And the AP’s Ron Fournier, who was approached to be a flack for John McCain, seems to still be auditioning for a job with Team McMansion.
Related
Vice President Biden Responds The Only Way You Can To The Current GOP
Joe Biden: Line Of The Night
Malarkey Watch
Great reference, Oliver.
Borking was necessary! I didn’t know at the time how evil and corrupt “Judge Bork’s” thought processes were until I read part of his later books. You don’t have to read far to see his hatred and bias.
“Nutjob”? You nailed it. He ranks up there with the author of Mein Kampf IMHO. At least in literary output. If you followed his logic, police would have a right to torture in public before trial, slavery would be reinstated with even poor white folks like me included under the whip. I guess he wasn’t racist, he just thought we should go back to the founding principles. ‘Free Labor’ could be 12 hour work days if management bought enough judges like the “intentionalists” allowed would be the new work day under a Bork heaven. Maybe I enthuse too much? Perhaps, but then Mein Kampf didn’t go so far on the Jewish Problem as much as Bork said about the Liberal Problem. Eliminate them as far as he was concerned. No wonder Reagan loved him so.
But from the article you noted, even a Republican pithly described Bork in unsentimental fashion (and thus the Far Right of AmeriKa:
“Senator Warner, who once served as a law clerk for a former chief judge on the court where Mr. Bork now sits, said that he wanted to support the nominee. However, he said: ”I searched the record. I looked at this distinguished jurist, and I cannot find in him the record of compassion, of sensitivity and understanding of the pleas of the people to enable him to sit on the highest Court of the land.”
I like this Joe, more and more.
Thx, Oliver.
“Nutjob”? You nailed it. He ranks up there with the author of Mein Kampf IMHO.
A comparison of a conservative to Hitler by a left wing dork. Wow. That’s nothing we haven’t seen before.
Now that I got past that heap of stupid, let me say that I have no problem with Bork not being on the Supreme Court. For whatever reason, this “strict constructionist” had the most asinine view of the second amendment. His replacement was Anthony Kennedy and he proved to be worth his salt in the Heller vs. DC decision.
“A comparison of a conservative to Hitler by a left wing dork”. Wow. That’s nothing we haven’t seen before”.
I’m sure you’re as equally upset when conservative scumbags compare liberals they disagree with to Hitler. Guess who Ann Coulter and Ben Stein have compared Obama to? Anyway, in terms of usage of Nazi comparisons against political and ideological opponents, Rush Limbaugh basically “started it” with “feminazis”. He even had the good taste (not) to use that term against a Jewish woman (Gloria Allred).
I’m sure you’re as equally upset when conservative scumbags compare liberals they disagree with to Hitler. Guess who Ann Coulter and Ben Stein have compared Obama to?
I don’t care who does it. It’s wrong.
Anyway, in terms of usage of Nazi comparisons against political and ideological opponents, Rush Limbaugh basically “started it” with “feminazis”.
Rush Limbaugh is a radio talk show host. It’s not right, but it cannot be compared to members of Congress (Robert Byrd, Pete Stark, Mahor Owens, etc) comparing Republicans to Nazis or when the Chairman of the NAACP does it as well.
“I don’t care who does it. It’s wrong”.
You’re sarcastic “that’s nothing we haven’t seen before” response to a left-winger (in this case, datadive) comparing a right-winger (in this case, Bork) to Hitler basically implied that only liberals use Nazi comparisons against conservatives and that the reverse situation rarely, if ever, occurs.
“Rush Limbaugh is a radio talk show host. It’s not right, but it cannot be compared to members of Congress (Robert Byrd, Pete Stark, Mahor Owens, etc) comparing Republicans to Nazis or when the Chairman of the NAACP does it as well”.
Datadive isn’t a member of Congress or the Charmain of the NAACP, but you criticized him for his Nazi comparison. The above quote only makes sense if I was defending Byrd or Stark or Owens or Bond (the chairman of the NAACP) for their “Republicans-are-Nazis” comments by defensively mentioning that Limbaugh compares liberals and Democrats to Nazis as well. That isn’t the case here.
Limbaugh is far more powerful, and influences far more voters, than any one member of Congress or even the head of the NAACP.That’s why it’s valid to mention that he “started it.”
Biden and others did our country a great service by making sure that kook Bork never got on the SCOTUS. And, here’s hoping McCain chooses the Mittster as his running mate. Biden will clean his clock.
Jay, complaining about a perceived ad hominem attack with an ad hominem attack earns you an ad hominem attack: Jay, you’re a fascist nutjob apparently looking for brownie points from the McMorewar camp.
Republicans were collaborating with the Nazi’s while the Democrats were arming and preparing to successful fight fascism on two shores. That’s historical fact.
Jay, It’s understandable that you’re reflexively siding with the fascists, you’re explicitly a violent extremist that worships guns, even using the image of the gun to eclipse the Constitution.
If you stopped stroking your gun and set it aside long enough to READ the Constitution you would recognize a serial betrayal of it’s contents by the right-wing going back decades. Stop putting bullet holes in our Constitution and start defending the Constitution.
You’re sarcastic “that’s nothing we haven’t seen before” response to a left-winger (in this case, datadive) comparing a right-winger (in this case, Bork) to Hitler basically implied that only liberals use Nazi comparisons against conservatives and that the reverse situation rarely, if ever, occurs.
I didn’t imply anything. What I wrote is very clear. The fact that inferred something else from it is your problem. Not mine.
Datadive isn’t a member of Congress or the Charmain of the NAACP, but you criticized him for his Nazi comparison.
Yeah, and?
The above quote only makes sense if I was defending Byrd or Stark or Owens or Bond (the chairman of the NAACP) for their “Republicans-are-Nazis” comments by defensively mentioning that Limbaugh compares liberals and Democrats to Nazis as well. That isn’t the case here.
Dude, YOU were the one who brought up other people.
Limbaugh is far more powerful, and influences far more voters, than any one member of Congress
That has to be the stupidest thing I have ever read. You’re saying that a TALK RADIO HOST has more influence over things than Robert Byrd. You do realize that at this time, Byrd is third in line to assume the Presidency behind the Speaker of the House and VP? And you’re saying that Rush Limbaugh is more powerful that him. That’s just DUMB man.
And, here’s hoping McCain chooses the Mittster as his running mate. Biden will clean his clock.
Right. Biden of the two failed Presidency attempts. He couldn’t even clean the clocks of other Democrats.
If this were any of the other candidates picking Biden to be their Veep, this would be a very good pick. But Obama making the selection is a boggler.
What are the two things Obama based his campaign on?
* opposition of the Iraq War
* Hope & Change
And what better way to fill out the ticket and push those themes than a white-haired Washington Insider who not only voted for the War, but was (along with Lieberman) one of the Democrat’s most vocal cheerleaders thereof. Obama just invalidated the two central premises of his campaign. And when you take that away, there’s not much left.
Jay, imagine a scenario where Byrd assumes the presidency. Not one of the fevered “ticking time bomb” scenarios that Republicans love to worry about, but a realistic one. One in which the Speaker and the VP get taken out at the same time as the POTUS.Is it gonna happen?
Now, think about the fact that 20 million dittoheads hang on every word Limpballs says, every weekday.
Who has more influence, Limpballs or Byrd?
Oh, and Jay? Biden was debating OTHER DEMOCRATS. I think he will easily clean the Mittster’s clock. I assume you disagree.
“I didn’t imply anything”.
If you wrote something more broad (”A person comparing someone he has ideological differences with to Hitler. Wow. That’s nothing we haven’t seen before”), then I would agree with you. But you didn’t. You specifically decided to go the conservative victimhood route (”great, another liberal making Nazi comparisons regarding another conservative”), thereby implying that these inappropriate slurs are only hurled in one ideological direction.
“I think he will easily clean the Mittster’s clock. I assume you (Jay) disagree”.
Well, I agree anyway. It’s interesting that the Mittster is brought up, since one of the complaints about Obama by some on the right is his limited time as an elected official. If you count his days in the state Legislature, Obama has several more years under his belt as an elected official than Romney does as a one-term governor.
One wonders when we’ll be able to just put to bed the Nazi comparison. Yeah, yeah, if the shoe fits, I know. But it almost never fits – especially not in the United States but not most other places either.
I’m going to start using Vlad the Impaler comparisons, see if that catches on.
“Rush Limbaugh is a radio talk show host. It’s not right, but it cannot be compared to members of Congress (Robert Byrd, Pete Stark, Mahor Owens, etc) comparing Republicans to Nazis or when the Chairman of the NAACP does it as well.”
In other words, it’s wrong to compare people to Nazis but it’s worse when liberals and democrats do it.
“In other words, it’s wrong to compare people to Nazis, but it’s worse when liberals and democrats do it”.
That seems to be Jay’s attitude exactly, fafaroo. Think will see any WizBang posts criticizing Ann Coulter for comparing Obama to Hitler? Yeah, right, you’re more likely to see Pope Benedict at a Marilyn Manson concert.
Fling.
Whirr.
SPLAT!
Run to Mommy, rinse, return, repeat. Ad infinitum, ad nauseam, until Jay and his Jizzwank brethren get it – which is never.
Next?
Whatever you say Bruce. I’m sure Limbaugh will be happy to know what he has more power than the highest ranking member of the Senate. That’s awesome.
And once again Daniel, I didn’t imply anything. You, like so many others that comment around here have issues. You read a comment and of course, there isn’t just what was written in the comment. Oh no. There’s some huge dark expansive meaning behind what was written. That’s you clowns are always writing, “This is what you really meant” and “You were saying this” and “I know this is what you’re saying!” It’s lame and I’m not going to spend time trying to convince you otherwise because it’s a complete waste of time.
In other words, it’s wrong to compare people to Nazis but it’s worse when liberals and democrats do it.
Perfect. Just perfect. Exhibit A offered up by resident doofus Fafaroo. Good work dude. Thanks for proving my point.
And Randy, you’re a twit.
“I don’t care who does it. It’s wrong. ”
What part of this statement do you not fucking comprehend, daniel?
Does he need to sing it for you to get it through your skull?
Jay, I suppose what I should have said is that Limbaugh has a huge daily audience of adoring zombies and Byrd does not. Sue me, I’m not the best writer in the world.
I realize Byrd wields great legislative power. What he can’t do is mobilize legions of retarded minions to participate in nefarious schemes like “Operation Chaos.”
Being third in line to be POTUS is kind of like being third in line to be King of England. Does anyone know who that is?
Limbaugh’s not the first to encourage primary shenanigans, as stupid as that was. And what makes you think his listeners are ‘zombies?’ Because they don’t know the nuts and bolts of a policy or candidate they support? Plenty of conservatives refer to Obama supporters as zombies for that very reason.
“Exhibit A offered up by resident doofus Fafaroo.”
Yes, of course, Jay. You cut Rush slack, because while it’s wrong to compare people to Nazis, at least Rush doesn’t have that much influence over people, unlike the monstrous sway that Robert Byrd, Peter Stark, Major Owens and whoever the hell is the head of the NAACP have over the lives average Americans.
First of all, if it’s categorically wrong to compare people to Nazis, what difference does someone’s influence have to do with it? If it’s wrong it’s wrong and all examples can be compared equally.
Second, I suppose it’s only a coincidence that all the people you say simply “cannot be compared” to Rush because of their enormous influence, are all liberals and democrats.
It’s just a natural fact of the contemporary world that the representative of New York’s 11th congressional district has vastly more power to influence people’s opinions than a nationally syndicated radio host with an audience in the millions.
As for Robert Byrd having more power than Rush, just what kind of power are you talking about? The power to pass legislation? Um, yeah, last time I checked Rush can’t vote on legislation in the senate. But if you’re talking about the power to influence public AND senate opinion about this or that bill, you’re fucking kidding yourself. Comparisons to Nazism are damaging precisely because they influence public opinion and debate regardless of the actual policy details in a bill. Byrd has much more influence over the latter than he does the former, which takes place all over the media at all levels, far beyond Byrd’s ability to push the discussion this way or that way.
If Byrd gives a speech in the Senate how many people will hear it watching CSPAN? You can’t even compare CSPAN’s audience to Limbaugh’s.
At the same time, Limbaugh has a great influence over the debates that occur in the Senate because conservative politicians know the influence he has over his audience. Fuck, were you not paying attention to the Dem primaries? Limbaugh’s “operation chaos” may or may not have influenced the votes but he attracted of hell of a lot more attention on the national media stage than anyone like Byrd did. Bush and Cheney themselves have appeared on his show multiple times over the last eight years. Why? Because they know that Limbaugh can move citizens to take this or that action, or sway their opinions of this or that issue or controversy. They run to him when they’re in trouble to shore up their political base. Who the hell runs to Robert Byrd to reach an audience of millions? No one.
C’mon, man. You said something stupid. Just admit it and let it go.
You cut Rush slack
Lie.
First of all, if it’s categorically wrong to compare people to Nazis, what difference does someone’s influence have to do with it? If it’s wrong it’s wrong and all examples can be compared equally.
Once again, you (like so many other leftists) don’t see things in context. I thought it was conservatives that only see things in black and white? Rush Limbaugh is a radio talk show host. He has no power to craft laws, to vote on legislation, to allocate money or to do anything that a member of Congress can do. That’s why it is far more reaching in terms of public discourse, worse when a MEMBER OF FUCKING CONGRESS compares the President or the GOP to Nazis. Neither is right Fafaroo. Neither. But it is completely irresponsible and reprehensible for men who are elected not only to represent their districts and/or states, but also their country to make such comparisons.
It kills me that you cannot see the difference here.
Second, I suppose it’s only a coincidence that all the people you say simply “cannot be compared” to Rush because of their enormous influence, are all liberals and democrats.
Here we go again. Fafaroo and his Ouija board determined that I was doing it for some sinister reason! Hey, if you have any examples of Republican congressmen comparing Democrats to Nazis, I’ll call them out. Do you have any? I was able to name Democrats and liberals pretty easily because they’ve done it so much. I did quick search and I couldn’t find anything. If they have, then their actions are just as shameful as that of Byrd, Stark et al and Rush Limbaugh doing it doesn’t compare to them either.
It’s just a natural fact of the contemporary world that the representative of New York’s 11th congressional district has vastly more power to influence people’s opinions than a nationally syndicated radio host with an audience in the millions.
Talk show host. United States Congressman.
Yes, the guy on the radio has more power. How can anybody be this dumb?
I’m not going to address anything else because I cannot lower myself to the depths of such stupidity.
Fafaroo – Thinks radio talk show hosts have more power than the man third in line to the Presidency.
Wow. I mean…….WOW.
Again, I should have used the word “influence” and left out the phrase “far more power”.
That said, and despite Jay’s refusal to acknowledge it, Limbaugh still has more influence over millions of Americans’ opinions, and hence the debate, than Robert Byrd, whether he’s 3rd in line or not. And, it’s still valid to say that “Rush started it.”
Now Jay has stomped his widdle foot and said we’re all stupid,so he’s taking his keyboard and going home. So sad. Please don’t be mad, Jay!
Parhenon, I call Dittoheads “zonbies” because I interact with dozens of them in my job on a daily basis, and it’s an apt, if not perfect, description. But I apologize if you find it offensive. However, I stand behind my use of the phrase “retarded minions.”
I’m not offended in the least. I just disagree. Not zombies, it’s just that, to his median listener, principle is more important than practicality.
“He (Rush Limbaugh) has no power to craft laws, to vote on legislation, to allocate money, or to do anything that a member of Congress can do”.
True, but the same thing applies to the generic head of the NAACP (unless he/she is also a member of Congress, which Julian Bond is not), and yet you lumped the person holding that title in with Stark, Owens, and Byrd. If anything, Rush Limbaugh is probably a more iconic and influential figure on the right than Julian Bond is on the left. Kind of takes away your “Well, it’s worse when elected officials do it” argument, doesn’t it?
Even conceding that Jay thinks it is equally wrong for Republicans/conservatives to compare Democrats/liberals to Nazis as the reverse taking place, it is pretty clear that he’s only going to complain about it (as he did with datadave) when the latter takes place.
Parthenon, if by “principle” you mean “stubborn, willful refusal to acknowledge facts that one finds inconvenient”, or “ability to be hypnotized by a baritone voice claiming incessantly that whire male Christians are victims of persecution”,or “mean-spirited bigotry and homophobia combined with a weird hatred of women”, then I’m with ya, dude.
“Fafaroo – Thinks radio talk show hosts have more power than the man third in line to the Presidency.”
Jay, if Sen. Byrd ever tried to push through legislation branding this or that group of American citizens Nazis, you might have a point. we’re not talking about political power here. But, of course, he’s never done that and never would.
So whether Byrd is third in line to be president or not is entirely irrelevant to the kind of power we’re talking about which is the power to sway public opinion and perception.
You’ve already admitted that Limbaugh has more power in this arena and you hold him to a lower standard than you do Byrd.
Byrd can call someone a Nazi on CSPAN and he’s being “irresponsible and reprehensible.” Limbaugh can do the same thing daily with an audience of millions and he’s wrong but not irresponsible? Really?
And, Jay, if you want to find the equivalent of Dems calling someone a Nazi, try looking for Republicans who regularly refer to Democrats and other American citizens as Stalinists, communists or socialists. In the conservative mind, this is even worse than calling someone a Nazi, afterall, because the communists killed more people. Or am I wrong on that front? Is calling someone a communist, when you consider communism the most heinous ideology the world has ever know, no big deal?
This is interesting, Jay, here’s McCain in 2000 referring to suporters of George Bush as a Stalinists:
Invoking images of Communist repression, Senator John McCain called today on Gov. George W. Bush to stop Bush supporters in New York State from challenging Mr. McCain’s petition to appear on New York presidential primary ballots.
…
”We all know that the Berlin wall is down,” Mr. McCain said as he rode a campaign bus between events here. ”People should be able to get on the ballot in states. I’m sure that if Governor Bush told them, don’t do that, don’t remove McCain’s name, they would respond. Everybody knows that I am a legitimate candidate. I should be on the ballot.”
…
”Let’s not have the kind of Stalinist politics that the state of New York, the Republican Party, has been practicing,” he told reporters after a speech to the State Legislature in Concord, N.H.”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04EEDA123AF937A25752C0A9669C8B63
So McCain evoked Stalinism and communist repression when referring to Bush supporters in 2000. He was, obviously, a Senator at the time and while not in line for the presidency, he was running for it. Irresponsible and reprehensible? Or whatever?
Hey Jay,
I am glad you flavor this place. And Oliver, thanks again for keeping an open mind and comments section. We suspect we’re all bored of just hearing our own ‘types of people’.
Jay, if you couldn’t tell, I was just doing the ‘over-the-top’ generalizing I’ve met in most of the right’wing wedsites I’ve visited. You seem to agree somewhat the maybe Bork was too extreme, but maybe haven’t read Mein Kampf (or some portion of it in translation). I admit I am not an expert, but reading Bork did it for me like Mein Kampf did and Hitler didn’t even focus on the Jews as much as Bork did upon the evil that Liberals do to our Nation.
Does, ’surrender monkey’ ring a bell? Or Traitors? Or who lost the Vietnam war?
If you tried listening to Rush Limbaugh more closely you’d see why “liberals” have much to worry about the Right. Try replacing the term “Liberal” with “Jew” on every broadcast of Rush et al and would sound like what Hitler spouted on the radio in Germany during the 30s. A recent friendly interview of Rush by the NYTimes actually revealed more than Rushmo would have liked…as his racist fanatically right-wing Lawyer father totally initiated Rush into the Far Right’s dogma and Rush, being ill-educated and incredibly lazy (as his mom said), just picked up on it and added his trademark (and admittedly ‘genius’) humor to it.
Oh, just a radio host? Like the German propaganda machine (backed with armed thugs) didn’t work then? Just what happened to those “Jews” (and “liberals”) btw? The only difference here is that the ‘armed thugs’ aren’t worried enough to do anything so violent as it’s opposition is so mild in America.
And Jesse Helms was a TV commentator on WRAL-TV5 (Raleigh, NC), before he ran for Senate in 1972. He regularly preached segregation and “state’s rights” every freaking weeknight for years.
Jay, if Sen. Byrd ever tried to push through legislation branding this or that group of American citizens Nazis, you might have a point. we’re not talking about political power here. But, of course, he’s never done that and never would.
Horseshit. That’s an absurd line of reasoning. So what you’re saying is Senator Elizabeth Dole for instance, could compare Barack Obama to a serial killer but just as long as she’s not introducing legislation saying so, then it’s ok.
That’s some logic dude.
So whether Byrd is third in line to be president or not is entirely irrelevant to the kind of power we’re talking about which is the power to sway public opinion and perception.
Actually, we’re talking about power, period. But if you want to get technical, it still doesn’t matter. Limbaugh’s comments affect, what 1.6% of the total population? The legislation that Byrd signs on to affects the entire country and there’s just no place for a member of Congress to be comparing the President of the United States to Adolph Hitler.
You’ve already admitted that Limbaugh has more power in this arena and you hold him to a lower standard than you do Byrd.
Radio talk show host. United States Senator.
Byrd can call someone a Nazi on CSPAN and he’s being “irresponsible and reprehensible.” Limbaugh can do the same thing daily with an audience of millions and he’s wrong but not irresponsible? Really?
Who said it’s not irresponsible? But again. Radio talk show host. United States Senator. When Randi Rhodes decided it would be ‘witty’ to play sounds of gunfire while comparing President Bush to Fredo Corleone and saying somebody should take him fishing, it was irresponsible. Ok? But are you going to tell me it wouldn’t be worse for a member of Congress to say the same thing?
It just ASTOUNDS me dude that you don’t see the difference here. It proves you really are nothing but a partisan hack.
And, Jay, if you want to find the equivalent of Dems calling someone a Nazi, try looking for Republicans who regularly refer to Democrats and other American citizens as Stalinists, communists or socialists.
Where? Show me Republicans who have routinely “regularly” call Democrats Stalinists and communists. And tough with the socialists. Many Democrats are supportive of a socialist form of democracy. In a system where government pretty much controls everything, that’s socialism.
Try replacing the term “Liberal” with “Jew” on every broadcast of Rush et al and would sound like what Hitler spouted on the radio in Germany during the 30s.
But he’s not saying ‘Jew’ so that’s irrelevant. And Rush Limbaugh has been nationally syndicated for nearly TWENTY YEARS. If the man was as dangerous as you claim, something would have happened already. As usual, liberals elevate Limbaugh to a status that just doesn’t exist.
I’m still waiting for the WizBang posts to excoriate Coulter and Stein for comparing Obama to Hitler.
So what you’re saying is Senator Elizabeth Dole for instance, could compare Barack Obama to a serial killer but just as long as she’s not introducing legislation saying so, then it’s ok.
No. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying if Rush Limbaugh compared Obama to a serial killer it would just as bad as if Sen. Dole did it. It’s your logic that leads you to conclude one is worse than the other.
Who said it’s not irresponsible?</i?
Well for starters, you haven’t, yet. Indeed, you drew a distinction between Limbaugh and Byrd based on the fact that Byrd’s public office made his comments “irresponsible and reprehensible.”
Show me Republicans who have routinely “regularly” call Democrats Stalinists and communists.
Oh christ. Really? Are you talking elected Republican officials or can we exclude the entirety of the right wing punditocracy and noise machine?
I’ll also just note for the record that you have no comment on McCain calling Bush’s supporters Stalinists in 2000. Why is that, Jay?
You know I’m curious, Jay. Why did you feel the need to make up a scenario involving Sen Dole referring to Obama as a serial killer when there’s the perfectly apt and real example of McCain refering to the New York Republican Party and Bush’s supporters as Stalinists?
Could you address the McCain example, please? Was McCain being irresponsible and reprehensible? Yes or no.
“Limbaugh’s comments affect, what 1.6% of the total population? The legislation that Byrd signs on to affects the entire country and there’s just no place for a member of Congress to be comparing the President of the United States to Adolph Hitler.”
This is also interesting. You criticize my logic separating legislative power from the power to sway public opinion. But here you conflate the two, comparing apples and oranges. Byrd can call anyone he wants a Nazis and still pass responsible and reasonable legislation, right? Unless you want to suggest that someone who calls someone a Nazi has no business writing legislation, I’d ask you, what business does someone who compares millions of American women to Nazis doing on the public airwaves?
Free speech is a defense for both Byrd and Limbaugh, Jay.
“When Randi Rhodes decided it would be ‘witty’ to play sounds of gunfire while comparing President Bush to Fredo Corleone and saying somebody should take him fishing, it was irresponsible. Ok?”
No, Jay. It isn’t okay. You’ve once again singled out a liberal to call irresponsible. If Rhandi Rhodes is irresponsible, surely, Rush Limbaugh is by the same criteria.
Is it so fucking hard for you to write the sentence: “Rush Limbaugh is irresponsible and reprehensible?”
“Many Democrats are supportive of a socialist form of democracy. In a system where government pretty much controls everything, that’s socialism.”
That’s just pitiful, Jay. Many? Is that like the same as “several”?
Republicans were collaborating with the Nazi’s while the Democrats were arming and preparing to successful fight fascism on two shores. That’s historical fact.
*cough cough* Prescott Bush *cough cough*
No. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying if Rush Limbaugh compared Obama to a serial killer it would just as bad as if Sen. Dole did it. It’s your logic that leads you to conclude one is worse than the other.
Bzzzt! Wrong again. You’re talking one being “worse than the other.” I am saying that a member of Congress has more responsibility than a radio talk show host when it comes to using that kind of rhetoric.
Well for starters, you haven’t, yet. Indeed, you drew a distinction between Limbaugh and Byrd based on the fact that Byrd’s public office made his comments “irresponsible and reprehensible.”
Yes, because one is talk show host. The other is a United States Senator. You still cannot see the difference here and that’s pretty pathetic.
Oh christ. Really? Are you talking elected Republican officials or can we exclude the entirety of the right wing punditocracy and noise machine?
Yes Fafaroo because as I keep trying to get that through that thick head of yours, some pundit is not the same as an elected official.
You know I’m curious, Jay. Why did you feel the need to make up a scenario involving Sen Dole referring to Obama as a serial killer when there’s the perfectly apt and real example of McCain refering to the New York Republican Party and Bush’s supporters as Stalinists?
Here we go with your Ouija board again.
Could you address the McCain example, please? Was McCain being irresponsible and reprehensible? Yes or no.
Sure it was. But to you it’s no different than a pundit doing it.
No, Jay. It isn’t okay. You’ve once again singled out a liberal to call irresponsible. If Rhandi Rhodes is irresponsible, surely, Rush Limbaugh is by the same criteria.
Sure it is, but once again you fail to see the overall. And this is a major issue for you and it’s something you need to deal with. Saying that a talk show host is not different than a member of Congress is like saying some guy that works in the mail room of a major company has just as much responsibility for what he says and does as the CEO. Can you comprehend for a moment just how utterly IDIOTIC that way of thinking is?
Stop being such a hack. FOR ONCE. Nazi or Stalinist comparisons don’t belong in the public discourse. It is irresponsible for ANYBODY to make those comparisons. ANYBODY. Rush Limbaugh, John McCain, Oliver Willis, Joe Schmoe, Jay Caruso, etc.
That doesn’t change the fact that our elected officials should be held to a higher standard that bloggers, radio talk show hosts and pundits. And that’s something you can’t or won’t comprehend.
“It is irresponsible for ANYBODY to make those comparisons. ANYBODY. Rush Limbaugh, John McCain …”
Now was that so hard, Jay? Don’t you feel better now?
As you continue to build on this remarkable breakthrough might I suggest that the next time you write this sentence:
“It’s not right, but it cannot be compared to members of Congress (Robert Byrd, Pete Stark, Mahor Owens, etc)”
You replace the “etc.” with John McCain …
All in all, good work Jay. I knew you could do it.
Fine, but do you agree that our elected officials should be held to higher standards than talk show hosts and pundits, yes or no?
Yes, and I nominate you, Jay, to promulgate EXACTLY what standard to which each should be held. And also to what degree each should be held accountable if some idiot, I don’t know, shoots up a Unitarian church or something.
“Fine, but do you agree that our elected officials should be held to higher standards than talk show hosts and pundits, yes or no?”
Whether they’re on the public airwaves or on the senate floor, anyone with such influence over the public discourse should be held to the same standard.
At the same time, free speech is free speech and if McCain wants to call Bush a Stalinist he has a perfect right to do so.