Wednesday Wingnut Watch
When a conservative self-styled commando journalist is arrested for wiretapping, uh… let’s not jump to any conclusions… Um, er, ahem… James O’Keefe, the ACORN entrapment video guy, was arrested last week for trying to mess with phones in the office of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La). He is facing felony charges. Naturally, Fox was there to make a fair-and-balanced report on the breaking story, cautioning viewers that this is a “very weird story that probably needs a lot of context and a lot of looking into.” Too bad the network didn’t treat the ACORN story in the same delicate fashion.
Not so long ago, the Fox Pantheon of Media Stars was praising James O’Keefe to the skies. Last week they were, uh, ahem, kinda quiet on the topic. Here’s a sampling of what they said about O’Keefe and his colleague, Hannah Giles, a few months ago as Fox News hyped the emerging ACORN story:
Glenn Beck: O’Keefe is “courageous.”
Andrew Breitbart: O’Keefe “is already well on his way to being one of the great journalists” and deserves a Pulitzer.
Sean Hannity: O’Keefe is a “pioneer in journalism.”
Bill O’Reilly: “[Barney] Frank and [John] Conyers should be giving Ms. Giles and Mr. O’Keefe congressional medals.”
Michael Flynn: O’Keefe is a hero, and is owed “an apology and also a thank you for rooting out these employees.”
Ann Coulter: O’Keefe and Giles are “so magnificent.”
This is the kind of clear-headed thinking we need to see more of. You know, the kind of thinking that doesn’t rely on facts to back it up. Rudy Giuiliani, the same guy who recently insisted that America was not attacked by terrorists under George W. Bush, last week gave commentary on a State of the Union Speech he apparently didn’t see. Giuliani claimed that Obama failed to mention the Christmas Day underpants bomber, and also failed to mention terrorism in the speech… Oops, wrong on both counts.
“Government is not the solution, it’s the problem.”
So let’s remember the Gipper by naming lots of government buildings after him. Diehard fans of Ronald Reagan, led by small government schemer Grover Norquist, are working feverishly to get something named after Reagan in all 50 states in time for the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2011. And while we’re at it, why not take a swing at Satan:
In a petition before the federal U.S. Board on Geographic Names, local Christian activist Arthur Mijares has proposed that 3,849-foot high “Mount Diablo” in Contra Costa County be renamed for Mr. Reagan. He denounces as “derogatory and profane” the current name, the Spanish word for “devil.”
County supervisors review the case Monday and have until March 31 to respond. Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette, a member of the legislative committee, is less than thrilled.
“I would prefer not to disturb the historical significance of the mountain,” she told the press. “The name Mount Diablo has been part of this county for a very long time.”
Related posts:
Aw, c’mon! These are just a bunch of kids! This is just a harmless prank! You know what they say, don’cha? Boys will be boys!
No doubt about it. It’ll be amusing to watch the right wing media trying to spin this latest debacle. Yesterday O’Keefe was the newest Fascist poster boy. Today he is a man looking at a nice stint in federal prison. The Republicans are once again experiencing the kind of OOPS moment for which they have become famous in recent years. It really is quite touching when you think about it.
What I love more than anything is the “harmless school boy prank” angle that the right wing is trying to spin! I did a little bit of research, folks. Little Jimmy O’Keefe is almost two years older than Lee Harvey Oswald was when he assassinated President Kennedy. So much for that argument - you would think.
Is this merely the tip of a nasty iceberg? Will O’Keefe “cooperate” with federal investigators in order to reduce his sentence? Are there bigger fish that are due some serious frying?
To be continued….
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rWEDq9ZvU8
Clash of the Titans between JON STEWART and Bill O’Reilly.
Giulani/Reagan there seems to be a link,
Brain freeze