The back and forth on the Petraeus advertisement and, now, over Mr. Limbaugh’s remarks, illustrates how both parties are turning miscues into fodder in the run up to the 2008 elections, particularly in the absence of serious legislative accomplishment when it comes to the war.
Republicans used to be considered superior at drumming up a quick controversy over some actual or perceived Democratic outrage. But Democrats and sympathetic advocacy groups are catching up fast. And the political exchanges are being amplified by the reach and power of the Internet and the repetition of the 24-hour news cycle.
I try to remind myself that “average Americans,” which would be those folks who don’t read blogs and most especially Lefty blogs, more than likely don’t give two shites about any of this. But the fly in MY ointment is the fact that I DO read the blogs, and I read both Left and Right. And I’m getting increasingly distressed at the outpouring of bile and spittle from BOTH frickin’ sides. Just look at this:
That, Gentle Reader, is a snapshot of Memeorandum’s page as I write this post. If all this krep were in print half of any given national forest would be gone just by generating a normal print run. Everyone seems to be having a field day with this.
I see at least one critical difference between the “Betray Us” brouhaha and the current flap about Limbaugh. MoveOn was demonstrably defaming a general who is leading combat forces and who was compelled, by law, to testify in front of Congress. Limbaugh, on the other hand, made an off-hand remark on his radio show that was taken out of context by politically motivated people looking for retribution for the MoveOn smack-down. And I’m thinking most particularly about the folks at Media Matters. And just how politically motivated are the folks at Media Matters?
And even though there are political arguments on all sides of this controversy, independent-minded critics who look at Media Matters might conclude that its political motivations are simply too strong to merit serious consideration. In addition to its ties to major Democratic donors and to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Media Matters is a deeply politicized organization down to its lowest levels. In the past few days, it has posted eleven stories on the Limbaugh matter. Those postings were written by, among others, Julie Millican, a veteran of the Kerry campaign, MoveOn.org, and the Democratic turnout organization America Coming Together; Sarah Pavlus, formerly of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Andrew Ironside, who worked for the Howard Dean campaign; Adam Shah, a lawyer who worked for the Alliance for Justice, the organization best known for opposing President Bush’s judicial nominees; Jeremy Schulman, a former spokesman for Colorado Democratic congressional candidate Dave Thomas; and Matthew Gertz, former deputy campaign manager for Connecticut Democratic congressional candidate Diane Farrell, as well as intern for New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer.
That’s from National Review Online, a right-wing publication. Fact-check to your heart’s content, but I don’t think you’ll find any lies in the paragraph immediately above. Personally, I think this is yet another battle in the fight to re-impose the Fairness Doctrine. Those on the Left won’t be satisfied until those on the Right are (effectively) silenced. My opinion, Gentle Reader. Your Mileage Most Certainly May Vary.
It’s getting really, really ugly out there. (And screw you, Cafferty... you don’t own that phrase.)
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