The Republican War on Facts
Since the Republican establishment has spent the last 20 years building a media infrastructure that supports lying, making the mainstream press cower against calling lies what they are. But the press is sick of being relegated to a press release transcription service, and is getting tired of being pushed around. “Fact checking” – especially in light of the brazen lying of the Romney-Ryan campaign – has become quite a thing, and the conservatives and Republicans are getting upset about it. They’re trying to label “fact checking” as somehow partisan. As Oliver Willis writes,
For the media to note without equivocation that “water is wet” is a clear violation of the conservative-generated rules. The press must couch such assertions as “many Democrats and liberals say that ‘water is wet’” is the preferred construction. That way, Republican and conservative news consumers can simply dismiss what used to be objective fact as “Democrat talking points,” then turn to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to fill their thinkholes with ignorance juice.
All this sets up a great video of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria taking on conservative hostage-taker Grover Norquist, one of the most detestable ideologues in the country.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9RYRFoRit8]
Who elected Grover Norquist? How is this clown able to control the Republican Party and demand their total submission? Norquist is the face of the greatest problem in American politics, an unelected far right ideologue forcing an agenda of greed and irresponsible economic policy. All citizens should demand politicians serve the American people, not swear allegiance to an enemy of democracy and basic decency.
But Fareed has a funny accent, dark skin, and a Muslim name. He is an obvious America hater.
Good to see Fareed is back from his quite brief suspension for plagiarism. (Time and CNN are so forgiving of minor indiscretions these days.)
Looks like things got a bit hotter for him at Yale (who knew they disapproved of that sort of thing in the 21st Century?) causing him to resign from their board of trustees yesterday.
Alan – Guess you’ve been
too busy to check out your own Democratic Party’s new spiffed-up, campaign-ready website.
Like the History page,
which begins, “For more than 200 years, our party has led the fight for civil
rights …”
Or the Issues—Civil Rights
page, which begins, “Democrats have a long and proud history of defending Civil
Rights and expanding opportunity for all Americans. From the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, Democrats have fought to
end discrimination in all forms—including discrimination based on race …”
Nary a mention of the 18
Democratic (and one Republican) Senators who fillibustered the Civil Rights Act
for 57 days in 1964. On the cloture vote to end the fillibuster, 80 percent of the
votes against were cast by Democrats, including Al Gore’s father. In the House
the bill (H.R. 7152) was supported by Republicans 139 – 34; by Democrats 152 –
96.
“Led the fight for civil
rights”–my ass.
Nary a mention of the
1860 Democratic candidate for President, Stephen Douglas: “I do not regard the
Negro as my equal, and positively deny that he is my brother, or any kin to me
whatever.”
No mention of the fact
that 99 percent of Republicans in Congress voted in favor of the Bill
abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia—83 percent of Democrats voted
no.
The 13th
Amendment passed the Senate with 100 percent Republican support, 63 percent
Democrat opposition.
Democratic President
Andrew Johnson: “This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am
President, it shall be a government of white men.” This was long a theme of his Party, which had
supported slavery in six platforms between 1840 and 1860.
Democrats kept up the
good fight after the “War of Northern Agression” by opposing the Republican-sponsored
Enforcement Acts aimed at the Ku Klux Klan’s efforts to deny Blacks the right
to vote, hold office, serve on juries, etc.
In 1892 the
Democrat-controlled Congress passed the repeal of the Republican-sponsored Civil
Rights Act of 1866. The repeal was signed by Democrat Grover Cleveland.
“Long and proud history
of defending Civil Rights …”–baloney. But a hard-fought “War on Facts”,
indeed.
Every one of the Democrats you mentioned would be right at home in the Republican party today.
BELIEVE IT!
I see we’re pretending that Dixiecrats were liberal Democrats and not a Civil War hangover/aberration. After LBJ, they migrated en masse to the Republican Party, where they’ve been happily attepmting to whittle away at the rights of anyone who’s not a landed white person.
Alan is all wet once again. The so called facts did check out after all….
Conclusory statement without factual backup! Well done!
Thank you…