WaPo's Milbank: Dem. Rep. Green made "fascist salute" to Obama
September 10, 2009 1:10 am ET by Jamison Foser
During President Obama's health care speech Wednesday night, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out "You lie!" -- an outburst Wilson later apologized for after blistering criticism (not to mention a flurry of online donations to his Democratic opponent.)
Of course, whenever reporters like Dana Milbank note such boorish behavior by a Republican, they must quickly include something some Democrat did so they seem "balanced," even if the Democrat's actions aren't even remotely comparable. Sure enough, here's Milbank:
And, in truth, there were provocations from the Democratic side. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), sitting on the Republican side, insisted on making a victory sign with his hand and waving it at Obama.
Yeah. That's the same. (And "insisted upon"? Really? Was there some effort to prevent Pascrell from doing so?)
Milbank, continuing directly:
Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.), also on the GOP side of the aisle, felt the need to pound his fist in the air and make what looked, awkwardly, like a fascist salute.
Um ... What? "Fascist salute"? What does that even mean?
Milbank doesn't say. But it does dovetail nicely with the Right's overheated comparisons of Obama to Hitler and Mao.
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Yes, I agree. The article is highly critical of the Repubs. I can't believe how rudely they acted. Apparently, they have come to believe their own propaganda that Obama is a "socialists," and therefore to be treated with contempt.
That's not Millbank being "highly critical", that's simply reporting. Those behaviors are considered out of bounds and disrespectful. Reactions of support and affirmation such as applause, victory signs, or thumbs up, however, are not.
One could perhaps make the claim that signs of support by any President's party -- such as standing and applauding every other sentence during the State of the Union speech -- are a covert type of in-your-face to the opposing party, but they are socially accepted behaviors nonetheless. So Millbank attempting to paint those actions as provocative is simply, as Jamison points out, false balance.
But "provocative" is actually the correct word for Millbanks' use of language in describing both of the Democrats' actions.
BTW, anytime a Villager prefaces his/her reporting with "And, in truth", as if he/she is about to come clean with something we would all have to agree with if only we could just admit it, you know you're about to be sold a bill of goods. It's an innoculation against criticism; a preemptive, less agressive "You can't handle the truth". When you need to beg agreement before you make your case, you generally don't have one.
But there's just no reason to take the digs at the opposition when doing so. In doing this she sacrifices any credit she might have gotten for being principled, all to make a pointless attack that the conservative apologists that it was intended to appease apparently missed anyway.
It's plainly a false comparison. It's a blatant attempt to turn nothing into something in an effort somehow make one side look better, driving home that your criticism is limited to just the ONE MAN.
It's hackery. Irrelevant, ridiculous hackery. Nothing more.
Well done, MMFA, for calling out this nonsense.
This support Joe Wilson's Dem opponent site raised $67,607 so far. Most of it since his 'liar' comment.
http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19079
http://i30.tinypic.com/t9e71z.gif
Come to think of it... it has been several months or maybe longer than that since last I saw Dana guesting with Olbermann?
Did I miss something?
THANK YOU.
njguy93@yahoo.com
But while the majority of both parties' lawmakers behaved as adults, the insolence by House Republicans stole the show. There was derisive laughter on that side of the chamber when Obama noted that "there remain some significant details to be ironed out." They applauded as he spoke of "all the misinformation that's been spread over the past few months." They laughed again when he said that "many Americans have grown nervous about reform."
When Obama addressed the charge that he plans "panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens," someone on the GOP side shouted out "shame!" The president went on: "Such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical." "Read the bill!" someone shouted back. Obama mentioned those who accuse him of a government takeover of health care. "It's true," someone shouted back.
THANK YOU.
njguy93@yahoo.com
"Reality has a well known liberal bias" rings more true than ever after reading an article like this.
I think Milbank has his bogeymen mixed up. The raised fist, from what I've read, is actually anti-fascist.
Look at all these Fascists!! aaaaahhhh!!!! NOoooooO!!
As much as this one is... ;)
Imagine that.
Sports fans are really fascists..
heheheheh