One of these things is not like the other
January 15, 2010 5:05 pm ET by Ben Dimiero
I feel comfortable handing out the award for "Worst Talking Point of the Decade (So Far)" to the emerging consensus among conservative media figures that President Obama is somehow at fault for reacting quickly to news of the Haiti catastrophe, while waiting a few days to make public comments about the failed bombing attempt on Christmas.
Limbaugh got the ball rolling on Wednesday, sounding incredulous about the fact that Obama waited a few days to address the failed attack while responding to the Haiti news in less than 24 hours. Later that day, Fox Nation echoed his attack with the headline "Pres. Obama Reacts to Haiti Earthquake Faster Than Christmas Bomber." Not content to let Fox and Limbaugh monopolize the insanity, Glenn Beck got into the action on his radio show today, saying that "Obama is dividing the country" by reacting "so rapidly on Haiti." This is certainly true - the country is divided on this. On the one hand, we have rational, thinking humans, and on the other we have Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox Nation. On what planet are these events comparable?
Tens of thousands of people are dead and a country is in shambles, but to Limbaugh, Beck, and Fox Nation, this is on par with a man failing to detonate a bomb on an airplane, killing no one. I'm not trying to minimize the failed attack, but to elevate it to the level of this catastrophe is self-evidently ludicrous.
This is indicative of an emerging trend we've seen this week, where the chief concern among sections of the conservative media has been to use this week's events to score cheap political points against President Obama. (For a perfect example of this, see Fox Nation's headline this morning "Obama Moves to Grant Amnesty to Haitian Illegal Aliens.")
And setting aside the absurd comparison for a moment, this latest inanity from the conservative noise machine has the added bonus of lacking any historical context. As we've pointed out, George W. Bush waited six days to publicly address the shoe bomber incident in 2001.
Discussing Fox News' decision to all-but ignore the tragedy in Haiti on its top-rated programs, Jamison Foser wrote in his column that "I don't even want to think about the bizarre claims Glenn Beck would come up with." Well, these are the results, and they aren't pretty.
The 21st century didn't start until the start of 20001.
The first decade of the 21st century would cover the years of 2001 thru 2010.
Of course we could say the decade of 1996 thru 2005, or something crazy like that.
Computer people start their counting with zero, and they rule the world. This is a new decade.
This week? Sancta simplicitas, Ben! This has been their "emerging trend" since the night of the 2008 election! Any incident--any incident at all--is nothing to the right but a stick with which to beat Obama over the head. Cut to the chase, pal--no matter how Obama reacts to any indicent anywhere at any time, the right will attack him for it...
And think--the polls don't even have to be down for them to wonder about tht...
The differences are so obvious... except to the drooling FOXbots. The Jockstrap Bomber failed, and the only urgency was for the system to prepare in case there were more attacks, which they apparently did... and they didn't need Obama for that. There was no urgency for him to make a statement until he had all the facts.
Haiti, on the other hand, is like one giant medical emergency. Rapid response is required, and there is no mystery as to what's going on. That's one of the puroses of the Bully Pulpit... rally international support in times of emergency.
It's all very simple, really.
What exactly they want Obama to do, nerz, no matter what he does about anything, is anything other than what he actually did. Of course, if he did do something different, they would attack him for that, too. In Teabaggin' World, Obama is wrong no matter what he does...
Nice to know something is still 'manufactured' (fabricated) in the U.S.
What is my point?
For three hours in my car I only knew that whatever the situation was, Obama was most definitely NOT neglecting it! He promptly handled it just right! So his detractors can go to hell.
Oh my gosh. This is a progressive site?
What the heck kind of world have I stumbled into?
Help me.
I also always hear the mantra that liberals are supposed to be so tolerant...yet all the childish name calling and rude statements show that quite the contrary is true.
I'm here to really discuss ideas...but there doesn't seem to be much interest in listening, or any substantive ideas to respond with, or even common courtesy. You're only reinforcing the stereotypes that are floating around you.
You really wanna discuss labels?
" liberals are supposed to be so tolerant"
Context is everything. We just don't tolerate stupidity. We leave that for the right-wing websites. They don't tolerate reality.
"I'm here to really discuss ideas..."
Don't give up. Bring it. Leave the talking points at the door.
Please pay attention. The word "progressive" is being used due to the incessant nutjob chorus equating the word liberal with something evil, traitorous, and immoral.
Like the JavaScript I did at my website, DEMOCRATS: Tax and Spend REPUBLICANS: Borrow and Spend.
How much can you have acquired on your first day? Maybe a percent of a percent of what's here, and then only if you're an exceptionally fast reader.
There's alot [sic] of complaining and name calling and splitting of hairs,
And a lot of neocons that are ignorant of the basic rules of English. If this be "splitting of hairs," make the most of it. Uneducated people bring it on themselves.
but the criticism of what Republicans are saying is not responded to with any substance or real answers to problems.
You've missed it, then. There have been innumerable practical suggestions offered. I doubt you'd ever find them, though, because that doesn't fit your own narrative.
(Maybe that's not the purpose of this website,
Maybe? Oh great, another flash-in-the-pan who doesn't bother to find out what the site's about before chiming in.
but I don't hear substantive rebuttals or solutions to problems anywhere in the Democrat [sic] Party.
And there's another shot to your credibility. You really don't want to be taken seriously, do you?
All I hear is more of the same--tax, spend, redistribute. And clearly that's not working a year later!
Get your hearing checked, then. That's what's not working.
The republicans in Congress stated early on that they didn't need to come up with solutions (Boehner, Cantor, McConnell, etc,) and that their job is to attack the democrats' solutions to the problems we face as a nation. This is a clear example of a group of people who are being paid @ $200,000/year to do nothing, except criticize, but instead of you being upset about it, you're one of their biggest cheerleaders. On progressive blogs, we're equal party hammerers. We go after both parties when they are wrong, and for a party's members of Congress to get paid for no work is knnown as welfare.
The fact that you use the incorrect term "Democrat Party" clearly indicates that you have already decided on your position, and no amount of time spent on progressive blogs will change that.
And yes, I realize the shrieking GOP banshees intentionally overlook this because facts have absolutely no place in their ways and maneuvers. To them, everything is a big game and wanting actual facts before reacting is a sign of weakness (somehow).
Somehow I think there is a difference between waiting 3 days to gather as much information as possible, before making a comment on a failed terror attack, and the fact it took less than a day to note that we were going to send aid to Haiti.
Would it have made these people feel better if he gotten on TV, on the day of the failed attack, and told the American people:
"There was a failed attack on an airliner, today. As more news becomes available, we will make sure the American people are kept informed."
I thought that was what Fox News (and others) did for a living.
A few months ago F&F Doocy was showing off a new iPhone app. You type in a topic and it feeds you a sophomoric, twitter-sized Republican talking point.He said (paraphrasing) "So if you are out with friends and discussing politics you can use your cellphone to help you debate"
There it is again.........in a nutshell!
Wingnuts shoot blanks. The rest of us use live ammunition.....metaphorically speaking.