Conservative journalist blames everyone except vandal for vandalism
March 22, 2010 4:35 pm ET by Jamison Foser
According to right-wing journalist Matthew Vadum, it's my fault -- along with my Media Matters colleagues, President Obama, and House Democrats -- that people are apparently vandalizing congressional offices over health care reform.
Yesterday, Vadum predicted "possibly violent civil unrest" as a result of health care reform -- and said we should "Blame Obama and the Ds" for such violence, rather than the people behaving violently. Later, Vadum wrote that "America is dying" and "Fascist House Democrats are preparing to euthanize America."
Today, the Associated Press and Arizona Daily Star have reported vandalism at Democratic congressional offices, including a brick thrown through a window in Rep. Louise Slaughter's Niagara Falls office on Friday and a front door "smashed out" at Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Tucson office last night -- in addition to a brick thrown through the glass doors of a county Democratic party headquarters in Rochester over the weekend.
In response to those acts of violence, Vadum wrote "You & MMFA are just as to blame as Obama is."
Me?!? I've never even been to Tucson.
Then Vadum finally got around to noting "This does not excuse the violent behavior," which is good of him, though he quickly added: "but let's not forget that Dem behavior set the stage for this."
I'm still waiting for Vadum to announce whether President Obama and I are more or less to blame for the bricks thrown through the windows than the people who threw the bricks. I've never seen a conservative so desperate to blame everyone except the criminal for the crime -- Vadum says he doesn't excuse the violent behavior, but he has not yet said that the people who have actually behaved violently are in any way responsible for their actions, or that they should stop.
And that's a problem. Vadum can say he doesn't "excuse the violent behavior," but he's busy rationalizing it, and suggesting that the people who commit the violence are not to blame -- that their actions are the understandable, even inevitable, consequences of health care reform. If there's a way to interpret that other than that Vadum is siding with those who commit acts of violence -- and, thus, encouraging violent actions -- I'd love to hear it. Not that Vadum is alone: As Ben Dimiero has pointed out, conservative blogger Connecticut Yankee "is openly calling for the torture and execution of Members of Congress."
Vadum's recent rantings:
These are the "personal responsibility" guys right?
In Denver, the Democratic headquarters were vandalized. The media and democrats went on and on about the evil cons that did such a thing.
The person arrestsd for the crime was a former campaign employee for a democrat.
I think blaming people exercising their free speech rights is bad until there is an actual connection. I was showing how people jump to the wrong conclusions without having any facts to support it.
As far as blaming the democrats: partisan politics usually has unintended consequences.
So you agree with Matthew Vadum, I guess. The 'victim' caused the violence. She was raped because she had pretty hair, silly girl.
Hah! That will keep him quiet.
The media did NOT go on and on as you describe, first off. Notice he didn't provide a link. I will, of course. I'm not scared of the actual facts!
This event happened back in August, when there was a ton of unrest and at least verbal violence going on during the summer Congressional break.
The day after it happened, we knew who the guy was. He had, for a very short while, worked for a Democrat. Not all people who work for a Democrat are also Democrats, first off. Secondly, it appears that he was at least connected currently with some groups that are anti-Obama, and the 11 plate glass windows that were broken with a hammer had Obama HCR posters behind them!
So, it wasn't unreasonable for the Party Chairwoman to say that she "thinks" that the window smashing was the result of the hatred being stirred up over HCR!
So, you didn't tell us what we really know about the guy who did this. You lied about how long the Dems went "on and on" about this, and implied that once they learned the truth about the attacker, they didn't CHANGE that mantra. And who was ACTUALLY guilty of bad faith? Republicans, who charged that Democrats who made a reasonable but incorrect initial assumption about the political meaning behind the attacks, said that their initial, reasonable assumption was an attempt to FRAME REPUBLICANS. Yeah, because we know that Republicans haven't organized disruptive behavior WRT HCR!
What a troll.
Almost...
That is what I am reminded of when the victim blaming waxes hot and heavy.
"A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, "Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!"
@jamisonfoser It is wrong for people to throw bricks through windows. Of course, who can blame them since the Dems rammed this health care takeover bill through congress.
Instead you use that comment as the centerpiece of your argument that exposes his offensive behavior!
See, he'd feel free to crop a comment like that out of someone on the left's string of comments in order to dishonestly portray what they've been saying.
You and MMFA feel obligated to include ALL the context, crazy fools that you are in your desire to respect the truth while you demand the truth from others and while you demand accountability from those who dishonor the truth!
The comments on the story include a lot of the RWA's who
1) back the vandals
2) claim it's a 'librul plawt'
3) say it's no big thing, the 'new' tenant will fix it (I would assume they mean a (R), but why would they rent the same office?)
Here's a link to the comments.
There sure seemed to be a number of comments "Under Review".
It's unfortunate, but walking alone on a dark night and short skirts cause blowback. You and MMfA are just as to blame as that woman is. This does not excuse the attack, of course, but let's not forget that her acting like a total skank set the stage for this. And I'm sure you won't quote my last sentence because you are a feminazi character assassin without honor or principles.