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The Washington Times' Year Of Obama Derangement Syndrome

December 29, 2011 9:50 am ET — 74 Comments

Few right-wing media outlets suffer more from Obama Derangement Syndrome than The Washington Times. Media Matters takes a look back at the Times' most outlandish, bizarre, and inflammatory attacks on President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama of 2011.

OSAMA BIN LADEN'S DEATH

Wash. Times: Bin Laden "Outmaneuvered" Obama With Taped Message. In a May 19 editorial, The Washington Times wrote that Osama bin Laden "outmaneuvered" President Obama, writing that bin Laden's "final taped message was an eerie refutation of President Obama's major Middle East policy address. Even in death, bin Laden launched a surprise attack with impeccable timing." The Times further claimed that the words of bin Laden's taped message "could easily have tracked across Mr. Obama's teleprompter." [The Washington Times, 5/20/11, via Media Matters]

Wash. Times' Green: "Obama To Allah: Pardon Osama." In a May 6 column headlined, "Obama to Allah: pardon Osama," Washington Times assistant editorial page editor Anneke Green attacked Obama over the administration's decision to treat bin Laden's body in accordance with Islamic custom while burying him at sea by claiming that Obama "is more concerned about placating the feelings of Muslim extremists than closure for the American people." Green further wrote that "[t]he subsequent handling of the body and burial ...  raises serious questions about Mr. Obama's dominant priority." [The Washington Times, 5/6/11, via Media Matters]

Washington Times' Miller Complained That "Obama Golfs While Troops Hunt Osama Bin Laden." In a May 2 Washington Times column, senior opinions editor Emily Miller complained that "[w]hile the president was playing golf, the highly-trained U.S. special forces were en route to bin Laden's fortified compound." From The Washington Times:

Capturing Sept. 11 terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden has been the nation's top national-security priority for 10 years, but carrying out the final kill didn't stop President Obama from playing golf on Sunday. In a tiny concession to his job requirements as commander in chief, Mr. Obama cut his golf game short by nine holes in order to get back to the White House to monitor the final moments as Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in Pakistan.

[...]

While the president was playing golf, the highly-trained U.S. special forces were en route to bin Laden's fortified compound. "The high walls, security features, suburban location and proximity to Islamabad made this an especially dangerous operation," said a senior administration official after the killing. "The men who executed this mission accepted this risk, practiced to minimize those risks and understood the importance of the target to the national security of the United States."

[...]

Talking points aside, the suddenly religious president started his Sunday morning as he usually does: skipping church to go hit the golf links. [The Washington Times, 5/2/11, via Media Matters]

Washington Times' Green Cited 2010 Photo Of Jay-Z At The White House To Attack Obama Over Bin Laden. In a May 3 column, Green wrote:

While it's glorious that we finally delivered justice to Bin Laden, cowboy-style, it has been a little odd to see how eager President Obama is to take credit for it. Apart from the method of the military operation -- who knew he had it in him?-- his speech announcing the demise of the world's greatest villain was short on key details and sounded more like an extended pat on the back.

Green further used a photograph from rapper Jay-Z's March 2010 visit to the White House to claim that "Mr. Obama has had to grow into his role as the head of state and occupant of the nation's most revered residence." [The Washington Times, 5/2/11, via Media Matters]

Washington Times Complained Obama "Snub[bed] Bush," Showed "No Class" In Speech. In a May 2 editorial, The Washington Times complained that Obama "snub[bed] Bush" and "praise[d] himself" in his announcement that bin Laden had been killed. The editorial further claimed that the "[b]in Laden assassination wasn't the result of Barack's strategic genius." The Times continued:

Sunday's only mention of Mr. Bush came when Mr. Obama defended himself by quipping that even his predecessor insisted America isn't at war with Islam. Left unsaid was how Mr. Bush setting the groundwork for the conduct of the war on terrorism provided Mr. Obama with the tools to get this job done. The national unity, sense of purpose and offensive posture were largely the result of Mr. Bush's decisive action and strong leadership following national tragedy. Had Mr. Obama been in Mr. Bush's position on Sept. 11, 2001, bin Laden would still be alive today, and probably winning. [The Washington Times, 5/2/11, via Media Matters]

ATTACKS ON MICHELLE OBAMA

Joseph Curl: Michelle Obama "Doesn't Seem All That Happy With The Man She Married 19 Years Ago." In an August 28 Washington Times op-ed, Joseph Curl wrote that Michelle Obama "doesn't seem all that happy with the man she married 19 years ago." Curl also asked, "Man, how miserable is Michelle Obama?" [The Washington Times, 8/29/11, via Media Matters]

Curl: "Michelle's Back, And She's Madder Than Ever." In an October 30 Times op-ed titled, "The very angry first lady Michelle Obama," Curl wrote: "Michelle's back, and she's madder than ever. She was already pretty angry, seemingly unhappy with just about everything." From Curl's op-ed:

Michelle's back, and she's madder than ever. She was already pretty angry, seemingly unhappy with just about everything. As her husband wrapped up the Democratic nomination in 2008, she let fly her real feelings: "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country." A few months into her job as first lady, her French counterpart asked how she liked the gig: "Don't ask!" she reportedly spat. "It's hell. I can't stand it!"

She even seems to be mad at her silver-tongued husband. When the two were to set off on a luxurious 10-day vacation to Martha's Vineyard, she left early - four hours early - and flew up alone. And those private vacations. She's traveled to some of the world's most plush resorts, taking 42 days off in the past year - that'd be eight weeks of vacay time if she held down a normal job.

Now, she is ready to spew her bilious disgust with America on the campaign trail. A dignified, transcendent first lady? No chance. Michelle is going to break with a hundred years of tradition and play the role of attack dog, heaping derision on her husband's political opponents like no other first lady before her.

[...]

That is the America she lives in, and by campaign's end, it will be clear that she's no longer "proud of my country." Maybe she never really was. [The Washington Times, 10/30/11]

Wash. Times Attacked Michelle Obama As "America's First Nanny." In a November 1 editorial titled, "Americans groan: Michelle Obama's new book demonstrates her appetite for green," The Washington Times attacked Michelle Obama, calling her "America's First Nanny" who "admits she can't stay away from French fries herself," yet "that doesn't stop her from lecturing everyone else on what to eat." From the Times:

Liberals love to tell other people what to do. America's First Nanny, Michelle Obama, is no exception. Though she admits she can't stay away from French fries herself, that doesn't stop her from lecturing everyone else on what to eat. Now she wants us to spend our money to buy her new book on tips from the White House garden.

"American Grown: How the White House Kitchen Garden Inspires Families, Schools and Communities," is scheduled to hit the bookshelves April 10, just in time for spring planting - and the 2012 campaign season. 

[...]

Mrs. Obama, the de-facto national food czar, is backing the effort to redesign the traditional food pyramid. With the help of $2 million from the Department of Agriculture, she converted the pyramid into a food circle. Dubbed "My Plate," the revamped bureaucratic diet regime is supposed to help the hungry eater select correct portions of the various food groups by arranging them as they would appear on a plate just before digging in.

The first lady does lead by example with her crusade for exercise called "Let's Move!" Hitting the road, she visited Chicago on Oct. 25 to warn residents of the dangers of dessert and attend a fundraiser for the Obama Victory Fund. Supporters were offered the opportunity to have their photos taken with Michelle for $10,000.

As Mrs. Obama barnstorms the country for her husband's re-election in the coming year, taxpayers have found her weakness for pricey vacations, costing them $10 million in 2010 alone, a little hard to swallow. While Michelle puts the finishing touches on "American Grown," Americans groan. Meanwhile, the Census Bureau reports 46.2 million Americans are living below the poverty line - the most in 52 years. [The Washington Times, 11/2/11, via Media Matters]

Wash. Times' Robbins Advanced Claim That Michelle Obama Disparaged American Flag. In a September 13 post, James Robbins, the Times' senior editorial writer for foreign affairs, advanced the right-wing media claim that Michelle Obama likely disparaged the American flag during a ceremony commemorating the 9-11 attacks. [The Washington Times, 9/13/11, via Media Matters]

For the truth about the right-wing claim that Michelle Obama disparaged the American flag, SEE HERE.

THE EAST COAST EARTHQUAKE

Emily Miller: "Where Was Obama During The DC Earthquake? Golfing Of Course!" On August 23, shortly after an earthquake struck the East Coast,  Miller tweeted:

millertweet

[Twitter, 8/23/11, via Media Matters]

EASTER

Times: "Obama To Christians: Forget You." In an April 25 editorial headlined, "Obama To Christians: Forget You," The Washington Times complained that the White House did not issue "official statements for either Easter or Good Friday" and wrote that "[t]his basket of Easter problems underscores Mr. Obama's continuing problem with perceptions of his religious identity." [The Washington Times, 4/26/11, via Media Matters]

For more on the right-wing media's Easter proclamation freakout, SEE HERE.

Jeffrey Kuhner: Obama's Easter Worship Shows His "Black Nationalism." In an April 26 Washington Times column, Jeffrey Kuhner claimed that Obama's attendance at Washington D.C.'s Shiloh Baptist Church on Easter Sunday contributed to "[a] disturbing pattern" that makes it "clear by his actions and affiliations that Mr. Obama has black nationalist sympathies." [The Washington Times, 4/26/11, via Media Matters]

OBAMA'S POLICIES: "BRINGING AMERICA TO THE BRINK OF THIRD WORLD INFERIORITY"

Wash. Times' Knight: Obama Turned Military Into "Largest Homosexual-Sensitivity Training Unit In History." In a September 23 Washington Times column, Robert Knight compared Obama to Rodney King, complained Obama does not speak "on behalf of the United States," and claimed that Obama turned the military into the "largest homosexual-sensitivity training unit in history." [The Washington Times, 9/26/11, via Media Matters]

Kuhner: Obama Wants A "Centralized Command-And-Control System" Like "Fascist Leader Benito Mussolini." In his September 22 Washington Times column, Kuhner claimed Obama is "facing an internal revolt" because "he has not dismantled corporate power" but instead is creating a government modeled after "President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini." [The Washington Times, 9/22/11, via Media Matters]

Kuhner: Obama "Injecting The Heroin Of Class Warfare And Socialism Into" America Will Lead To "Insanity And Death." In a September 8 Washington Times column, Kuhner claimed that Obama is a "reckless ideologue masquerading as a pragmatist" and is "injecting the heroin of class warfare and socialism into our national bloodstream" which will lead to "insanity and death." From The Washington Times:

President Obama is politically insane. This is the real meaning of his speech Thursday night in front of a joint session of Congress. Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. By that definition, Mr. Obama is a lunatic leftist.

Much of his speech called for more of the same -- government activism; massive spending on infrastructure, bridges and roads; extending the payroll tax cut; and more public aid to states and municipalities. In short, he seeks to perpetuate the dismal policies of Obamanomics. He is a reckless ideologue masquerading as a pragmatist.

[...]

Mr. Obama is a man of the hard left. He deeply loathes everything America stands for -- capitalism, limited government, individual freedom and Christian civilization. In particular, he despises our exceptionalism. His stated goal is to create a "post-American world" where the United States is simply one of many countries -- no bigger, better or stronger. He exhibits a form of madness, a self-loathing, reminiscent of the late pop singer Amy Winehouse. Mr. Obama keeps injecting the heroin of class warfare and socialism into our national bloodstream. And he can continue to play on the biggest stage and boast a huge audience. In the end, however, it leads to the same result: insanity and death.

The column also featured Obama's face photoshopped onto recently deceased singer Amy Winehouse's body, adding a sickle-and-hammer tattoo:

winehouse

[The Washington Times, 9/8/11, via Media Matters]

Washington Times: Obama Policies "Bringing America To The Brink Of Third World Inferiority." In an April 15 editorial, The Washington Times wrote that Obama's "policies have secured America's status as part of the declining world." The Times further wrote: "[T]he president's answer to economic crisis is to heap on more debt. It's this crippling tax-and-spend Obama creed that's bringing America to the brink of Third World inferiority." [The Washington Times, 4/15/11, via Media Matters]

Kuhner Called For Obama's Impeachment Over Libya Policy. In a March 24 column, Kuhner called for Obama's impeachment over his handling of Libya, writing that "[t]he Libyan war is part of a pattern of Mr. Obama's unethical and criminal behavior" and that "[i]f Republicans and conservatives are serious about restoring constitutional government, they will demand that Mr. Obama be impeached." Kuhner further wrote that Obama is a "socialist thug" who "has betrayed his country, his constitutional oath of office and his duty as commander in chief." [The Washington Times, 3/24/11, via Media Matters]

Times Called Obama A "Bigot" And Restrictions On Handgun Magazines "Pointless." In a March 1 editorial, The Washington Times stated that "restrictions on things like the size of handgun magazines" are "pointless." The Times also wrote that President Obama is "a bigoted man who derisively describes small-town America as a place where people 'cling to guns.'" [The Washington Times, 3/1/11, via Media Matters]

Times Declared DOMA Decision Part Of Obama's "Strategy To Force The Radical Homosexual Agenda On America." In a February 23 editorial, The Washington Times wrote that the Department of Justice's decision to no longer defend portions of the Defense of Marriage Act "is the next step of President Obama's strategy to force the radical homosexual agenda on America against the will of the people and Congress." [The Washington Times, 2/23/11, via Media Matters]

Nugent: "It's Hard To Argue" That Obama Isn't "Out To Destroy America." In a February 8 column, Ted Nugent wrote that "there are some Americans who think Mr. Obama is out to destroy America or at to least [sic] reduce the country to the equivalent of a Third World country." He then added, "Sadly, it's hard to argue with the flow of evidence." [The Washington Times, 2/8/11, via Media Matters]

Kuhner: Obama Is A "Machiavellian Socialist" And A "Radical Leftist Who Seeks To Dismantle Capitalism." In his January 27 column, Kuhner wrote that Obama is a "Machiavellian socialist" and a "radical leftist who seeks to dismantle capitalism and the achievements of the Reagan revolution." [The Washington Times, 1/27/11, via Media Matters]

TUCSON SHOOTING

Kuhner: Obama's Tucson Memorial Address "Was A Surreal Spectacle In Narcissistic Self-Congratulation" That "Dishonored The Victims." In a January 13 column titled, "Obama's Tucson degradation," Kuhner wrote that Obama was "cynically exploiting the tragic shooting in Tucson for political gain" and that his memorial address "was a surreal spectacle in narcissistic self-congratulation" that "dishonored the victims" of the shootings. Kuhner further wrote that the shooting victims were "doubly degraded by a narcissistic president who used their suffering as political fodder." [The Washington Times, 1/13/11, via Media Matters]

— M.L.J.
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    • Author by eweston8542983 (December 29, 2011 10:45 am ET)
      27 1
      All this energy, time, money, spent on tearing down a sitting president. How many bridges could it have built?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Andy Kreiss (December 29, 2011 11:02 am ET)
        22 1
        Seeing these items, one by one, over the year is ridiculous enough, but these compilations really put a light on the hack work done by outlets like the Moonie Times.

        The tone is closer to a gossip tabloid or an unhappy teenagers blog. Every president has his detractors, and journalists should be reporting on the flaws of elected officials, but to see an organization completely dedicated to framing every single thing the prez does as a threat to America, this is just embarrassing. Well, it should be embarrassing to anybody who reads the WaTimes for anything but a laugh.

        Unfortunately, this propaganda filters out to other sources that certain Americans consider credible. It's the reason why I hear seemingly rational adults drop casual references into conversations about Obama being a socialist, or having a deliberate plan to destroy the country.

        They seem to think if they read the most ridiculous assertions in a newspaper, or online, it's not crazy to repeat them.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by JW, Denver (December 29, 2011 1:51 pm ET)
          18 1
          I’ve noticed that too – seemingly intelligent adults say the most surprisingly negative things about the man.

          I had one friend who kept referring to Mr. Obama as “Barry.” I finally had enough and one day asked him, “Where is this anger coming from?” He looked surprised and admitted that he didn’t know. My friend is black, so I don’t think that it was racial. He does watch Fox on occasion. I think he was shocked to find that he genuinely had no idea where his anger was coming from.

          There are many layers to propaganda. We may notice the first one or two if we pay close attention. However, as functional humans, we simply don’t have the capacity and/or energy to notice all of the underlying layers.

          Propaganda is insidious because it simply works simply.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by nerzog (December 29, 2011 12:03 pm ET)
        28 3
        If the Republicans had spent the last 20 years and hundreds of millions on Policy think tanks, instead of Propaganda Think Tanks and Media Outlets to spread their lies, just think what a valuable resource today's Republican Party could have been.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by CoolSlaw (December 29, 2011 6:06 pm ET)
          10  
          nerzog, that is the $1,000,000 post of the day.

          Imagine if Moon took all that money he spends employing vicious hacks while propping up a forever failing propaganda rag, and put it to positive use in the grand scheme of things. One might be inclined not to laugh in complete disgust and derision at the self proclaimed messianic figure.

          Q: What did you do with your time as grand Pooba of the universe?

          A: I spent vast fortunes on a newspaper dedicated to dumbed-down and over-the-top political character assassination.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by MickD (December 29, 2011 10:47 am ET)
      20  
      Why does the Wash Times exist? Merely to be the "some say" resource for the Kock Bros/Heritage/Ailes cabal. Who buys it otherwise, those who foam at the mouth? It's a great gig to be a writer there, just make up the most inflammatory derision off of puffball references and paycheck time, baby.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Egbert Souse (December 29, 2011 10:51 am ET)
      20  
      The Washington Times, when the bottom of your parakeet's cage deserves only the very best.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 11:39 am ET)
        13  
        Cat litterbox in my house. And as much as I love my fuzzy babies, that's even more foul than a bird cage.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by chazmanr (December 29, 2011 1:14 pm ET)
          25  
          I tried lining the cat box with the Wa Times, but my cats refused to use the box. They said something about the paper not being worth sh%^.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by What Happened to Gannon (December 29, 2011 12:34 pm ET)
        7  
        It wraps fish pretty nicely here.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by MiniTru (December 29, 2011 4:06 pm ET)
          9  
          The stories smell worse than the fish before you even start wrapping them.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by Turkeysocks (December 29, 2011 11:01 am ET)
      19  
      I still don't know why there are people who think Bush should get all the credit. He's the one who abandoned the search for Bin Laden in the first place by switching priorities from Afghanistan to Iraq.

      And he had nothing to do with the team that actually did the work to find Bin Laden either. All he did was give the go ahead for them to look.

      And strong leadership? He kept reading to a bunch of kids when he should have immediately left the vicinity. Not simply for his safety, but for all the people there and to actually lead the nation.

      There was no "strong" leadership under Bush. It just seems like that cause he put up a decent front during a time when a good portion of the American people were scared out of their minds about a possibility of another attack going to happen. And then kept the public scared with that whole "threat level" crap. I never saw a "threat level red" situation in any other democratic country!

      Especially Israel, who has gotten many terrorist bombings in the past. So of course he looked "strong" considering he played a part in keeping the country in a constant state of fear!
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Andy Kreiss (December 29, 2011 11:03 am ET)
        19  
        I still don't know why there are people who think Bush should get all the credit.


        The man on the TV told them to think that.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by MickD (December 29, 2011 11:07 am ET)
          17 1
          FoxNoose either wants to deny his administration did anything or say he deserves all the credit. If that's not telling as to how dysfunctional GWB truly was, than nothing is.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by danielsangeo (December 29, 2011 11:59 am ET)
            23 1
            I saw it during the Clinton administration. These people were blaming Carter for everything under the sun until Clinton got into office, then began to attack everything that Clinton did, even as Clinton rightly began to get focused on terrorism. Then when Bush got into office, everything remained Clinton's fault...including 9/11. Throughout the Bush presidency, it was all still Clinton's fault. Until Obama gets in, and now it's all Obama's fault.

            It's the Washington Times' year of Obama Derangement Syndrome, but that's only part of the overall arc of Democratic Derangement Syndrome.
            Report Abuse
    • Author by m.welker (December 29, 2011 11:05 am ET)
      19  
      Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. By that definition, Mr. Obama is a lunatic leftist


      I wonder what this makes people who keep trying to make Reaganomics work.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Brabantio (December 29, 2011 11:15 am ET)
      14 2
      I love articles like this because so many right-wingers love to claim that newspapers like the NYT are liberal. Even if that's true, do they print anything in the same zip code as the garbage listed above? Does any newspaper put out similarly psychotic articles and columns for the left?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by danielsangeo (December 29, 2011 11:41 am ET)
        12  
        I think it's because other newspapers fail to toe the "conservative" line in every article and editorial so that makes them "leftist".
        Report Abuse
      • Author by chazmanr (December 29, 2011 4:37 pm ET)
        9  
        Not even "The Nation" (which can be hyperbolic and bombastic) is ever as harsh on GOPers, and they certainly don't just make sh*& up.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 11:33 am ET)
      20 2
      The attacks on the First Lady are pretty disgusting. I remember people calling Mrs. Nixon, "Plastic Pat" and Nancy Reagan was described in divaesque terms and Laura Bush was chided over the ugly pants suits, but the attacks on Mrs. Obama are surreal. She's a tall, athletic African American woman, that translates to her being a "sistah with junk in her trunk". She's supposed to be an introvert, so that becomes "angry Black woman". She makes a remark about being proud of her country, and that makes her "anti-American". I also remember Glenn Beck's unhinged rant about her showing her "busom" at a State Dinner. It was a lovely dress that showed no clevage. I don't always agree with her clothing choices, but I don't think she's ever done anything to embarrass me as an American. But there are times when my fellow Americans embarrass me with their deranged anger and hatred towards this strong, intelligent woman who has raised two well-behaved and unaffected daughters. (Laura's 20+ daughter stuck her tongue out at the press, how mature is that?)
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Brabantio (December 29, 2011 11:44 am ET)
        14  
        It's pretty hard to top criticizing someone based on lip-reading. Even the most conservative people on Earth, as long as they have a hint of integrity, have to shake their heads at that.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by politeradical (December 29, 2011 4:18 pm ET)
        11 1
        Michele is using their lunatic hatred to her advantage. Knowing that any position she takes will be diametrically opposed, her healthy eating campaign has the right stuffing itself with fat, grease, and salt.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by CoolSlaw (December 29, 2011 6:14 pm ET)
          7  
          She has to be careful with that. If she were to advocate not playing with matches after dousing yourself with kerosene it might be good for the kerosene and matchstick industry, but the resulting backlash could end up overtaxing our fire departments.

          Michelle Obama, please please please start advocating a national voter registration drive and suggest mandatory voting!
          Report Abuse
          • Author by danielsangeo (December 30, 2011 6:43 pm ET)
            1  
            I would be happy if they made election day a federal holiday like Christmas is. Or at least made it something like "Election Week" so that people have more time to vote.
            Report Abuse
    • Author by nerzog (December 29, 2011 12:05 pm ET)
      22 1
      I still like to recall Hillary Clinton's remark, almost twenty years ago, about a "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy". She was mocked and ridiculed then, primarily by the agents of that Conspiracy. Of course, subsequent events have proven her right.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 12:11 pm ET)
        17 1
        They keep talking about how Liberals are all under the thrawl of Sorors or Alinsky or some other Liberal group, and yet, in thirty years of being an open, vocal Liberal, no one has ever sent me a message or a memo or a check. And with all of the assertions of a Liberal Conspiracy, they've yet to show any secret memo or e-mail or video that was used to "indoctrinate" the Liberal "useful idiots". Frankly, I've come to compare organizing Liberals to hurding cats. It takes a lot of energy and you don't accomplish anything. (Oh, and I love cats and their refusal to be hurded.)
        Report Abuse
        • Author by danielsangeo (December 29, 2011 12:13 pm ET)
          13  
          You know, I was told that I was a "good student" of both Soros and Alinsky a while back. What's funny is that was the first time I had even HEARD of both of those people.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 12:29 pm ET)
            12 1
            I know, I started hearing those names back in 2008, and I had to look them up. I get accused of being in Soros' pay over on Teh Blahz on a regular basis, and yesterday, I was accused of using the "Alinsky spin Game" on them. Oh, and we're taking orders from Frances Fox Piven, too! She's an obscure academic and an old lady who's been driven to jump in the dark at unfamiliar noises by the Wingnuts; what makes her the secret mastermind in the collapse of Western Civilization as we know it?
            Report Abuse
            • Author by danielsangeo (December 29, 2011 12:32 pm ET)
              8  
              I still don't know enough about FFP to really provide an opinion of her...but I've evidently been getting my marching orders from her for quite some time.
              Report Abuse
          • Author by MiniTru (December 29, 2011 12:59 pm ET)
            11  
            And it's the Tea Party that has made the most use of Alinsky's organizational tactics. Once again, IOKIYAR.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by wookie (December 29, 2011 1:30 pm ET)
              14  
              I noticed that years ago with Ann Coulter. She would slime people like Janet Reno and Madelyn Albright as being ugly while saying that liberals are mean spirited people who take cheap shots.
              Report Abuse
          • Author by phlcstgan (December 29, 2011 1:39 pm ET)
            8  
            It's not like they know who Soros or Alinsky are either; it's just that no matter how badly they want to screw "JEWJEWJEWJEWJEW" at anyone smarter than they are, even they know that's not going to get them very far.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 1:53 pm ET)
              8 1
              It's funny, but lately, since Beckie got "religion" and decided to "Stand with Israel" all these Beckbots suddenly consider siding with Israel to be necessary for the continuation of Western Civilization. They don't know any Jews and consider any Jew who isn't a Zionist a "useful idiot" in the least and a race traitor at the worst, but by God and by golly, they're standing with Israel! And me, with my Jewish family, well, I'm a black-hearted Koolaide drinker.
              Report Abuse
              • Author by phlcstgan (December 29, 2011 2:02 pm ET)
                9  
                I guess it follows for the people who claim they love America more than anybody else even though they have undisguised contempt for vast swaths of her populace to also claim they love America more than anybody else even though they hate liberal Jews even worse than liberal goyim. Anyone who wants to see how conservatives feel about Jews who dare to have the "wrong" agenda should look up Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner.
                Report Abuse
          • Author by CoolSlaw (December 29, 2011 6:20 pm ET)
            9  
            You know, I was told that I was a "good student" of both Soros and Alinsky a while back. What's funny is that was the first time I had even HEARD of both of those people.


            Yup, a while back I was told by a co-worker how I got all my beliefs from reading "the Saul Alinsky playbook". I felt embarrassed that I had to ask who he was, and the right winger didn't believe that I had never heard of him.

            I also find it funny that in most places I've lived, up until MSNBC started a left of center evening line-up there really was NO PLACE to find liberal ideology or talk or opinion without really digging or going out of your way. Meanwhile, right wing media has been all pervasive in just about every major form of media for the last 20-30 years, and they spend most of that time and money on political assassination garbage like the Washington Times puts out.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 8:11 pm ET)
              4 1
              Tell me about it, I grew up listening to my mother's AM radio talk shows back in the 1970s. I am quite sure she would have been a Beck fan. She voted for Ross Perot, too. She'd have probably like Sarah Palin, too. (I'm so ashamed.)
              Report Abuse
              • Author by CoolSlaw (December 30, 2011 8:58 am ET)
                5  
                I grew up listening to more then my fair share of Limbaugh in the late 80s and early 90s thanks to my parents. They are part of that demographic that will forever be trapped in a "culture war" with the ghosts of hippies and fall for the fake Christianity pablum every time.
                Report Abuse
                • Author by mary59 (December 30, 2011 11:33 am ET)
                  3  
                  Even though I know what you mean, I still wonder why that is so. The brain is very adaptable--we're biologically programmed to be able to grow new neurons and develop as we age.

                  Sigh.
                  Report Abuse
        • Author by politeradical (December 29, 2011 4:40 pm ET)
          14  
          Soros is a hedge fund manager who got rich via capitalism and uses his wealth and influence to spread democratic and capitalistic ideas. The right should love the guy.

          Alinsky was a brilliant organizer with no political allegiance who was damn good at teaching have-nots how to work within the system to unseat the haves. The teabaggers should be paying his estate royalties for how well they used his ideas to infect Congress last year.

          Instead both names are uttered as pejoratives by people too stupid to do their own research and inform their opinions by idiots with chalkboards.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by magnolialover (December 29, 2011 5:38 pm ET)
            13  
            Soros is a hedge fund manager who got rich via capitalism and uses his wealth and influence to spread democratic and capitalistic ideas. The right should love the guy.

            Exactly. And he actually helped bring down communist regimes in Eastern Europe, as in, direct influence, and monetary contributions to do it. Another reason the right should love him, but because he seems to be a liberal/progressive, he cannot stand. Before the crazy right wingers started yelling about Soros, I had no idea who he was. Same for Alinsky. Piven. Et all.

            I think they're projecting. As in, they are so influenced by people in the conservative movement (Limbaugh, Beck, Koch, et all) that they think ALL people are similarly influenced as they are. Which ain't even close to being correct.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 8:05 pm ET)
              7 1
              I think you make an excellent point. Which goes back to my hurding cats analogy. Liberals have free ranging minds, draw knowledge from lots of source and don't like to be put into cages. A lot of the "Freedom-Loving Patriots" otherwise known as TeaCons, they seem to enjoy being told what to think, or they don't notice. I was on HuffPo today, on the thread about Victoria Jackson, and one person was going on about how she presented "Names, Dates and Facts, Oh MY!" But if you listened to what she said, there were things stated as fact, but no facts or sources were given. And on another site, the person compared the book Jackson was talking about with "The Naked Communist" and she was amazed at the similarities between the goals of Communists and Muslims. Why the awe? I don't know, but it's really easy to come up with the same "rules" if you pull them out of your pants.
              Report Abuse
              • Author by MiniTru (December 30, 2011 7:30 am ET)
                2  
                HERDING cats.

                Sorry.
                Report Abuse
                • Author by epkklk851 (December 30, 2011 9:37 am ET)
                  1  
                  Oops, sorry, my spellchecker doesn't always function. Following the advice of a favorite teacher with a spelling problem, I developed a large vocabulary so I could have words available that I knew how to spell.
                  Report Abuse
                • Author by danielsangeo (December 30, 2011 11:13 am ET)
                  2  
                  I sometimes need to hurdle over my cat. He insists on laying down right in the middle of the hallway so you can't get around him. ;)
                  Report Abuse
              • Author by Egbert Souse (December 30, 2011 7:54 am ET)
                1  
                And when your pants are on fire.
                Report Abuse
              • Author by CoolSlaw (December 30, 2011 9:10 am ET)
                2  
                I was on HuffPo today, on the thread about Victoria Jackson, and one person was going on about how she presented "Names, Dates and Facts, Oh MY!" But if you listened to what she said, there were things stated as fact, but no facts or sources were given.


                Faith based politics.

                Republicans and conservatives don't really understand how that works, and they become angry and flustered if you try to show them the difference between researched, factual analysis, and emotional rants. They think that Victoria Jackson IS the source of the fact because she's a famous person supported by the echo chamber that says what they want to hear. That she appears on Fox news and bashes Obama with unhinged rhetoric are her credentials.

                I pointed out to a conservative that Ann Coulter's latest book "Demonic" was literally blatant, shameless, demonization of liberals (it can't be any more literal or blatant), and he couldn't understand what I was saying because according to him "she knows what she's talking about".
                Report Abuse
    • Author by wookie (December 29, 2011 1:37 pm ET)
      14  
      Kuhner: Obama Is A "Machiavellian Socialist" And A "Radical Leftist Who Seeks To Dismantle Capitalism." In his January 27 column, Kuhner wrote that Obama is a "Machiavellian socialist" and a "radical leftist who seeks to dismantle capitalism and the achievements of the Reagan revolution." [The Washington Times, 1/27/11, via Media Matters]


      These people have an incredibly broad definition of socialism and capitalism. And considering that the main achievements of the Reagan revolution were record breaking income inequality and financial fraud I wish Obama was seeking to dismantle that.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by politeradical (December 29, 2011 4:12 pm ET)
        6  
        That's kind.

        I would say they have little, if any understanding of either.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by magnolialover (December 29, 2011 5:40 pm ET)
        8  
        Obama sure showed a funny and strange way to destroy capitalism, by, you know, pushing for, and getting money to bail out said capitalists. Just remember the vitriol tossed Obama's way when he decided to help out GM and Chrysler and saving those formerly great American companies.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by CoolSlaw (December 29, 2011 6:25 pm ET)
        7  
        Machiavellian socialists are like those atheist Muslims and communist fascists the right wing is always warning us about. You got to watch those self-contradicting boogeymen or they'll getcha!
        Report Abuse
        • Author by danielsangeo (December 30, 2011 5:14 am ET)
          5  
          Didn't Fox or someone like them claim that the Occupy Wall Street crowd were "big government anarchists"?
          Report Abuse
          • Author by CoolSlaw (December 30, 2011 9:13 am ET)
            1  
            Good catch.

            Oddly enough, Fox news and the Washington post employ fact-less journalists...otherwise known as NOT journalists, or political hacks.
            Report Abuse
    • Author by politeradical (December 29, 2011 4:11 pm ET)
      10  
      Today, Hannity's sock puppet spent an entire segment blathering about how much golf Obama played in 2011, ignoring the glaring fact that Obama has spent far less time on vacation than his GOP predecessors. The host even criticized the length of time it took him to finish a round and called him "lazy."

      As opposed to the hard work put into wrecking the economy and invading the wrong country.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by ScienceBuff (December 29, 2011 5:02 pm ET)
        9 1
        The "rounds of golf" criticism has to be one of the lamest they produce, but you still hear it repeated all the time. The most recent information I can find says he's played 88 rounds since he took office. THAT'S FEWER THAN 2 PER WEEK. If that's his favorite means of relaxation, should we really begrudge him that much? And, don't forget, it's not likely that it's spread evenly across the year. During a week on vacation he probably plays several rounds which would lower his average during his non-vacation periods to one round or less per week.

        I'll never understand how that talking point has such long life.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by politeradical (December 29, 2011 5:25 pm ET)
          11 1
          The "rounds of golf" attack is nearly all they have.

          They tried the vacation generalization and were soundly destroyed with images of W. clearing brush on his fake ranch.

          Obama also got bashed for taking his suit coat off and rolling up his sleeves, "'cuz y'know that's what people do when they're working" - Bill Maher
          Report Abuse
          • Author by CoolSlaw (December 29, 2011 6:29 pm ET)
            5  
            Yes, at tabloids like the Washington post, the hacks are paid to attack Obama. They aren't paid for their journalistic integrity, they make their living by coming up with regularly scheduled partisan attacks. That's why the killing of the 9/11 mastermind and largest terror network in the world was greeted by nothing but sour grapes and cynical lies.
            Report Abuse
          • Author by nerzog (December 30, 2011 6:35 am ET)
            4  
            Yeah, one of my favorites was cited here a while back. The Troglodytes were all butt-hurt because they had a picture of Obama with his feet propped up on his desk. Of course, there are pictures of Puddinhead George doing the same thing, as well as several other previous presidents.
            Report Abuse
        • Author by epkklk851 (December 29, 2011 8:38 pm ET)
          3 1
          Not to mention that he's played some of those "rounds of golf" on the Army course at Ft. Belvoir, a place used by common service members and retirees, and it just happens to be just down the road from me.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by billcnc (December 29, 2011 4:35 pm ET)
      9 1
      Don't they have this rag next to the Enquirer, the Sun and other checkout counter tabloids? If not, ... that's were it should be, ... or, ... on a roll next to a toilet perhaps????

      Bird cage linning
      Report Abuse
    • Author by 4teepee (December 29, 2011 8:01 pm ET)
      7 1
      I wrote an email once to one of Reverend Moon's Washington Times columnists who had penned an article saying that Muslims had a paranoid view of U.S. foreign policy. I told her it was interesting to get the Moonie take on Muslims. Oddly enough, I got an angry email back from her husband saying she was not a Moonie and just generally attacking me.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by mathazar (December 29, 2011 8:27 pm ET)
      5  
      My favorite one has to be President Obama golfing during the DC
      earthquake. SNL couldn't do better.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by MiniTru (December 30, 2011 7:34 am ET)
        4  
        My favorite one has to be President Obama golfing during the DC
        earthquake.
        Yes, all 43 unexpected seconds of it.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by epkklk851 (December 30, 2011 8:45 am ET)
          2  
          And what could he have done, if he had been in D.C.? I was in a classroom in an old, converted barracks building on Ft. Belvoir. Being from California, I knew what it was when the first wave hit. I was going to get under the table and ride it out, but everyone ran for the door, including the 6ft guy sitting next to me who shoved an instructor down the hall. I was one of the last people out of the room. I was standing outside and making what turned out to be a pretty accurate guess on magnitude. I can also tell you that it messed up traffic on base for hours. I suppose it fouled the Beltway, too, but I didn't watch the news. It also ruined cell phone service, my husband, daughters, and I were all over the place, and we wanted to check in for safety, that and my husband had the car to get home.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by Johaely (December 30, 2011 10:17 am ET)
            1  
            My reaction to the quake was "There was an earthquake? When?"
            Report Abuse
            • Author by epkklk851 (December 30, 2011 11:16 am ET)
              3  
              How close were you to the epicenter? I was about 75 miles from the epicenter and Wikipedia shows a burst of yellow, indicating a Strong to Very Strong perceived shaking. The rest of the area is a blue-green, is Light perception. It was a little unnerving, but I happened to be sitting under a screen projector with a floating tile ceiling. I figured we'd just work through it, but the base sent all employees home after they cleared the buildings, they wanted to inspect things. Given the amount of damage to the National Cathedral and the Washington Monument, it was a good call. I think my building was a WWI or older brick building. A lot of people were really upset and around the bend. The guy next to me paniced and ran, after all.
              Report Abuse
              • Author by Johaely (December 30, 2011 12:10 pm ET)
                1  
                I was in NYC in the dentist. I kept hearing that there was an earthquake, even a little girl cried because of it, but i never noticed anything at all not even a tingling.
                Report Abuse
                • Author by epkklk851 (December 30, 2011 2:08 pm ET)
                  2  
                  I don't know if you've ever been in a quake before, but if you haven't, how you feel the quake is all about where you are on the wave, if you happen to be sitting where it crests, it feels worse than the trough. I've always been indoors and often seated when I've been through one, so it's different than being outside. I heard one lady tell another that she watched the five story building in front of us roll or bend because of the wave. And my husband once watched a quake roll down the road in front of him. I associate quakes with sounds, the sound of glass in a science classroom(4.5) or the sound of the beams of my house jumping and twisting (7.0) or the sound of my waterheater and file cabinets jumping, twisting and hitting walls (7.5). It's like a freight train. After all the aftershocks from the 7.5, I don't feel anything less than a 4.0. I was able to tell the science students that it was more than a 4 and less than a 5 because it shook, but nothing fell down. Quakes always make me queasy, so do roller coasters.
                  Report Abuse

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