Right Wing World: WTF is Wrong with White, Conservative America?

I've voiced my discomfort and displeasure for the level of discourse in political discussion over the last few weeks. There is a far more strident, far more knee-jerk, hair-trigger defensiveness and offensiveness. It isn't confined to the extreme right-wing--or maybe even entirely on the right--but it is pretty much confined to white people. The same folks who are extremely defensive about being accused of racism (indeed, if they are, they'll claim the accuser is playing "the race card") seem to be eager to be openly racially antagonistic.

Image from source, NewsCorpse

After a series of high profile cases of black men killed by police officers being turned loose without so much as a slap on the wrist, many people--not just black people--have been very upset about what seems to be a pattern. Various forms of protest have sprung up, to keep attention focused on the problem. Though several of these cases can be murky to wade through, and often the victim is not as pure as the driven snow, the fact remains: if a cop kills a minority, regardless of his offense (and sometimes the "offense" isn't even a crime), it is rare for him to even be indicted, let alone tried for a crime.

Somehow, this has become a partisan issue, largely right-against-left. It's even been conflated with the torture report, with exactly the same battle lines, mostly right wingers in favor of wide latitude for torture and police use of force, versus the left against torture, and for more stringent review of police methods. Ironically, the right is usually against strong government power, apparently making an exception when it is used against people the right doesn't like. But here's where it gets really weird.

White people pointing guns at law enforcement at the Bundy Ranch.
Image from DuaneGraham.WordPress.com

Two police officers were brutally shot to death in New York City this weekend. And instantly Right Wing World turned it into a political firestorm. The killer (dead himself from a self-inflicted gunshot) is apparently absolved of the crime. Instead, it is the fault of President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Al Sharpton. I have no idea why. And it's frankly disgusting.

If this were merely some anonymous internet chatter, or in the hobbyist blogosphere, that would be one thing. But it's prominent voices on the right, media personalities, elected officials. What the hell is going on here? Why is the right so anxious to turn the deaths of fellow Americans into some bizarre counter-point to a protest movement? No serious figure on the left has advocated violence against the police, and if they have, they would be instantaneously denounced (seriously, if there have been any, I hereby denounce them this instant).

I know that Right Wing World has been racially on edge for a long time, and that for 6 years they've desperately wanted to use the N-word openly. I'm honestly very surprised it hasn't popped out on FOX "News" or talk radio by now. But this is nuts. And it overlooks a very, very important fact: Two Tea Party following, Bundy Ranch protestors left that protest, went to Las Vegas, and killed two cops. How many on the right blamed themselves and their own leaders for that? >crickets<

[Excerpt]

NAUSEATING: Fox News Absolves Cop Killer Of Responsibility For Murders
 
Conservatives have long portrayed themselves as the voices of personal responsibility. They insist that the traditional values encompassed by patriotism and faith demand that individuals be accountable for their actions. But when it comes to the brutal assassination of two New York police officers, Fox News exploits the tragedy to lay the blame on innocent people that they regard as political adversaries. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

Attorney General Eric Holder Resigns

I was going to write a piece about how Eric Holder may be more despised by Right Wing World than even Barack Obama. How he was a consequential AG, despite all that. But truthfully, Rachel Maddow did such a good job with this one, I'm going to let her do it.
 

Louie Gohmert is an Idiot, Part #87

Texas should be embarrassed. Eric Holder deserves a medal for putting up with Gohmert, and for the masterful asparagus dig.
 

FOX "News" Tries to Change the Story from Christie

FOX "News" is in a bit of a trick bag, news cycle-wise. They wanted to make it all about Robert Gates' Duty book (sounds like "doody" in news reports, which is hilarious). But then Bridgegate, Chris Christie's own personal scandal hit. And FOX is torn on Christie. Sean Hannity seems to despise the guy, but Christie could also be the nominee in 2016, should he survive this scandal. So, when the story broke, FOX "News" only spent the barest minimum of time on it.

But the story--which conservatives obviously hoped to spin as a trifle--isn't going away. What to do? Change the subject! Just this morning, Eric Holder announced that the federal government would recognize the marriages already performed in Utah during the short window where same-sex couples could marry. This isn't particularly noteworthy beyond the people affected. The federal government already recognizes the marriages of everyone else in the country, and these particular marriages have not been nullified by Utah, they're just in limbo. This was a clarification by the federal government, and not much more. But to FOX "News"? It's FRONT PAGE NEWS! And check out the next three, which includes BENGHAZI!!! but no Christie.

 

Obama is Letting Bush & Co. Off the Hook. Or Is He?

I've been highly irritated with the continued buzz from the Obama Administration about letting the Bush Administration get away with torture, and other war crimes. I can't wrap my brain around it. I have theories of course. Like maybe too many Democrats would go down with the ship due to complicity or lack of action. Or maybe Obama is afraid of the right-wing noise machine.

But I have thus far been willing to cut Obama a little slack. He's a smart guy. And he knew what he was doing back in the primaries, and in the general election. Maybe this is part of a master plan that we don't quite see yet. Maybe by laying the groundwork that he himself doesn't wish to prosecute anyone from the Bush Era, he frees up the Justice Department and Congress to do it themselves, while Obama is working on the rest of his agenda? I sure hope it's something like that.

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Sarah Palin Wants Alaska Senator to Step Down

Photo from source, Think Progress

This is ridiculous, but that is to be expected of Sarah Palin, and the rest of the current GOP crop of cartoon characters. Former Sen. Ted Stephens lost his re-election bid because he was tried and found guilty on various charges. That guilty verdict has been set aside, because of basically a technicality. Most would not argue that he's automatically innocent.

Sen. Mark Begich, the Democrat, was elected. As far as I know, he's a bad Senator. But they expect him to step down because of the Attorney General's decision? That's just nuts. And it ain't gonna happen.

[Excerpt]

Palin echoes Alaska GOP: Sen. Begich should step down to allow new election

Today, the Alaska Republican Party called for Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) to step down and allow for a new election, in the wake of Attorney General Holder voiding former senator Ted Stevens’s guilty verdict, due to prosecutorial misconduct. This afternoon, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) echoed those calls and pressed for a new election. . .

Read more at: Think Progress