Liberalism, Socialism, Communism and other 'isms'

Over the past 8 years, if you paid any attention to the news and politics at all, you soon realized that the "response du jour" was "if anyone criticizes us, let's do a character assassination." Let's not show evidence of our actions, but attack the person who dares to question them. Some examples:

Joe Wilson (found no evidence of "yellowcake" from Niger which the admin. ignored)1
Valerie Plame (wife to Joe Wilson & a CIA operative, outed by Libby & Cheney) 2
Cindy Sheehan (populist protester villified by the right) 3
Dan Rather (for accusing bush of being a deserter) 4
Michael Moore (for going to Cuba even though journalists are allowed to) 5
Saddam Hussein (accused of WMD's & involvement in 9/11, none of which was true)6
Jimmy Carter (opposed to the Iraqi War) 7
Keith Olbermann (on just about any topic) 8

There are so many, the list seems endless. So now the tables are turned and the right-wing dominated media 9 is on the attack against liberals. Some examples:

• Hannity falsely asserted Dems "voted for those bonuses" while GOP did not
• Limbaugh defends AIG bonuses following attacks on "insane" UAW benefits
• Beck says it is "absolutely wrong" that AIG bonuses are "wildly unpopular"
• Limbaugh thinks it's "hilarious"that three "idiots" are about to die in the North Pole looking for evidence of climate change
• Savage claims the "radical left" including Obama, dreams of a "Maoist revolution" with "death camps" 10

The conservative media is accusing Obama, his administration, and anyone else in support of the administration, of "McCarthyism, socialism, ponzi-scheming, political grand-standing, and class warfare" to name just a few. 11 And horror of horrors, when actual clips are replayed later from these "talking heads" in the media, they freak out and attack those who replay their clips! Like Media Matters' president Eric Burns. 12 Heaven forbid someone airs their lies and misinformation! Now that the White House no longer replies to its critics with personal attacks, the media has apparently taken up the gauntlet.



Sources:
1. http://www.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2005/1122nj1.htm
2.http://www.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2005/1122nj1.htm
3. http://www.democraticwings.com/democraticwings/archives/politics/002059.php
4. http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/11/19-2
5. http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/27/subpoena-moore/
6. http://www.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2005/1122nj1.htm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3119676.stm
7. abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=2513387&page=1
8. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15147009/
9. http://media.eriposte.com/2-8.htm
10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPzQR2nfMSI
11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPzQR2nfMSI
12. http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200903190037?lid=951962&rid=24477954