
There's been a great deal of shocked, shocked murmuring yet again by The Usual Suspects over the terrible incivility in the world of political bloggers -- especially, it is implied, that part of the world inhabited by the non-righty bloggers.
Since we're all supposed to learn from our right-wing brethren and cistern about the wonders of morality, I am pleased as punch that Media Matters has put out this handy list of America's great public conservative moralists, along with representative samples of their pithy insights.
Fellow progressives, I urge you to study these sterling upholders of the Right-Wing Media Talker's Code:
First and foremost, we have the man who was the direct beneficiary of the overturning in 1987 of the wicked and secular-humanistic Fairness Doctrine, the father of right-wing gab radio and the spiritual ancestor of FOX News, Rush Limbaugh! The man who once told an African-American caller to "take the bone out of your nose" is still sharing his heartwarming observations on the races with us all; on a recent show in February, Mister Talent On Loan From God took issue with a Reuters report on a University of Chicago study that found that "a majority of young blacks feel alienated from today's government" when he commented: "Why would that be? The government's been taking care of them their whole lives." And in August of last year, he famously explained to viewers of the CBS reality show Survivor that blacks were bad swimmers and that Hispanics would do anything to win.
But of course Rush, pioneer in right-wing ethical standards-setting that he is, is not quite cutting-edge any more. For the past few years, FOX News' Bill O'Reilly has been leading the way in bringing conservative morality to America, particularly through our TV screens. Watch O'Reilly show us the wise, well-informed compassion he brings to everything he does, as he informs the female mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia that her true career lies in baking pies. Career counseling was never so much fun -- or so well grounded in bedrock Republican morality! O'Reilly also shows his expertise as a travel agent and defender of Christmas from the Jews Hollywood liberals, exhorting a Jewish caller to his show to "go to Israel" rather than remain in the US. And who could forget his expert snap diagnosis of the mental state of kidnapping victim Shawn Hornbeck?
While Bill O'Reilly may be today's leading exponent of the right-wing way of knowledge, Neal Boortz is a promising up-and-comer who has toiled in the fields of the conservative fringe until getting his big media break relatively recently. Once a speechwriter for the segregationist bigoted jackass great patriotic American Lester Maddox, Boortz shows that the intervening years have not tempered his passionate stances on racial, religious and gender matters. Marvel at his tasteful and conservatively-correct observations on Cynthia McKinney's hairstyle! Thrill as he sets straight that impudent hussy of a Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan -- and gets in a few licks at Muslims, too! Gasp at his charming audacity as he muscles in on O'Reilly's career-counselor turf, urging a female victim of Hurricane Katrina to become a prostitute! Stand up and cheer as he gets in even more licks on Muslims! Truly a great conservative man.
Compared to these three giants of the right-wing, Glenn Beck is a comparative tyro, being still in his early forties. But he's already shown that he's not willing to concede anything to the Old Masters when it comes to the espousal of conservative doctrine. Watch his courteous and always-civil interview with Keith Ellison, in which not a single cuss word (so beloved of those uncivil liberal bloggers!) passes his lips. Beck shows his excellent range with a tour-de-force synopsis of Hillary Clinton, yet another takedown of those goldarn immoral Muslims, and a Boortzian chastising of Katrina victims and 9/11 families.
I know what you're saying: "But where's Ann Coulter?" Fear not, my little chickadees, America's most famous fibber about her age is on this list. Recently, she took that dangerously-well-groomed John Edwards to task, alerting him to the dangers of having a good haircut. Not to be outdone by Glenn Beck in the chastising of 9/11 widows, Coulter cuts loose with a moral authority that could have only come from such time-honored conservative stalwarts as John Derbyshire and Westbrook Pegler.
Next, we have George Will's spiritual child, the Heir to the Bow Tie himself, Tucker Carlson. When he isn't upbraiding Canadians over their moral and mental inferiority to Americans, he's informing us all about the secret cabal of mustachioed feminists that run the Democratic Party. He also can sometimes manage to seem sane if you don't listen too hard has broad mainstream appeal, which -- combined no doubt with constant pressure from all the right groups, has got him a nice little gig with CBS. (At least until the show dies for lack of ratings.)
Finally, what list of great conservative American moralists would be complete without the addition of Michael Savage? The former Michael Weiner has managed to overcome his Jewishness East Coast upbringing and be a true force for anti-Semitic screechings principled conservatism. He shows his moral forcefulness when he casts bizarre and unwarranted aspersions on various media personalities.
There you have it, my friends: Our moral superiors, showing us and the world what makes them so much better than us. Doesn't it just make you want to embrace the conservative code? Like, really, really hard, anaconda style?
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PW!
…but…IOKIYAR!
where’s Melanie Morgan?
Um, April Fool’s Day was two weeks ago.
Oh wait, you mean this wasn’t a joke?
Nice reference list. Will come in handy.
Jane Hamsher @ 5
Thanks, though the fine folk at Media Matters did most of the heavy lifting.
‘Morning, everyone! Kinda a topsy-turvy day so far, eh?
Jane Hamsher @
5
But not this morning. I still have to eat breakfast, and I’d like to keep it down. The links will have to wait.
Thanks, PW! It’s dirty work, but someone’s got to do it.
OT Phoenix Woman,
Anything new up on the Palouse scandal in Minnesota?
Great list BTW Thanks
I need to wash out my eyes and ears. I may go back to Christie’s post for more wholesome thoughts.
Hi Pups,
Just listening to Wait Wait, and the question, “what should Don Imus do now?”
hmm.. maybe per Fitz’s mention, he should publish the “Imus Rules of Evidence” for Gonzo’s defense?
Jim Clausen @ 8
The biggest news is that it’s not just us DFH bloggers connecting the dots — the mainstream media’s on the case now.
PW, I thought you were going to write about how to recover deleted data with the title “Know the code.” You tricked me into reading about sewers and rats and things like that!
If I may be so bold, what we need to do is do the same thing to the goddam wingnuts. Beat them at their own game. When they’re marginalized to the deep south, we can raise the level of discourse.
Take the “non-fairness” doctrine and use it in exactly the same way. We can be “better than that” once we are back in the left seat. until then, we must use their tactics. It’s just that simple.
I still find myself wishing Lincoln had simply allowed the south to secede.
posaune @ 10
teeheehee
Guitar_Playing_Bastard @ 13
Amazed to find someone who agrees with me about Lincoln.
Gnome de Plume @
9
Speaking of last topic, saw your post about Gruene Hall. Wouldn’t it be a fun thing for a bunch of fire pups to get together at say a Gospel Brunch some month? Just thinkin’.
Don’t know if this has been posted already or not–I was going to post before going to the gym this morning, but the blog was down. Anyway, I think this post is worth checking out, and passing along to others as you see fit…
Take Back the Blog! March
Thanks, Phoenix Woman, and Media Mattaers, for continuing to expose the hypocrisy of individuals like Terry Jeffrey. I almost lost my lunch when he said, earlier in the week on The Situation Room, “Don Imus represents the decline in standards in American broadcasting.” Remembering this is causing me to lose my breakfast.
Michael Savage’s self-hating Jew life story has a weird similarity with that of “24″ producer Joel Surnow,
profiled in The New Yorker. You know, the family man who was with Rush when he was busted coming back from the Dominican Republic with a suitcase filled with little blue pills.
I’d like to see a “recipe” to follow for the next take down of one of the bigoted jerks listed above. What was it that allowed it to happen to Imus and how can we use that success to take down the ones who deserve even more?
I did notice that KO is wondering if Imus will come back bigger and better on another network. Will FAUX hire him as a balancing “liberal”?
eCAHNomics @ 15
Unfortunately, Lincoln had to deal with some problems within the family which prevented all that. Start with he and Jeff Davis both being born in Kentucky. Lincoln’s family went North, Davis’s went South. Lincoln’s BIL was a general in the Rebel army (Breckenridge). And so on. Just made it a mite uncomfortable I’m sure to actually do anything differently than he did.
Gnome de Plume @ 9
Sorry about that! I can offer you some cat pictures if you like.
dakine01, where are you? Close enough to Gruene to get together? The Austin Lounge Lizards are going to be playing at the Brauntex in NB sometime soon. That would be better than Gospel for me!
Gnome de Plume @
12
This IS the health code we’re talking about here, no?
dakine01 @ 16
Well, y’all better be havin’ some kind of get-togethers in five years. The Mrs. and I hope to be your Yankee neighbors.
Phoenix Woman @ 22
Thanks! I forgot that you do cat blogging. Atrios doesn’t anymore.
How come a bunch of clown faces extorting the virtue of ignorance get so much air-play and still be able to survive with their careers intact?
I always looked forward to the Bill Mahr show each week for a little sanity. Although I really liked his New Rules bit, he thinks that the Imus affair was uncalled for and that he did no wrong but was crucified by the press. I,m no longer going to look forward to the Bill Mahr Show.
Anyone hear that an attorney jumped out of the Empire State Buiding last night??
great post pheonix and it makes the point crystal clear
Imus was a hit job…he’s the only among the bunch that critisizes the administration
hit jobaroo imus was
and I believe he took my advice, he went directly to the girls he hurt, asked them to tell him about their pain, how he coiuld make it better
they gorgave him
retirin’ in five - some of us are
YankeesRed Sox here. We just keep quiet about it.That’s a Rogue’s Gallery of the Right’s “(Submissive-But-Over-Compensating) Voices of Dominance”.
To think Limbaugh draws 10 million trout-mouthed, gullible - but angry - listeners - and then proceeds to whip-up their thoughtless hate with ‘code-words’ to emphasize the need to ‘control’ the ‘enemy’ - their fellow citizens ‘on the left’ - is just a sad commentary on how the Politics of Hate keeps us divided amongst ourselves.
They’re all hypocrites, gloating out loud over their positions in the Food Chain of Slavish Worshipper’s of wealth, power and position - smugly secure in the crotch of the tyrant’s “loyalty model”.
They work for ‘the Man’ and they know it. They are living examples of ‘How to Get Ahead by Wearing Knee-Pads.’
But, they’re powerful because they ‘know the code’ and they keep it secret from the ’sheep’.
Mae @ 18
And of course Media Matters has a little file on Terry P. Jeffrey, too.
These guys are mostly glorified “morning zoo” shock jocks who hooked up with some wingnut-welfare group. And the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine made it possible for them to go national (as well as to further pollute morning AM and FM radio).
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush said Saturday that a Democratic plan to set an end date for the war gives “our enemies the victory they desperately want.”
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....TE=DEFAULT
One wonders what these goats would have become if they’d had to actually work for a living at some point in their vacuous, pathetic existences. Then again, maybe one knows the answer: nothing.
Gnome de Plume @
20
my guess would be on XM or Serius, quite possibly on premium cable,
I thought this was gonna be another gaydar post!
Gnome de Plume @ 30
I didn’t mean those Yankees. I meant, you know, the Bluecoats, the Northerners. Or, are you sayin’ you’re a transplant from Beantown. (Sorry. I’m slow today from FDL lurk deficiency.)
Mutant Poodle @
2
Bless you, my child
;>)
Kudos, PW.
Imus is baby potatoes in maple gravy compared to this gallery of dogwhistling rogues.
By Zeus, every time one of these slippery eels slithers across the airwaves it’s all I can do to hold back a thunderhead of f*cking incivility.
perris @ 29
It’s so ironic that the tighty-righties are spinning themselves into new heights of self-contradictory bullshit over this one. It’s a rare moment when they’re not all on the same page.
Thinking about reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, I wonder if Pelosi and Reid have staff people assigned to keep the list of legislation that needs to be passed in the ‘09 session, once we a Democratic President back in office. There is soooo much to do to start righting this ship.
TeddySanFran @ 36
I’ve got what they call “Goydar.” I can spot a Gentile a mile away.
Gnome de Plume @
20
I dunno. “Hannity and Imus” really doesn’t scan all that well.
allan_in_upstate @
19
Isn’t Joel Surnow the ‘24′ producer who couldn’t be bothered to meet with the Commandant of West Point when he flew out to California to tell the teevee show’s executives they were warping his cadet’s young minds about torture’s effectiveness?
Phoenix Woman - your label “right-wing brethren and cistern” is outstanding. You have come up with a long list of great lines but this has to rank in the top 10%. Terrific!
Whew that was kinda scary having the site down for so long. Glad to see everybody.
ccmask @ 28
WH or DOJ?
………….sorry, that may come out as frightfully crass but it *was* the first thing that crossed my mind after hearing about those two who died under less than clear circumstances.
darkblack @ 38
Uh-huh. And the single best way to rein in those creeps?
Bring back the Fairness Doctrine.
That will immediately either shut them up or force them to give at least token “equal time” to a sane viewpoint, and thereby improve the quality of drive-time radio.
Eli @ 42
But what if Talk Radio Network pairs him with Michael Weiner? “Imus/Savage” is a perfect title for a right-wing radio show.
Rocket Scientist @ 44
Aw, geez, thanks.
How’s the rocket science going today?
EvilDrPuma @ 48
Pairing him with Coulter would work even better: “Ann/Imus”.
retirin’ in five @ 37
Both, RiF. I knew what you were saying. It is just that the Y word means nasty pinstripe uniforms and not carpetbags to me. I am such an “old” fan that Y stands for Yaz, not that evil team in the big city. ;-)
Eli @ 50
How about a triple bill? “Ann/Imus/Savage.”
The way to stop shock shlock is via the advertisers. The almighty $ drives advertisers. As one pundit said on NPR, advertisers don’t have red and blue values. They only value green.
Reward advertisers with viewership and business when they place civil discourse in play. Boycott (and let them know) when they don’t.
Eli @ 50
how about ImanAnus?
Re: Anacondas…
The Photoshop potential of this remark is intriguing.
I’ll never see Ann Coulter’s name without getting an immediate mental picture of TRex’s Photoshopped image of Coulter with her mouth replaced by that of a lamprey. If it weren’t so damn scary I’d post a link to it.
EvilDrPuma @ 52
I think you mean “Savage/Ann/Imus”.
Waccamaw @ 46
Me too, at first. Can’t find the story anymore–it was on the Daily News homepage this am
ccmask @ 33
But he’d *never* call our patriotism into question though - right?
ccmask @ 57
http://nydailynews.com/news/20.....orror.html
Eli @ 56
It can work either way. Imus’ name offers immense marketing flexibility.
To BushCo, we are his enemies.
ccmask @ 57
Here ya go.
Man jumps to death from 69th floor
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....cation=rss
ccmask @ 61
They’re not wrong.
Eli @ 56
Ding! Ding! Ding! I think we have a winner.
Well. Mr. Rove may finally be doing something of which I approve. He’s blaming his foibles on his own political party. I just love how these GOP’ers take individual responsibility for their own misdeeds. As in Libby, etc.
WASHINGTON, April 13 — Karl Rove, the chief political strategist for President Bush, did not intentionally delete e-mail messages to avoid creating a paper trail detailing his work, his lawyer said on Friday. Rather, he mistakenly thought that the messages were being preserved by the Republican National Committee.
Phoenix Woman @ 47
That, and targeting the advertisers. “Is this really the viewpoint that your corporation holds?”
One item that hasn’t been addressed (at least in the circles I travel) is the existing corporate culture that propagates attitudes such as this, and throws their weight behind political candidates who use such support in their quest for power.
It really is more pervasive than some think.
OT certainly, but in case you haven’t seen this (via Cannonfire): http://dedicationtopinkpenn.lustfulutterances.com
A dominatrix will reveal in her book to be published July 6th (Deciderer’s birthday) her mid-80s BDSM affair with Bush and Victor Ashe. Hope she has corroborating evidence (though I would prefer it not be photographic).
Gnome — yeah, damn those ‘Yankees’, not the rest of us. (Sorry, NYC.) Wife’s bootin’ me off the tubes so she can grade papers. I’ll be lurkin’ in the mornin’. Be advised Marion, Twolfster.
Eli @ 63
Gosh…I never looked at it that way–you’re right! lol
Thanks for the linky, gang……….I think. You really have to wonder what set of circumstances would drive someone to such a sad end.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 65
cornered rat syndrome. Or cornered piggie in his case…..though really I would not insult any animal by applying it as an adjective to Rove.
ccmask @ 69
However, the distinction that they seem unable (unwilling) to make is that “enemies” do not necessarily equal “terrorists”.
Another brilliant Republican.
Here was Rudy Giuliani this week in a speech in California. No one much noted it — he was lucky it was subsumed by the Imus wave. But this is how Mr. Giuliani opened a speech to citizens considering his candidacy for the American presidency. “Thank youse all very much for invitin’ me here tuh-day, to this meeting of the families from different parts’a California.”
From Time: Gates Angry, Bush Ambushed by Leak
The Pentagon’s never been able to keep a secret, but top officials were really steamed this week when some unknown defense official tipped off the press to the impending announcement that Army troops would be spending more time in combat zones. In an ideal world, commanders want to be able to tell their combat units, in their own way, that they won’t be going home as early as they hoped. Instead, Army grunts got the bad news via the Internet after it leaked prematurely to reporters Tuesday night.
snip
Just hours before the news leaked out, President Bush complained about Democratic congressional foot-dragging that has held up approval of a $120-billion-plus supplemental war bill. “The bottom line is this: Congress’s failure to fund our troops will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines,” Bush told an American Legion audience in suburban Virginia. The next day, his Pentagon did it all by itself, without any help from anyone of either party on Capitol Hill.
more at the link…
http://www.time.com/time/natio.....87,00.html
A stand up comic named Barry Crimmins once told me, if being “politically correct” means that I am no longer talking like a racist, sexist, homophobe, then I guess I’m politically correct.
There needs to be some sort of term that applies to the right wing when they apply their own speech doctrine.
What is it when you can’t criticize the president, American policy, religious extremists, the rich and powerful elite? When you need to use the word “homicide bomber”, when you must say “God bless America”, when you must say “personal accounts” instead of “privatizing social security”?
-GSD
It’s all about the advertisers.
I haven’t the slightest doubt that advertiser-bailing (in a mad dash to the exits the likes of which has rarely been seen) is what did Imus in.
I would hazard a guess that a lot of them are now ACUALLY LISTENING to the shows they sponser.
GSD @ 75
The terrorists, winning.
believe that is the enigma encryption machine up top -
1 of last engima codes ‘broken’ by folks using distributed computing :)
lets see, bunches of far flung, unrelated folks get together on line and solve mysteries . . .hmmm where have we seen this before ?
:)
ccmask @ 28
Ms. Redshift is a big fan, but listening to the wingers he has on pisses me off too much, and she doesn’t like it when I can’t resist talking back at the TV. But I had to work on something in the living room when she was watching last night, so I caught some of it, and I agree, Maher, was way off last night. (Free speech, my ass! Like Harry Shearer said, if the First Amendment gives you the right to a TV show, I want mine!)
I thought it was kind of sad, however, listening to little Scottie McClellan continue to spout the talking points. I think if I’d been there, I would have said “you don’t have a podium, we don’t have to listen to you lie to us any more.”
darkblack @ 77
The Republicans, whining. (I know, same difference.)
Thank you, Phoenix Woman. I am properly chastened and have seen the error of my ways. I’m so glad we have these shining lights of civility and morality to show us the way!
I notice things are going quite well in Iraq today. Right on course to victory.
AP - A car bomb blasted through a busy bus station near one of Iraq’s holiest shrines Saturday, killing at least 37 people, police and hospital officials said.
George Bush: The world’s greatest living terrorist.
Redshift: Mahr told Scottie he didn’t have spew the talking points anymore–in fact, he said it twice to him. And dear Scottie must have hated the ending too–you could tell by his face. But the free speech bill pisses me off. He musta owed Imus something.
Redshift @ 79
Maher can be *so* good sometimes, especially when he’s bashing the preznit. His open letter to Dubya, observing that he really didn’t look like he was enjoying the job and that it was time for him to do what he always does and walk away and find a new fantasy job like cowboy or spaceman, was brilliant.
He also had a great piece in yesterday’s Salon about the unqualified religious fanatics taking over the government.
EvilDrPuma @ 80
Al Quaeda = blue collar terrorists
Government of Pakistsan = narco-terrorists
The Federalist Society = white collar terrorists
Oklahoma kiddo @ 83
Actually, he’s pretty lousy as a terrorist, too. If the objective of terrorism is to produce desired political change by creating an atmosphere of fear, Bush has hardly succeeded on an international scale.
Rocket Scientist @ 64
Weiner/Coulter/Revolter?
Savage has got to be the worst on radio, Beck the worst on TV. And every town of a quarter million or more has at least one of their own local AM radio state fascist drivetime hate jocks. In Anchorage, all four - that’s right, a town of 300,000 with four homebrew Rightwing radio blowhards - were shocked about Imus. Their common thread was that all this was to distract the people from the real crime of the week, the victimization of the Duke lacrosse team and the perfidy of the woman who accused them.
The airwaves belong to the public-no one should be able to use a public utility as a weapon against other citizens. Bring back the Fairness Doctrine!
finally thought Maher was catching up to Left Blogistan learning curve, esp this season to date . . .and then I heard him bash Media Matters
Gnome de Plume @
23
San Antonio about a mile from the airport. Thought about the brunch mainly cuz it’s only about 10-12 bucks.
EvilDrPuma @ 87
No, not on an international scale…
Ed*ard Teller @ 88
Wow, when all those people were complaining about my Imus post being a distraction from the *real* news, I thought they were talking about something completely different…
The impression here is that the people of Iraq, Iran and perhaps Palestine are fairly terrified of what our president might do next.
Eli @ 92
Domestically, I agree. I just hope the next wave of political leadership is wise enough to dismantle everything this administration has instituted, post haste. Waiting is just letting it get more entrenched.
dakine01 @
91
Gnome–LTNS
Darkine, didn’t know you were here in SA, too. I’m out near UTSA. Drive through your area all the time, going to work.
Gnome de Plume @
30
Reds fan first THEN Red Sox (lived in Waltham, and so NH). I was probably the only Reds fan within 150 miles of Boston during ‘75 world series. Watched the sixth game from a little private club in Everet - I thnk the HR was about only reason I was allowed out alive. That plus they knew I must be nuts to cheer for reds that deep in RS nation.
ccmask @
84
Bill is on the waiting list to become a full-fledged member of the club.
-GSD
Oklahoma kiddo @ 94
They’re also actively resisting it. That’s not what terrorism tries to achieve.
On Imus be going now
Former Rev Gov Huckabee (R-AR) says it’s a free speech issue…and Tom Delay blames Rosie…
Is it free speech when you get paid millions to say it over public air space? And how did Rosie invade Don Imus body, Tom?
Ed*ard Teller @
88
Those upsatanding young lads who were yelling racist epithets at an exotic dancer while drunk?
-GSD
If we nuke Iran, that will probably start WWIII. Now that’s frightening.