Speaking of Manufactured Outrage (UPDATED)

Seemingly unaware of the previous post, Peter Daou sends me this from his column:

I'm devoting much of today's report to Karl Rove's vile comments denigrating half of the American public. My office overlooks Ground Zero, and I'm looking at the gaping footprint as I write this. My wife and I were in New York that day, on our way to the WTC for a morning meeting. A chance phone call dragged on a few minutes too long and most likely saved our lives. I lost friends in the towers, and when I walk past the site, as I do almost every evening, the pain is as real as it was on September 11th, 2001.

I spent my youth in Beirut during the height of Lebanon's civil war, and I fought the Syrian presence in Lebanon long before the "Cedar Revolution." I watched young boys give their lives and mothers cradle their dying children in blood-soaked arms. I've seen more bloodshed, war, and violence, and shot more guns than most of the 101st Fighting Keyboardists combined. I wouldn't presume to question the strength or dignity of a stranger, and I pity those who blithely push the right=strong, left=weak rhetoric. It says far more about their inadequacies than it does about the target of their scorn. Today, Karl Rove took that rhetoric to a new, filthy low.

(I’ll leave our email exchange private.)

Here are Karl Rove's "vile" remarks.

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers,"

After seeing Michelle Malkin’s links, I know that this is the newest means of 'hitting back,' as if we’re on a playground. Durbin=Rove. Dueling blogswarms. As if Rove’s remarks have the same chance of getting our soldiers killed by our collective enemies as Durbin’s remarks do. I can't wait until they use Rove's words in an Al Jazeera headline! :::rolls eyes:::

Because that was what the Durbin outrage was about, Peter, not about some hurt feelings on the conservatives’ part. Nor was it made-up, as you contended in the Chicago Tribune piece.

When your comrades and your elected officials pull their heads out of their collective rectums, they’ll realize that we’re trying to save their lives too.

Here’s hoping that happens soon. I’ll pray for them. And you.

UPDATE: Blackfive and I are on the same page.

UPDATE: I posted the whole Daou column.

UPDATE: The playground war continues.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record) said Rove "took something that is virtually sacred to New Yorkers" — the tragedy of the Sept. 11 attacks — "and politicized it for political, opportunistic purposes."

"Karl Rove is not just another political operative," added New York's other Democratic senator,
Hillary Rodham Clinton. "He sits in the White House, a few doors down from the president." [SNIP]

Schumer and Clinton joined the four Democratic senators from Connecticut and New Jersey in a letter to Rove requesting that he immediately retract his comments. "To try to score partisan, political points at the expense of the 3,000 victims and their families was unacceptable and opportunistic," they wrote. [SNIP]

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., went to the Senate floor with Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record), D-S.D., whose son served in Iraq. Until America becomes safe, Kerry said, "don't dare question the patriotism of Americans who offer a better direction."

Soldiers get their lives endangered but no one is supposed to say jack. Liberals get their feelings hurt and scream bloody murder.

It's enough to make you a bit cynical.

Comments

[James M. Barber]

Juliette,
Concerning our troops, Democrats were not liberals in the 1940's.
Harry Truman was a Democrat but never made remarks like Dirk Durbin did about our troops. Men who fought in WWI & Korea and who are considered conservative today mainly were Democrats then and Republicans now. If Charles Schumer-D of NY thinks liberal means him, he is right.
JMB

[teal marie]

Dicks and Peters, oh my. What a tool box we have to choose from, nowadays.

[Mr. Lion]

Something "virtually sacred to New Yorkers", is it?

I guess that's why the nitwit wants to rebuild the site with the architectural equivalent of "Let's reflect on why we suck so much."

Schumer being a hypocritical moron is hardly news, in fact I'm pretty much convinced it's a prerequisite to have any meaningful position within the Democrat party, but sheesh.

[Timmer]

Britt Hume mentioned on his show tonight that Rove specifically said liberal and conservatives and isn't it interesting which democrats have chosen to be offended.

[torchy]

LOL Miss Marie, Why is it that tools like Dick and Peter always hang to the left?
They'll get no good strokes from America until they "stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with a light from above", not mirrors. Mirrors are for cheap pornos where the object of desire always wants it in the worst way, and deserved it, or as an aid to masturbation, which I think is the gist of Karls remarks, colorfully put.

[teal marie]

Wow! Michele Malkin linked back.
She quoted you with -
"Soldiers get their lives endangered but no one is supposed to say jack. Liberals get their feelings hurt and scream bloody murder.

It's enough to make you a bit cynical."

Brilliant!

[frameone]

Ya, because sending our troops into Iraq on shaky intelligence without all of the equiptment they needed and with no plan for stablizing the country after we invaded it is a great way to keep our soldiers from harm.

[Russ]

Whereas, ignoring the intelligence, doing nothing, and letting Saddam remain in power with no plan to get rid of him would have been a great way to keep our civilians (and Kurds, and Israelis...) from harm... right, pea-wit?

[skinner]

I got the same impression as Rove , did, at the liberals reaction to 9,11 like somehow we as Americans deserved it Liberals have a Huge problem with reality.
" IT TAKES A VILLAGE " They also have
a huge problem with History and understanding When war has been declared on you they also have many other shortcomings in logic which are to extensive and annoying for me to contemplate The fact is we are at war and career minded Bownie point seeking big mouths should keep theyre mouths SHUT when their words could even remotely endanger our armed forces or by being used to recruit borderline wacos Think before you speak DEMOCRATS What rove said didnt endanger anyone We need to portray the message to thes maniacs that WE ARE IN IT FOR THE DURATION PRAY FOR ARE BRAVE TROOPS
And give politics a rest untill theyre home and SAFE

[skinner]

Please excuse my writing "style" Its lazy but Im not stupid REALLY
I dont proofread either THATS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET " PIG BIT'ING MAD"
[ Ed Anger } , commenter extrodinaire from the award winning periodical,,,,
Weekly World News Home of the Bat Child

[Chevy Rose]

I love the way you compared the statements and am in full agreement. Besides needing a long time-out in the corner, the "cry baby" Liberal democrats need to change their name and end the deceit. And I agree with Mr.Lion's comment about the sham they're pulling on the "whinny plan" museum at Ground Zero. New Yorkers should be protesting to have their outrage heard and make them take notice that 9/11 wasn't just a slip-of-the-tongue incident.

[Josh]

I guess when liberals play politics with 9-11 (blaming it on our involvment in Vietnam or whatever) then they are at least being more RESPECTFUL than their opponents. Somehow. So that justifies them pretending that they are above playing politics with a sensitive issue, basically lying.

[skinner]

Wow vietnam and 9.11 I fail to see any
comparisons BEN LADEN was probably 24 and enjoyed the fact that his dad was making alot of money and more oil was being sold by the Saudis to the Americans
Im changing the subject but I cant help it becauase im an imsomniac not to be confused with that female condition that sounds the same but starts with a Nymp something the desease I wish my girl freind would get, You know so I'd be asllep and you wouldnt have to read this , at this late hour. Has anyone noticed how
hillary RODHAM clinton Always wears REALLY BRIGHT OBNOXCIOUS BLAZERS all the time . you think she wants to call attention to herself? She als appears at everything where she knows they might just notice her IN HER RIGHT RED BLAZER Did any
one notice when she stuck her FACE on television right after 9,11 and blabbed about how her daughter CHELSEA was in the area that day and they couldnt get a hold of her for 4 HRS. { did anyone care], Did anyone here about how she claimed to be named after THIS SIR HILLARY guy who climbed Mt Everest and was Knighted by the queen.? Yea she claimed this while she was in Australia , unfortunately someone realized this Sir Hillary guy was Unknown when she was born and Knighted when she was 6. You think this is the only lie this BIG PHONEY BIGMOUTH HAS EVER BEEN CAUGHT IN She makes that loudmouth Mary Hart look intelligent AND She was voted the most admired woman in the world . Maybe its me, maybe Im just not seeing something ,
My neigbors have mules my neighbors have
jackasses ,they use for hunting, maybe Ill
just go stare at their backsides and try to see,
Why I dont understand the Big HILLARY HOOPLAH

[Tony Martin]

This administration likes to rewrite history. As I recall it, the entire nation, and the entire world was UNITED against the terrorists. In fact, the nation was so UNITED, they gave extraordinary powers to President Bush, so he could attack Afganistan.

But then Bush went wacko. He attacked Iraq. For no reason except for this analogy. Ever heard of a bad cop shooting a bad guy and then trying to plant a knife or drugs on that person? That is what Bush made of this country. A thug.

Then he divided not just the US, but divided us against the world.

Carl Rove should apologize for continuing the BIG LIE that the war has something to do with 9/11.

[skinner]

Im back !!!!! sorry like I said Insomnia
kills, other stuff puts you to sleep and you wake up smiling . Anyways so I re-read Kerrys statement and thought about it, this time "dont dare question the patriotism of Americans who offer a better direction.

A BETTER DIRECTION Running away like he did in Nam Giving up the fight for freedom in Iraq
While at home youre working to destroy the bill of rights No wonder this chicken shit TRAITOR is a hero TO COMMUNIST Veit Nam
DONT ANY OF THESE IDIOT LIBERALS GET THIS WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[davod]

Tony Martin:

Do not white wash history. The nation was behind Bush on Afghanistan. The liberals now supporting the Democrats, including some of the Dems in Congress, did not
support any form of military acton against Afghanistan. Denial is a disease that can be helped by a good does of balanced reading and viewing. They say the truth will set you free. In this case it may save your life. Stay away from the propoganda pamphlets long enough to read the 911 report.

[skinner]

Liste antonio martino youre FULL OF IT
SADAM HUSSEIN brutally murdered thousands he practised genocide on the Kurrdish and I watched a documentary showing mothers and fathers tossing theyre dead babies in a construction size dumpster This is all documented What does it require YOU { In youre mind to justify Stopping an evil regime ? Should we wait forever like we did with Edi AMMIN DADA should we turn a blind eye like we did to Hitler until the last momment you Idiots seem to foget we were attacked They [TERRORISTS ]declared war on us , Not one country , but terrorist that have cells in {probably every arab Moslem country} I think we drove them out of Afghanistan and these people are gratefull Guess where they went next [ Everywhere] You dont think Sadm deserved it Then youre an Idiot Hitler would own the Eastern hemisphere if Idiots like you had been in power Do You even notice the fact that the insurgence are coming in from pakistan syria iran etc etc we have our forces in Iraq and they can "come and get it whenever they want " They will fail and a noble fight for freedom and against hatred , will eventually make the world more secure so SHUT UP AND GO GOLFING OR SOMETHING YOURE THE PROBLEM

[count chocula]

when it comes to terrorists you are wrong. as a liberal i can attest that what we want to do is pull out their feeding tubes and clone their babies! that will teach them!!

[count chocula]

Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

-Hermann Goering 4/18/46, when the gig was up

[Jamie]

Geeze, Goering, what a skirt to hide behind:

"Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one. In practice, ‘he that is not with me is against me’. The idea that you can somehow remain aloof from and superior to the struggle, while living on food which British sailors have to risk their lives to bring you, is a bourgeois illusion bred of money and security. Mr Savage remarks that ‘according to this type of reasoning, a German or Japanese pacifist would be “objectively pro-British”.’ But of course he would be! That is why pacifist activities are not permitted in those countries (in both of them the penalty is, or can be, beheading) while both the Germans and the Japanese do all they can to encourage the spread of pacifism in British and American territories. The Germans even run a spurious ‘freedom’ station which serves out pacifist propaganda indistinguishable from that of the P.P.U. They would stimulate pacifism in Russia as well if they could, but in that case they have tougher babies to deal with. In so far as it takes effect at all, pacifist propaganda can only be effective against those countries where a certain amount of freedom of speech is still permitted; in other words it is helpful to totalitarianism"
-- George Orwell

Or, you could show your cleverness by just making a fact-based argument.

The rest of what Orwell says in this letter is interesting, too, especially the second point in his list:

"The actual record of Fascism, especially its pre-war history, is ignored or pooh-poohed as ‘propaganda’. Discussion of what the world would actually be like if the Axis dominated it is evaded."

I noticed parallels...

[Pug]

The Reverend Jerry Falwell, September 14, 2001:

"God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."

[baldilocks]

Tony Martin: I guess you were unconscious before GWB's inauguartion. I wasn't. That's why I remember Operation Desert Fox conducted by President Clinton for the exact same reasons that Operation Iraqi Freedom is being conducted. Did President Clinton also "go crazy?"

Also please note all of the statements by MoveOn.org, Democrat presidential candidates Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton and urging "restraint" in the wake of 9/11.

Patty Murray (D-WA) urged school children to understand our enemies better instead of wanting to make war on them. The DNC Chairman Howard Dean even doubts the guilt of Osama bin Laden. It's not slander when it's the truth.

Sell it somewhere else.

[baldilocks]

chocula: Has it ever occured to some of you liberal sorts that it is you who are being Göring-ed by your leaders?

Pug: Falwell is a wingnut. His words were denounced far and wide by conservatives and Christians at the time they were said.

We show our wingnuts the door. You let yours sit next to former presidents at the DNC convention.

[Don Surber]

Yea, Pat Murray said we should emulate bin Laden by building schools and roads. Then she voted against the $87 billion.

[Mescalero]

Since when has rich-kid, loud-mouth John Kerry represented anything other than the low life existing in America's sewers?

If Kerry is so insistent on Rove's apology, Kerry had better be ready to apologize for his completely unsubstantiated accusations of US military war crimes in Viet Nam. Of course we know that won't happen -- his mentor Teddy (Chappaquidick) Kennedy hid under his mommy's skirt when he turned left instead of right on that fateful night in 1969. Hey Teddy, those of with memories (which eliminates most of today's Democrats) haven't forgotten. We'll never let you forget!

[Bill O..]

You all do realize that only one person in congress voted against giving the President permission to go to war in Afghanistan making the votes nearly unanimous? Google this. When asked about this recently the presidents spokesmen claims Rove's comments were referring to liberals not Democrats. It is a funny way of "nuancing" the issue since the right has been conflating the words "liberal" and "Democrat" for years. And what about the Democrats who serve in the military now and during 9/11?

In light of these statements what I find very interesting is given the current critically low military recruitment levels how able bodied pro war supporters of age are not joining up -particularly the young Republicans. Here is an older article that I think you should check out.
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9556221.htm

And more recently at the national meeting of young Republicans this month in Las Vegas an organization attempted to place a military recruitment advertisement into the convention issue of their magazine. It was rejected because it was considered "negative". The advert simply pointed out that as recruitment numbers were low that it was time for young patriotic Republicans who most vigorously support the war in Iraq to consider joining the military. When a number of the young Republican attendees were interviewed about joining the military by the same group that attempted to place the ad all the responses were essentially "I have other priorities". This sounds sadly familiar.

[teal marie]

But, you like to be sad, BillO. It's "interesting" to you.
Our tool kit runneth over. And you're the awl.

[baldilocks]

Congress isn't the only habitat of liberals, Bill.

The subject isn't low recruitment or what that means or whether young Republicans are joining up or not.

But your posting tactic is quite familiar.

Baldi: "Congress isn't the only habitat of liberals, Bill."

Go read the Scott McClellan "nuancing" of this point.

Baldi:"The subject isn't low recruitment or what that means or whether young Republicans are joining up or not."

You are right the subject was hypocrisy, invocations of patriotism and the conflation of Afghanistan/A.Q. with Iraq. Republicans and their young want to question the patriotism of those of us who knew there were no connections to A.Q., no WMD, the war wouldn't pay for itself and not be a drag on our economy, wouldn't be over in a couple of months and that it wouldn't distract from the war on terrorism, that it wouldn't breed more terrorist, and that we needed to finsh the job in Afganistan, etc. And now that all this has come true we are called unpatriotic.

As a very great man once said in terms even a simpleton should have been able to grasp: "You break it you own it". And with military recruitment at dangerously low levels (blamed on "liberals" of course) it is time for the people that got us in to this mess to walk the talk. Every able bodied Republican should either join (or rejoin)the military and seriously encourage their able bodied relatives or friends to do the same. Prove that you are the real patriots the "liberals" are not. Otherwise you are the immoral hypocrites.

[JLawson]

No, Anonymous - I blame a lot of the lack of recruitment on the media and their "If it's bad news we'll splatter it everywhere, if it's good news it's no news and we'll ignore it." You don't hear anything about the good the soldiers are doing in Iraq, you don't hear anything about the reconstruction of schools and sewage plants and infrastructure but you'll sure hear volumes about the assholes in Abo Ghraib who got bored one night and did stupid shit, and you'll get an earful about how we MIGHT have tortured the folks in Gitmo by not handling their Korans with enough respect.

Good news doesn't bring in the viewership, it doesn't bring in ad revenue. THAT is allt hey're concerned with. So you won't hear any good - there's no money in it. And if all you hear is the negative, why would you want to sign up?

And if you're so against this war, why don't you do the corollary action, go to Iraq, and go strap on a bomb belt?

(Geeze. Next thing you know, I'll be looking at idiots like the above and going "Hey, dude, blown yourself up for peace today?")

J.

[Bill O..]

I am the anonymous post.

J Lawson: "And if you're so against this war, why don't you do the corollary action, go to Iraq, and go strap on a bomb belt?"

Because I should not have to pay even more for your decisions than I already have. You should. Isn't personal responsibility what you guys say you are all about?

So given what you said about the medias distortion, your knowledge that there truly is a lot of good being done in Iraq and your obvious patriotic support for the war have you done all you can do to get all your military age family members to join the armed forces? Have you joined or rejoined? It’s too bad the draft that may be implemented won’t be based on party affiliation.

[skinner]

Look you dumb numbnutts Bill O ,{ORAFACE FACE} ,Youre a chickenshit whos worried about The draft obviously Bush said un categorically there will be no draft But youre such a little cowering liberal thats not enough. You are devoid of balls and lacking any principles needed to be an American So like J Lawson said go join the insurgents strap youre dumbass to a suicide bomber then come back and report to the Washington Post How misunderstood theese terrorists are Good luck and Kisses

[MaxedOutMama]

Excellent post - may I use it for your Cotillion submission this week?

[Tony Martin]

Christians always forget that Jesus was a liberal. Karl Rove ridicules the teachings of Jesus and not one person cares. As an atheist, I find this peculiar!

[skinner]

I find ,the fact that youre an atheist Peculiar , while at the same time extremely boring

[baldilocks]

Tony,

Don't pretend you care whether anyone ridicules the teachings of Jesus or not. If you had read the bible recently, you'd know that God is having hypocrites (about Him) even less than He's having heathens.

So sticking to your real feelings on this matter would be in your best interest. A word to the wise is sufficient. For others...