In the latest entry on his "Outposts" blog at nytimes.com, former New York Times reporter Timothy Egan tells a potentially interesting tale about the Irish of Butte, Mont. Apparently "the city had a higher percentage of Irish than any other in America -- including Boston."
But Egan, the Times's former Pacific Northwest correspondent, also uses "Outposts" as a convenient tree-stand from which to target prominent conservatives, and he used a ten-year old conversation to slam unnamed Fox News hosts (Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity?) and revere JFK. (In February Egan called Rush Limbaugh "talk radio's leading gasbag.")
It is only when the Irish forget about the underdog, as the keeper of the graves said, that they stray. In the 1930s, there was Father Charles Coughlin, a virulent anti-Semite who had a radio audience larger than that of Rush Limbaugh's today. He used his microphone for hate. In the 1950s, another man with a link to Ireland, Senator Joseph McCarthy, twined ignorance and fear to make a mockery of congressional inquiry. Today, there are television bullies with Irish surnames on Fox, backing more tax cuts for hedge fund managers, and doing everything they can to keep the poorest of Americans from getting health care.
I'd rather think of Grace Kelly, or George M. Cohan, or Bill Murray, or Bing Crosby (briefly, a college roommate of my grandfather's at Gonzaga in Spokane). Or John F. Kennedy, despite his many demons. Like many Irish-Americans of my age, I grew up in classrooms with just two pictures on the wall: the Pope, and President Kennedy.
—Clay Waters is the director of Times Watch, an MRC project tracking the New York Times.
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You can be certain his
March 13, 2008 - 14:53 ET by Chris NormanYou can be certain his strong liberal beliefs never tainted his reporting...
It sounds more like he is
March 13, 2008 - 15:51 ET by kgIt sounds more like he is getting his talking points from Keith Olbermann.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
Irish Troubles
March 13, 2008 - 15:04 ET by GothampcHe can look at the entire Kennedy family and not mention their dysfunction? The substance abuse problems, the womanizing, etc.
What about his Times colleague Maureen Dowd? She's said some outrageous things in her day.
Uhhh,
March 13, 2008 - 15:04 ET by DEVILDOCMOMThis guy might want to check out Bing Crosby and his treatment of his family before he says how wonderful he was in life. He obviously will not knock JFK, tho' he mentions his demons, but he really might want to look at how conservative he was in relation to today's dem's...especially JFK's brother.
Sure-n he's gone mad! I'm
March 13, 2008 - 15:12 ET by mattmSure-n he's gone mad! I'm gonna hit him with my shelaleigh!
(I'm half Irish BTW - so...)
Blowhard
March 13, 2008 - 15:27 ET by iveseenitallMy apologies to those who are not, but I've met so many Irish blowhards. This jerk, like Jack Murtha, fits the mold.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal
O'Reilly? Don't think so.
March 13, 2008 - 15:23 ET by the curatorMr. Waters,
In your hast to protect Mr. O'Reilly, I think it would do you well to consider another FOX News host to whom I believe the columnist is refering. Sean Hannity. "Tax cuts for the wealthy" and "anti-universial health care" are two of Hannity's main thumping points.
In which case, both of the columnists assertions are entirely correct.
"Tax cuts for the wealthy" and "anti-universial health care"
March 13, 2008 - 15:28 ET by R D HelmYeah, and those are two of my main thumping points, too.
Go Sean!
Theme for Election '08: I want my mommy!
So Sean Hannity is for "tax
March 13, 2008 - 15:43 ET by fitzfongSo Sean Hannity is for "tax cuts for the wealthy" (we all know this is liberal code for tax relief for all taxpayers) and he is against "universal health care" (liberal code for heavy-handed, tyrannical, inept socialist medical processing)...sounds like a perfectly respectable Irish-American to me.
Good point, I've updated the post accordingly to include Hannity
March 13, 2008 - 15:58 ET by Clay WatersThanks, Curator! I know you're here to help.
Clay Waters
Director of Times Watch
Thanks...
March 13, 2008 - 16:44 ET by the curatorDespite my snarky behavior, I wasn't trying to be rude.
And I appreciate the revision. An argument can at least be made for O'Reilly's objectivity... so, I do think the columnists was more likely refering to Hannity than Bill.
As a proud first generation
March 13, 2008 - 15:37 ET by fitzfongAs a proud first generation Irish-American, I can think of plenty of people with Irish surnames who bring shame on the rest of us: Ted Kennedy, Patrick Leahy, Patrick Kennedy, Terry Moran, Jim McDermott, "The Wisdom of" Jack Cafferty, Jim McGreevey, James Moran, Malachy McCourt, Ed Markey, Carolyn Maloney, Carolyn McCarthy, Robert Kennedy, Jr., Bob Casey, Tom Harkin, Susan Collins, Claire McCaskill, Patty Murray, Bill Maher, Timothy Egan. And, of course, Barack O'Bama (apparently they traced family roots to Co. Offaly).
And, of course, Barack
March 13, 2008 - 16:08 ET by motherbeltAnd, of course, Barack O'Bama (apparently they traced family roots to Co. Offaly).
Does that mean he's Black Irish?? ;-)
Can you imagine Egan calling
March 13, 2008 - 15:54 ET by motherbeltCan you imagine Egan calling any black guy that he disagreed with a "bad African-American"? Well, since the ones he would probably disagreee with would be conservatives like Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell, I guess maybe he would.
As a Conservative, I guess
March 13, 2008 - 15:58 ET by Chris NormanAs a Conservative, I guess I'm okay by Egan because my ancestors were all French. Whew!
This guy (ancestor's not withstanding) is an a$$hole
March 13, 2008 - 17:16 ET by c5thenTax cuts are for everybody, it's not the governments job to decide who gets tax cuts and who doesn't based on their personal situation according to the 14th amendment.
The poorest Americans already get free health care, courtesy of Medicaid.
So, he's pushing an idea of targeted tax cuts that is unconstitutional and lying about health care to make his point. This twit has no authority, moral or otherwise, to recommend anyone paying attention to him.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
All due respect...
March 13, 2008 - 21:30 ET by the curator... but when people refer to 'health care for the poorest of Americans,' this is something of a misnomer.
True, homeless and destitute qualify for Medicaid. I think, however, when we talk about health care for poor people... we're talking about coverage for people who are in the dreaded "in between" area... where they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid... yet don't make enough to afford health care.
And, unfortunately, millions of Americans fit into that bracket.
curator, there is a
March 14, 2008 - 07:05 ET by motherbeltcurator, there is a difference between lacking health "insurance" and lacking health "care."
Can you produce examples of people who show up at hospitals and get turned away because they have no insurance? Even illegals get free care.
2 pictures on the wall?
March 13, 2008 - 19:15 ET by Redrowan2000Only 2? My guess is that one of the Marx brothers was there or maybe it was Che.
As far as having JFK on the wall in an Irish home maybe you should read your history a little about Joe Kennedy--racist--bootlegger and nazi appeaser. Take the pictures down Camelot was not real.
Pick your heroes more carefully and learn your history.
"Don't let the bastards grind you down"
Red
Would that be "Bullies" in
March 13, 2008 - 20:47 ET by RickTaLifeWould that be "Bullies" in the "The Media Group Who's Ratings Are Kicking Our Rears" sense of the word???
By the way, Clay, you look way too much like my father, and it's really starting to freak me out. :-P