Frank Rich Still Trying To Blame Right For AZ Shootings
Like Rahm Emanuel, who wouldn't waste a crisis, Frank Rich doesn't want to let a murderous rampage pass without trying to wring political advantage. By now, even most ardent liberals have had to admit that there was no nexus between conservatives and the manifestly psychotic AZ shooter. But there was Rich, in his New York Times column of this morning, still bitterly clinging to the accusation.
To be sure, Rich recited some disclaimers that by now have become standard. But by unlucky paragraph 13, Rich could restrain himself no more. Fulminated Frank: "Much of last week’s televised bloviation was dishonest, dedicated to the pious, feel-good sentiment that both sides are equally culpable for the rage of the past two years." That is a "false equivalency," he sputtered.
Two paras later, out popped what amounted to a flat-out accusation. After claiming there exists "antigovernment radicalism as rabid on the right now as it was on the left in the late 1960s," Rich argued:
"That Loughner was likely insane, with no coherent ideological agenda, does not mean that a climate of antigovernment hysteria has no effect on him or other crazed loners out there."
Translation: yeah, Loughner was crazy, but conservatives are still to blame.
So in Rich's mind, the desire of conservatives to return our country to the principles upon which it was founded constitutes "antigovernment hysteria." Conservatives are thus guilty of having an inciting "effect" on Loughner. Rich apparently absolves liberals of any culpability. From assassination movies about W, to "die quickly" Grayson, from MSNBC hosts accusing Republicans of fascism, wanting to rip out their hearts and watch their heads explode, to a president who spoke of bringing a gun to a political fight, that counts for nada.
You might say Rich has leveled a rather sanguinary . . . libel.
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Comments
Antigovernment hysteria?
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 10:46am.
Yeah, old Frank is right. We are a bunch of crazy citizens who worry about our government becoming so powerful that we become powerless.
Of course, we come by it naturally being the descendants of that crazy bunch of nutty, paranoid old white guys who spent forever writing a Constitution that had almost the sole purpose of LIMITING THE GOVERNMENT, YOU JACK WAGON!!!!
I just hope enough of us stay so crazy. Otherwise we can watch this country turn into some of the other "great" nations around the world. Hell, I like bananas and doing only what I'm told to do. Don't you?
Sergeant Jackwagon for
Submitted by Mark Finkelstein on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 10:49am.
Sergeant Jackwagon for President!
I saw Rich's col but didn't read it
Submitted by StarAZ on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:58pm.
Now, I know it wasn't adding anything. Nothing is anymore. This is wrung out in one week! Our paper the AZ Republic (Gannett) had another front page spread of the victims...come on already! This makes how many now? The cartoon from our hack cartoonist Steve Benson showed little Christina saying if she was still on the student council, couldn't we all be nice? How did he miss putting her in Abe Lincoln's chair with her head in her hands? This is waning...enough!
I fought these commies in the jungle and........
Submitted by Cyborg 0427 on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:06am.
I will fight them here. I will not go quietly. I will use every means at my disposal. I will do whatever it takes short of taking the law into my own hands, because I believe in the rule of law. We have the law on our side, we have right on our side and these liberals will not take the day. Every time they attack I will come back stronger. My weapon is the constitution and I will use it as effectively as I can. Together we will undo the damage that has been done.
Well stated. It would not
Submitted by Andrew H. on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:11am.
Well stated. It would not matter and does not matter where an idiot shooter comes from--we're going to blamed anyway.
We must fight them with truth--and not buying their silly paper in this case.
The so-called mainstream media is the propaganda arm of the criminal DNC.
Almost...
Submitted by Willis_Leon_Johnson on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:28am.
WE have the law on our side, but the left controls the courts, therefore the laws are irrelevant.
What we desperately NEED is for the republican controlled house to begin impeachment hearings against the most egregious violators that legislate from the bench and create new laws by fiat.
They will never get an impeachment conviction through the senate, but the hearings and trials will send a message that there will not always be corrupt politicians to provide protection.
When was the last time you heard of 'oversight' of the judicial branch? Hastings? Any others?
Corrupt judges have always been protected by both parties.
End 'gun violence in America' - Require training and MANDATORY "Shall Carry" by every Citizen.
If harry reid is the best person to lead the senate, what does that say about the other 99 senators?
I see nothing, absolutely
Submitted by Ashrak on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:04pm.
I see nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with taking the Supreme Law, the Constittution into our own hands. Everyone making a pledge to it, an oath to it, and the flag for which it stands, is tasked with doing exactly that.
For too long we have been indoctrinated into believing that we should always stand down and let someone else do it. *Whatever the "it" is. Let the "professionals" do it.
No this doesn't mean we should go out and play SuperHero, but it does mean that when confronted with a situation like what happened in Tucson, we don't just wait for the cops to show up, we can;t just run and hide or be paralized by fear, instead we must grab that magazine, we must tackle that shooter and we put a stop to the madness right then and there however possible.
It is our duty.
The Horror, the
Submitted by Andrew H. on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:11am.
The Horror, the Spectacle
The violence of the left is legion and we must expect that it will continue. History teaches us the leftist will resort to any means to advance his agenda. Using violence is one of the tools of leftists and murder is not considered anything more than an element to them. That is, if death happens, it is better to be one of us rather than one of them but only to a minor degree. Not many actually care one way or another for it is the movement they shall make the beneficiary!
Now it has claimed six lives and grievously wounded a United States Representative. Loughner was a pot smoking liberal, a twisted individual who likens the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf along with his anarchist desires to establish a currency—as his justification for him to benefit from in his leftist infected imagination of course—a soldier for his cause, his selfish, his absolutely self-centered focus, he shot people to gain attention to himself. Like many leftists do, it is about them and he is an example of that repository of delusion prompted, promoted, and taught by leftist icons—from leftist wanna-be’s, leftist writers, leftist teachers, and leftist professors—recently retired from the University of Illinois at Chicago and not.
We see the left use every horror to advance the lie that media personalities who open the window to their perverse views and insidious plans for the rest of us whom they hate and desire to stop. We watch them as they make a corrupted (an absolute corrupted link) connection between the personalities (and the truth) to murder in the streets of Tucson—in this latest case. It happens and will happen again, again and again.
For the leftist knows that if it is true that many people are gullible and they provide an easy answer, then it will work in their favor—at least to the extent of reducing viewership, listeners, and supporters of political figures. They think they win something again based on a lie. We see though, that it does not matter what it is based on—they are hungry for the win and want those endorphins come from anywhere. We watch them through their window of deceit where we normally laugh at their inadequate attempts, but it is not time to laugh. Neither is it time to cheer at a memorial service.
Having heard, read or watched the threats, the wishes, the real desires (for out of one’s mouth comes what he really thinks—no?) We remember the left’s vitriol toward Henry Hyde, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, President Bush, Vice-president Cheney, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh and on and on toward many. More recently, GlennBeckhad the venue to step up to the plate as the clean-up hitter on behalf of our Constitution and consequently, took his place too in their dreams of a fatal quieting. Then we have to add to that list, the generic term Republicans, Conservatives, Tea Party people—the threats and desires of our demise from leftists are legion.
We know the left is where the most virulent hate resides quite comfortably and never fails to descend to any level it must. TedRallhas authored a pamphlet calling for the violent overthrow of our government. He is a joke though. Is there another Loughner who will take what is referred to as a “book” by Rall as a clarion call? I don’t know but do not doubt there is somewhere—in some basement somewhere who finally wants to take the hate he reads from Kos and Democratic Underground and make it do something for the cause—so he thinks.
We know what you’re doing, Mr.Krugman. We understand the dynamics of a Billy Ayers, a JeremiahWright, a KeithOlberman, and a ChrisMatthews. We get it. That is the why of this article—we know your strategy, what you do, Mr.Clyburn—and why. You shall not fool us, EdShultz—you can’t. We do not believe you for you are proven liars, practiced, professional spinners, word merchants, and twisted messengers. We know that regardless of where one is politically who commits the evil of murder, we will be blamed—we who do not believe in Statism, collectivism—the journey to a kind of Hell for a nation. You will blame us regardless. We are prepared to take your weak attempts and answer when we need to for the sake of honest public discourse.
Yes, there is such a thing as a second amendment remedy—to remedy the enslavement of a people—a nation—by a minority of tyrants who would operate outside the bounds of Constitutional principles. If we lose freedom, fault our want for peace and we do want peace. We want nothing to do with a second amendment activation, its start—Lord help us all if it came to that again for war is nothing to want or desire by any sane person. It must not happen. Better to honestly debate issues then ever resort to violence.
Our challenge is to cause the left to be honest—and we do that by calling them out for nonsense when they use nonsense. Though man’s history offers little hope that can be realized we are blessed with a better than even chance. The grand experiment of this nation provides us proof—that through its Constitution, we can and should hope for such a higher method. Most in the day of Jefferson, Washington, and Paine—thought the idea of a new nation based on such principles would never happen. It did. We can do it in this generation peacefully. May God help us all make it happen for all our real, true favor in goodwill and charity.
To begin, we illuminate the liars and opportunists who act for their own selfish purpose. Seek truth and accountability. Help others become informed voters. Turn out Sheriff Dupnikthe next time he stands for election—please Arizona. Thank you.
Bernie Sanders set out to raise funds using Tucsonis but one example. We call him out and respectfully ask Vermontto turn him out too—send him to a peaceful, happy retirement. Talking heads like Matthews, Olberman, and Shultz—the ratings shall take care of their nonsense naturally. Our efforts must be to continuously inform and educate Americans of the truth.
“I am now thoroughly disgusted with them; they live in ungrateful ease, and bend their whole minds to mischief. It seems as if GOD had given them over to a spirit of infidelity and that they are open to conviction in no other line but that of punishment. It is time to have done with tarring, feathering, carting, and taking securities for their future good behaviour; every sensible man must feel a conscious shame at seeing a poor fellow hawked for a show about the streets, when it is known that he is only the tool of some principal villain, biased into his offense by the force of false reasoning, or bribed thereto through sad necessity. We dishonor ourselves by attacking such trifling characters, while greater ones are suffered to escape; ‘tis our duty to find them out, and their proper punishment would be to exile them from the Continent forever… I am not for declaring war against every man that appears not so warm as myself: Difference of constitution, temper, habit of speaking and many other things will go a great way in fixing the outward character of a man, yet simple honesty may remain at the bottom.”
-The American Crisis, Number II, January 13, 1777, To Lord Howe, letter by Thomas Paine, (excerpt).
Andrew
Birmingham, Alabama
January 16, 2011
The so-called mainstream media is the propaganda arm of the criminal DNC.
Andrew H.
Submitted by Mark Finkelstein on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:36am.
Please link to such lengthy items rather than posting them in their entirety.
Mark
Sorry--will do.
Submitted by Andrew H. on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 3:30pm.
Sorry--will do.
The so-called mainstream media is the propaganda arm of the criminal DNC.
So let's have some proof
Submitted by KC Mulville on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:20am.
When government wildly overreached its authority, and spent trillions of dollars wastefully, conservatives opposed them. The conservatives demanded a return to limited government, saying that the current administration and Congress, run by liberals, had seriously overstepped its authority.
To people like Rich, that opposition was a "climate of anti-government hysteria" that is responsible for the Tucson murders.
How do you connect the Tucson murders to conservative rhetoric? I want some proof. All we're getting at the moment is the deep-seated assumptions of liberals, undaunted by actual experience. It's a self-serving indignation, utterly unsupported by reality.
He does have one other hilarious statement, dismissing the right of ordinary citizens to express their views "Especially not in an era when technology allows all 300 million Americans a cost-free megaphone for unmediated rants."
Wait a minute. You mean someone "mediated" Rich's rant? Someone edited this, and agreed to publish it? What good did that editing do for Rich's rant?
Interpretation
Submitted by Huapakechi on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:24am.
It all depends on your point of view as to who is to blame for the shootings.
Is not is not not is, dontchaknow.........
Is it the fault of those who ascribe "freedom" to be so loosely interpreted that an erratic and potentially violent person cannot be forced to sobmit to a psychological examination?
Is the fault to be laid at the feet of a large segment of society that believes the founding documents of this nation deliniating the rights of American citizens still bears relevance to our daily lives?
I would posit that the "fault" lies with those who have been striving for near a century to destroy the political and economic system which enabled our nation to send men to the moon and uplift the standard of living of nearly everyone within our borders. They have been using the education, legislature, and judicial system to destroy thins nation.
The state has assumed responsibility by fiat for all aspects of our children's education, punishing any parent who dares to protest the state agenda, and our society suffers for it.
The Left Hate Machine
Submitted by stan25 on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:26pm.
It all started almost 100 years ago, with the assassination of the Archduke Fredinand. This was the spark that started World War 1 and manifested itself in the Russian Revolution. When the followers of Lenin and Lenin, himself, attacked the Winter Palace to oust the Czar. This lead to the Soviet Union as most of us here can remember. So if there is someone to blame and/or something to blame for the climate we are now in, blame World War 1. A war started by the lefties and more or less continues to today.
The STRONG DELUSIONS continue
Submitted by Jayke on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:48am.
... I think what I'm seeing is like a mass-psychosis.
Nah. What I see is partisan
Submitted by Newsbusterbrown on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:51am.
Nah. What I see is partisan political machinations instead.
“There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
Yes, but underneat that could be ...
Submitted by Jayke on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:56am.
... a media-psychosis. PSYCHOSIS: a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". Kind of like the accused gunman. I wonder if the lamestream media saw themselves in that gunman and started to use the defense mechanism of PROJECTION BIAS. It's plausible.
These somewhat muted temper
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:55am.
These somewhat muted temper tantrums from the usual suspects ( Actually perps ) are just a sideshow at this point.
The real test of civility in America, political or otherwise will be the atmosphere in the room when the members of the house convien to take up the repeal of ObamaCare.
I'm not holding my breath or crossing my fingers because this country needs to act quickly to save ourselves and future generations from being forced to speak French or worse Chinese, with English relegated to an elective study course, as it will not even be our second language.
The Obama administration is only pushing a " Can't We All Just Get Along " propaganda campaign because they've lost the hearts & minds of the American people and this is a cynical attempt to fool us once more, they're interested in taking the high road ( they only will if it involves pot or cocaine ) or working across the isle with their mortal enemy.
The left wing bomb throwers are already out in full force on the week end shows pushing the White House talking points, which basically amounts to just another opportunistic, shameful, desperate attempt at resurrecting their 50 years of pent up, free enterprise, America killing socialist programs, under the guise of civility.
Even after the tragic events of this past week and the disgustingly vitriolic response coming from these animals ( they are animals ) on the left, they are still the same bunch of incorrigible juveniile delinquents, unable to control their baser instincts.
Thank God the real American people, the same ones that rebuked the Obama regime's manifesto in the mid term elections, have already voiced their disgust, loud and clear, regarding the abhorrent, anti - American display of misguided hatred toward others they've displayed...........continuing thru today.
Barack_Must_Go.....
Rich Is Just Another Navel-Gazer Of A Dying Empire
Submitted by Tenebrous on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:42pm.
Let's have a little mercy on Frank, ok? He's worried about his future. After all, the NYT is bleeding red ink. He and our "betters" played a little game with the shooter that didn't work. Oh, fiddlesticks! Once you add in that Republicans -- those bad people -- control the House, his world just sucks at the moment. Now, most people would do something to change their world if it sucked, but not Frank. Change is something that you say to persuade other people to accept your opinions, you know. So Frank will continue to beat that drum loudly until he no longer has a salaried position to shout it from, and he's reduced to blogging (the horror!) to express himself.
Me, I cannot wait until the NYT ceases publication. I will dance upon their last paper.
Visions and Principles blog
Frank Rich Translation Service
Submitted by prosanity on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 12:42pm.
"That Loughner was likely insane, with no coherent ideological agenda, does not mean that a climate of antigovernment hysteria has no effect on him or other crazed loners out there."
Translation Begin.
'I'm not real strong with the logic, so I'm OK with believing that correlation implies causation. Loughner attacked Giffords et. al. 'bout the same time Republicans took control of the house. I think Tea Party was most responsible for that happening. Gosh November sure did hurt! Since these things are kinda all close together (enough) it must be Tea Party's fault. For some reason I still think Democrats lost because of bad messaging so I'm gonna attack Tea Party's smaller government message & continue to associate them with all homicidal schizophrenics.'
Translation End.
All of civility depends on being able to contain the rage of individuals. ~ Joshua Lederberg
Does Rich really see the difference
Submitted by zenman1661 on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:00pm.
There is a complete difference between the radical anti-government believers who gather in isolated compounds with automatic weapons plotting the overthrow the US and tea party like people who simply are against big government policies If he was pressed, Rich might claim he was talking about the radical ones, but since their message has very limited output , I would doubt this.
Is this how it's going to be?
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:02pm.
Is this how it's going to be? We get a terrible incident last Saturday, a week later, one of the victims, with connections to Olbie, does a freak on a Tea Partier, while at the same time, we get told from the WH to be civil(I don't believe them for a second) and the liberal media continues the meme of blame the right.
Good grief, we had one loon come in and do the shooting, and another loon a week later making death threats or at least making a royal ass out of himself, what's next week going to bring? I can't imagine how many copycats are out there waiting for the right opportunity. I'd have to say the LSM is egging the loons on to do something.
Meanwhile, we got government officials trying to take unconstitutional actions (governor trying to ban certain radio ads related to Rush for example) and talking gun control again despite the evidence that someone had to give that loon a gun.
And all this goes on despite evidence in the polls that the average American doesn't blame the right. And the LSM buries that.
Just like we're being told by the WH that the unemployment is the new norm, the high gas prices are the new norm, are these violent acts by the libs going to be a new norm?
God help us.
-Jon
Frank Rich's rhetoric
Submitted by jkwtrading on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 1:59pm.
Frank Rich's rhetoric suggests a person whom wants a fight...war...physical action...ya better hope Frank you can survive what you wish for.
Liberals always want a fight.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 5:42pm.
They just want someone else to do it for them!
Kind of like giving away someone else's money. They don't mind YOU dying for THEIR cause, but they ain't about to.
That's why they have to whip the dumb asses into a frenzy and convince them that they need to go out and kill for the cause. It's worked well for communists and fascists for years so why should they change now?
Tucson anyone?
"He was crazy,
Submitted by Cowboy on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 6:47pm.
"He was crazy, BUT..."
Much like Obama's speech
Always the big "BUT"
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 6:49pm.
Now that we know the shooting was the action of an apolitical loon, can't we all just forget the left tried to make it something it's ot?
But hey you woodchucks! Stop chuckin' my wood!
LOL, Mark....
Submitted by Blonde on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 10:44pm.
...we had a moonbat plagiarize Rich's column over on Noel's epic thread today....now I know where she found it!
Paging Sargeant JackWagon!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
I think it's time to rename the NYT to The Titanic Times
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 11:15pm.
And there should be a deck chair in the lobby with Frank Rich's name on it.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November