CNN's Sanchez Asks: Are U.S. 'Zealots' Similar to Al Qaeda, Taliban?

March 25th, 2010 3:01 PM

Not content with simply reporting on threats against lawmakers who voted for ObamaCare, the liberal media has taken it upon itself (with a bit of direction from the Democratic Party) to blame the Tea Party and the GOP.

The coverage stands in stark contrast to the litany of similar instances involving conservatives and Republicans. They were treated as isolated incidents, if discussed at all.

CNN's Rick Sanchez certainly got the memo. On his show yesterday, he accused "crazy talk show hosts" and the Republican Party of inciting violence against lawmakers who voted for ObamaCare. He took to Twitter later that night to ask, "are our fundamentalist zealots different than the ones we fight in afghan and iraq?"

The tweet fit in very nicely with a day of Democratic-talking-point-regurgitation by the liberal media. They have taken it upon themselves, apparently, to push the notion that Tea Party and conservative opposition to ObamaCare is directly responsible for threats against lawmakers and a couple incidents of vandalism.

ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post have all trumpeted the claim that Tea Party groups have been stirring up a violent sentiment, and are at least indirectly responsible for threats and violent incidents at the offices of two Democratic lawmakers.

Of course the claims are bogus, in that vandalism and threats are all but routine when dealing with controversial issues and legislation. The only difference is the liberal left and its cohorts in the mainstream press take issue when their offices are being vandalized -- not, say, when someone fires a gun at Lou Dobbs's house.

In fact, NB's Mithridate Ombud recalled a host of instances of left-wing violence against conservatives and Republicans. And Fox News reported today that one of the 10 lawmakers that requested extra security this week was Republican Whip Eric Cantor. Someone fired a gun -- a far cry from a thrown brick -- at his district office.

"My, how times -- and standards -- change," Brent Bozell wrote yesterday.

On the weekend of the vote for a massive government intervention in the health-insurance market, these same reporters [who praised lefty protesters during the Bush administration] had a different take. The Tea Party protesters were not going to be hailed for their courageous and patriotic use of their free time. They were going to be smeared for daring to be.