Newsweek: Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh Are 'Hating America'

Newsweek's snarky "Conventional Wisdom Watch" column has once again displayed the inaccuracy of its title. "Pathetic Liberal Spin In 20 Words Or Less" is more accurate, but not very catchy. In the new (March 31) edition, Barack Obama gets a sideways arrow -- like he had an okay week instead of a down-arrow week??? -- while "Hannity" is singled out for a down arrow with these twelve words of supposed wisdom:

Along with Rush, uses race-baiting to score ratings. Now that's hating America.

"Barack" gets a sideways arrow with this message:

Will the greatest speech in recent history get him sidelined as a "black candidate"?

Oh, and Jeremiah Wright gets a down arrow:

Why keep preaching inflammatory sermons with candidate Barack in the pews? Dumb.

So, Reverend Wright's offense was not hate-filled sermons, but the inconvenient political timing of the hate-filled sermons. Is Wright not guilty of "race baiting"? Is it simply defined as "race baiting" for radio hosts like Hannity and Limbaugh to object to his sermons for their attacks on the country Obama is seeking to lead?

The column is credited to senior editor Jonathan Alter. His Newsweek biography explains:

Alter is also an originator and author of Newsweek's "Conventional Wisdom Watch," which uses up, down and sideways arrows to measure and lampoon the news.