With the founder of the Daily Kos deliberately trying to tie Sarah Palin's target list to yesterday's shooting in Tucson, perhaps it's time Markos Moulitsas took this opportunity to look at his own people in regards to using incendiary rhetoric. Markos took the time to send a message to his followers yesterday tweeting, “Mission accomplished, Sarah Palin”.
But if target lists are considered dangerous and violent rhetoric at the Daily Kos, and not hyperbolic metaphors used for rallying supporters, then Chris Bowers, their Campaign Director, has some 'violent' speech in his past. Most recently, Bowers made a name for himself by starting a failed campaign to manipulate search engine results for the midterm elections.
In a 2006 post titled, Use It or Lose It: Full Frontal Assault, Bowers discusses how 'we fired some warning shots across the bow of ultra-safe House Democrats who are hoarding campaign cash'. He explains that the campaign cash is necessary for huge election gains, because 'our target list (is) deeper than it has been in a generation'.
In the original call to action, Bowers repeatedly discussed how they need to target Republican seats, and how they also need to target House Democrats not willing to part with their campaign funds.
In 2005, Bowers lays out a plan to take back the House, saying '...we need to attack everywhere', and that thus far, Democrats were 'not being aggressive enough'. The plan also includes a list of Republicans in which readers are encouraged to engage in a full-frontal assault. He finished with the rallying cry, 'Our fight begins now.'
As recently as 2009, Bowers included the 'target' rhetoric in the healthcare debate. When he was concerned that there weren't enough votes for a particular Medicare option in the reform bill, Bowers put together a target chart for his readers.
Then there is this video clip from C-Span, with a panel discussing how the Netroots and progressive movement can have a greater impact on Congress. In this clip, Bowers urges those in the audience to 'turn out at townhalls and healthcare events' to 'push back hard'. He finishes with, 'we have to push back against that narrative to elites as hard as possible'.
The point? Here's the difference between the thinking of the left, and that of normal people. No one thinks these comments from Chris Bowers are out of line. Ridiculous for their 'progressive' ideas, but not out of line. Creating target lists will not incite a crazed person to violence. Only a crazed mind will incite a person to violence.
Markos and the Daily Kos know no bounds of hypocrisy, and are an embarrassment to rational thinkers everywhere.
Rusty can be reached at The Mental Recession, or via Twitter @rustyweiss74.
