The MSM and blogs have spent a lot of attention to Ann Coulter’s outrageous remarks at CPAC. Both Democratic and Republican leaders have denounced her, the same goes for bloggers, etc. As you all know, we at TMV have done the same. Ann’s remarks were bigoted, she should never be allowed to speak at a serious political gathering from now onward and I don’t exactly consider it a bad thing if some newspapers would refuse to print her columns.
Some people argued that Ann is typical for the ‘hatred of the right’, the ‘discrimination’, ‘bigotry’, etc. I don’t believe that to be right for one second. Sure, some groups are like her, but the majority of conservatives is not. It is again a reason why fiscal conservatives should stop allowing the religious right / social conservatives to define ‘conservatism’ in America.
Anyway, the left has its own people who throw verbal bombs. For instance: Bill Maher.
He, like Coulter, didn’t say something literally, but implied something quite outrageous: that it would be better if Cheney would have died in Afghanistan. Warren Tod Huston reports for Newsbusters:
As reported here on Newsbusters, on his HBO program “Real Time”, Maher thought a “funny joke” was offered by Congressman Barney Frank who said that the bomb that recently missed vice president Cheney on an overseas visit was “wasted” because it didn’t kill him (to audience laughter and applause, I might add).
The exchange went on:
Maher: But I have zero doubt that if Dick Cheney was not in power, people wouldn’t be dying needlessly tomorrow. (applause)
Scarborough: If someone on this panel said that they wished that Dick Cheney had been blown up, and you didn’t say…
Frank: I think he did.
Scarborough: Okay. Did you say…
Maher: No, no. I quoted that.
Frank: You don’t believe that?
Maher: I’m just saying if he did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact.
Warren goes on to note that while the MSM and bloggers did pay a lot of attention to what Coulter said, they seem to be ignoring what Maher said.
Obviously that’s not a ‘fact’ at all. These remarks were, of course, outrageous and unacceptable. Should he legally be allowed to say this? Sure. Should a network embrace it / Maher? No.
Considering that the MSM pays a lot of attention to what Coulter said, same goes for bloggers, both should also call Maher out as well. It is unacceptable, he’s implying that terrorists killing the VP of America isn’t a bad thing. That’s just about as outrageous as one can get.
However, there is also a difference: namely the setting. Although it seems that quite some left-wingers agree with Maher (I do not need to remind anyone of comments left at a certain blog) he was not speaking at a major political gathering. Coulter was. That gives her remarks extra gravitysignificance.
In short: although the MSM should call Maher out, and although bloggers, liberal, moderate and conservatives should do the same thing, it wouldn’t make sense to, for instance, demand of Democrats to denounce Maher(‘s remarks).
Crossposted at my own blog.
(Edit: changed one sentence)
