Palin: First Amendment Rights Threatened By Criticism

ABC News reports:

In a conservative radio interview that aired in Washington, D.C. Friday morning, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights may be threatened by "attacks" from reporters who suggest she is engaging in a negative campaign against Barack Obama.

Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Salon's Glenn Greenwald explains why this argument is frighteningly wrong:

If anything, Palin has this exactly backwards, since one thing that the First Amendment does actually guarantee is a free press. Thus, when the press criticizes a political candidate and a Governor such as Palin, that is a classic example of First Amendment rights being exercised, not abridged.

This isn't only about profound ignorance regarding our basic liberties, though it is obviously that. Palin here is also giving voice here to the standard right-wing grievance instinct: that it's inherently unfair when they're criticized. And now, apparently, it's even unconstitutional.

According to Palin, what the Founders intended with the First Amendment was that political candidates for the most powerful offices in the country and Governors of states would be free to say whatever they want without being criticized in the newspapers. The First Amendment was meant to ensure that powerful political officials would not be "attacked" in the papers. It is even possible to imagine more breathaking ignorance from someone holding high office and running for even higher office?

Comments

[wolfdog9545]

NA NA NA NA, HEY HEY HEY GOOD-BYE

[Softnsweet]

Why would people vote for this woman? We atleast need a VP that understands the first amendment rights.

[Brian76239]

I have a quick message for the Rethuglican party:
Obama's skin color doesn't scare me.
Reverend Wright doesn't scare me.
The Complete and Total Ignorance of Sara Palin does scare me.
Right along with the Lack of Judgement that selected her.

[hortonhearsawho]

Maybe she could return to Wasilla high and teach Civics?

[hortonhearsawho]

United States of Sarah....

[cyberbian]

It is not ingorance. It is the unfettered willingness to turn reason upon it's head for self benefit.

When people like Palin and McCain who feels such kinship with her, get their hands on power, to them it is the rightious correction of the awful imbalances which threaten society. One for me and none for you. One for me and none for you. As they right the wrongs of the world before retiring to lobster on the yacht!

[pinkcrickets]

You're absolutely right. It's less frightening for us to characterise this as simple ignorance, but the fact is, its willful distortion for their own benefit.

[lastofourkind]

The scariest thing is that there is talk about this woman being the future of the Republican party. As a Democrat I say "Bring it on." As an American I say this is a sad day for half of my country.

-LoOK
http://lastofourkind.blogspot.com

[conservativelady]

If they do that, there will be a backlash. Because I am not going to stand for it, I will get involved in politics and I will volunteer for a third party. I will not stand for this non-sense. I don't think I am the only one either. I will stay a Republican until the next Primaries and if she is the nominee I will start then! Palin is not a real leader, look at how she is neglecting her baby too. It's just pitiful. It's breaks my heart, we are losing our country. And this is the best that McCain could do? I was never a fan of his either, but this is heart-breaking!

[shanefish]

Thank you for being a voice of reason in this mess. I might disagree with some of your idealogy, but I would not wish to silence your opinion the way McCain and his buddies have. I too was a fan of the "Maverick" from Arizona, but he succombed to his Karl Rove who told him that the only to conquor America was though division. What divides you and I are our views, not our patriotism. I respect you for your contemplation and wish more Americans on BOTH SIDES would wake up to the reality that it is the 2 party system which has caused much of this. Together we stand, divided we fall!

[Jake-the-Snake]

Textbook case of narcicism ...

[conservativelady]

I'll tell you right now why so many in the Republican Party have fallen for Palin, it's because of the Internet, it is too easy now for people to lead a double life, claim to be a Christian yet be addicted to porn via the internet. That's just one little example. So people aren't real anymore and when you aren't real it's easy to be fooled. And then of course, the women are kept in line because they don't want to seem "jealous." It's really not anymore complicated then that. How tragic!

[DBtv]

Failin's first amendment rights are most threatened by her abject stu pidity that prevents her from expressing a coherent sentence.

[GrooveyHenrik]

No matter if Obama wins, will we ever be able to unite and be satisfied with just one leader? Is there such a thing as a Perfect Leader? Questions like these are answered in this film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk1NjrSHrWE

[lephead]

Ted Stevens is now 22 points behind. One bad Alaska Republican down, one to go.

[smkyle1]

I was wondering if she knew the meaning of the term "federalist" after hearing the context in which she used it. Check out the video and you tell me:

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/10/01/does-sarah-palin-understand-the-meaning-of-federalist/

[freedom4allau]

For those of you who've not yet read Bruce Wilson's blog of 2 November regarding Katherine Harris/Sarah Palin's spiritual network, read it! If this doesn't get your heart racing and blood pumping to stop this woman, nothing will.

[rpahk]

do you have a link?

[galateaparty]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/katherine-harris-was-in-s_b_140164.html

[mginca]

Sarah Palin is right! The freedom of speech is being threatened by freedom of the press. We need a constitutional amendment to deal with this urgent issue, brought to our attention by Sarah. At the same time we need an amendment to protect us from vice-presidential candidates with double digit IQ's. Even a country in which Joe The Plumber can become a role model for complaining of having to pay higher taxes on $250,000, in a business which does not belong to him, is not for sale and does not make $250,000 a year, deserves better.

[Hope01]

Palin is worst than Cheney! Cheney isn't this stupid! Palin needs to keep her mouth shut! go back to Alaska. I hope we never see this women again.