They didn't waste any time in hatin' on Ted Kennedy. I'm not talking about Rush Limbaugh and his widely self-promoted gloat that he predicted that President Obama, liberal Democrats, and the alleged liberal controlled media would deify Kennedy on his death to shame the Senate into backing Obama's health care reform package. The "they" are the packs of web sites, bloggers, and talk jocks who have turned Kennedy into their anti-deity to lambaste Obama and the Democrats. There were more than 2 million references on Google to conservative criticisms of Kennedy after his death.
A viral email that this writer got from hard-line right wing fundamentalist Southern California preacher Wiley Drake was titled "The Real Ted Kennedy." This is the same preacher who got some ink and radio gab time a few months back with his imprecatory prayer for Obama's assassination. The email recited the standard litany of slurs and slanders against Kennedy -- a murderer (Chappaquiddick of course), a marriage defiler (support of same sex marriage), a race baiter (support of affirmative action), illegal alien defender (support of immigration reform), flag burning desecration (staunch support of first amendment protections), Constitution usurper (support of expanded hate crimes laws), and a baby killer (staunch pro choice support).
Even the Vatican got in on this one. Its official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, lambasted him for abortion support. Another viral email sped around touting talk jock Looney Michael Savage for "daring" to tell the truth about Kennedy. The truth, of course, is the formula lies and distortions about Kennedy.
It's always tempting to quickly dump this stuff into the crackpot fringe binge, except for one thing. Thousands feast on listening and reading Savage and Drake (he has a popular web radio show). The comments from their listeners and on their websites about Kennedy are just as ignorant, hateful and vicious as that of their ringmasters. Their verbal diarrhea is not a cheap effort to snatch attention, ratings and stir controversy. Though they always take great delight in that. The Kennedy counter assault comes against the backdrop of a well-defined, well-heeled, and well orchestrated right counterinsurgency against health care reform, any other proposal from Obama and Congressional Democrats on the economy, immigration, expanded civil liberties and civil rights protections. This is more than an insurgency with the GOP's hidden hand behind the curtain pulling the strings. The hate crowd actually believes what they say about Obama and Kennedy, and couldn't care less how many times or how many people scream crack pot and lunatic at them.
If anything, the more brickbats thrown at them only confirms in their skewed minds that they're on the right track in their avowed and unabashed stated aim to take the country back. Polite conservatives and GOP senators who worked with and respected Kennedy, distance themselves from the hate attacks. But they also watch TV, listen to talk radio, and read the papers. They well know that the right side bloggers and the packs of shout down red faced protesters at the health care town halls have the ear of countless numbers.
Polls show that millions of Americans are worried, confused and ticked off over health care reform and illegal immigration reform. The target of their worry, confusion and anger is increasingly Obama and the Democrats. The Drakes maybe be woozy with delusion, craze, and hate, but they are the front line troops in the ferocious battle to subvert and discredit Obama and the Democrats. Right now no one serves their purpose better than Ted Kennedy, the Lion of American liberalism.
Kennedy is justly hailed and honored for the towering role he played for nearly five decades in championing the best of American liberalism and his unwavering backing of civil rights, civil liberties, economic justice, and health care for all. And that makes him the perfect foil to further whip up a big and seemingly growing chunk of Americans against those Kennedy ideals.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, "The Hutchinson Report" can be heard on weekly in Los Angeles at 9:30 AM Fridays on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and live streamed nationally on ktym.com
Cause even when shed of their bane
The best we can get
From them is regret
That Kennedy never was slain.
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Ask yourselves what the last 40 years would have been like without Reagan. Fewer tax cuts for the rich. A smaller, poorer oligarchy funding the likes of Faux news, Heritage, Cato, AEI, etc.
Carter's alternative energy programs would have made climate change less dramatic, and our dependence on overseas oil far less. No Bush 41 or 43. No Iraq wars. ...
Perhaps it's small-minded to suggest revisionist history is a reason to resent Kennedy, who certainly had enough personal difficulties. On the other hand, I'd say Reagan's success was a major turning point for the worse in U.S. history.
When Reagan came into office, the U.S. was the world's largest creditor. After: the largest debtor. Reagan managed to market himself as a fiscal conservative while creating the largest federal deficit in history, used "voodoo" economics (admitted by his own budget director to be phony) to give tax breaks to the rich, prosecuted illegal Central American wars, etc.etc.etc.
He, like most of the Kennedys, lived a life of privilege with an ingrained sense dedication to public service. I've been scouring the 'net for days since the news of his death broke and encountered mixed reviews. My synopsis: I can't fault the man for being human. Yes, he was the "Lion of the Senate", and yes he prolly wasn't telling the whole truth about Chappaquiddick, BUT...the man is dead! Where's the respect?
And what's more is when Republicans are shamed by scandal when they are in office, they NEVER want to relinquish their offices. As if saying "I'm sorry" is enough. It isn't! They should have the decency to go home. I think that voters really need to get a clue: thrust party labels aside and REALLY get to know the men & women that they've put in office. I'm ready for a 1960s-type revolution where fed-up people take to the streets...instead of these childish, name-calling episodes that accomplish NOTHING.
I don't know what it will take to calm down the right-wingers hell bent on driving this country further down the road of economic destitute by being a pawn for big corporations. The millions of americans believing and acting upon things said/written in rightwing media is chilling. Most of these folks mocking Senator Kennedy are receiving those society betterments that he fought so hard for - education, health care, equal rights, immigration reform, labor rights, etc.
Laud him, sure. But allow him his humble place in history; he never wore well the mantle of saint or prince.
When are we as Americans, as a society going to finally pull a "Network" retaliation against these Right Wing so called journalists, radio and media personalities and let them know this is unacceptable behavior.
Thank God for Color of Change and going after Glenn Beck. We need to start going after the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, Bachmann, Coulter and all of them that use lies and hate to try and further their agenda.
We need a leader to step up and channel that famous monologue from the movie "Network". We need to run to our windows, throw open those windows and shout; "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."
Someone such as yourself, or Russell Simmons needs to step up and lead this as a nation wide protest. We need to let those on the right know that calling for the demise, or the worse of our President is unacceptable. We will not tolerate them to soil the good work of Ted Kennedy.
Someone needs to step up and take the lead.
Will you be that someone Mr. Hutchinson, or will you wait for someone else to?
made those around him big because it wasn't about him. Let Uncle Teddy make us big. Big enough to get it done.
The Lion Roars!
He will be useful to them once more in the current Health Care Reform debate. Then, he will be gone.
His place will be taken by Nancy Pelosi. She too is way too left for much of the country. She comes from a district that is so safe, and a city perceived as so extreme, that she is easily characatured.
The difference between the two is critical. One, was effective. The other is the current Speaker.
What was considered "radical left" in the 60s is mainstream today. Birth control, women's rights, integration, interracial marriage, rights for the disabled.
What is "radical left" today - gay marriage, a public health care option, a minority President - will become mainstream over the next couple of decades.
I would suggest the haters reacquaint themselves with one of the most beautiful scriptures in all the Bible:
LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS
1 Peter 4:8
I have no doubt where the Senator now is: in the loving arms of God.
He was a career politician: his career based only on his family name and his father's money and influence (which was built by everything today's liberals abhor). He never held a job outside politics - giving him an unrealistic view of the world. He repeatedly showed dubious personal character - yet he had no problem claiming the moral high ground. He continued to be the head of one of the country's wealthiest families - and yet he built his reputation criticizing capitalism and fighting "the rich" on behalf of "the poor". He alleged to be a Catholic - yet he was a champion of the abortion movement.
His attacks on Judge Bork in the late 80s were great for his career but were the beginning of the political animosity, partisanship, and hyperbole that still haunts us, and perhaps dooms us, today.
It just seems like, if this is the best we can do, there is something seriously wrong with our country.
And yes, before you jump on it: many of these things were true about George Bush.
He may have done nothing to improve your life, but he did improve mine.
I am not just "going with my gut". I have read a lot about him (including his own book on health care) and have been politically aware through much of his career.
That they do, and the things they believe are twisted and distorted. One need not be a liberal or a conservative to recognize and rightly criticize the tendency we have to demonize those with whom we disagree. Violent disregard for the humanity (and all humanity is imperfect) of opponents is more generally a cover for our own prejudices and a justification for our darker impulses. It leads to the creation of a climate in which hate renders thoughtful discourse useless and reason powerless. All that is left is violent emotion that all too frequently leads to twisted and distorted behavior.
Who has hated more than the left has for Bush and every other conservative?
Some people love to hate, all we can do is counter the negativity with the truth.
Too bad this isn't really the country the haters think they want - we could burn 'em all at the stake.
Your lionizing him at his passing is an understandable impulse, but it is empirically untrue. Without bothering to recount his myriad personal failings, it is enough to say, the Globe got it right.
They ent on to argue correctly, that he was a talented legislator, a commanding Senate presence, and a man committed to creating opportunity for the disabled and disadvantaged.
His service to the country, and his family are rightly lauded.
Unfortunately, that gets you labeled a socialist these days ...
Socialism is state control of resources and using the force of the state to redistribute wealth. It does not involve personal decisions in any way - and is therefore without virtue.
Many of Mr. Kennedy's efforts have involved creating laws that take wealth from somewhat wealthy people and giving it to less wealthy people. There is nothing "noble" about that.