McCain To Speak At Same Event As Violent Nugent

NUGENT THREATENED LIVES OF OBAMA/CLINTON DURING 2007 CONCERT

Although mostly hidden by his campaign, on May 16, 2008--four days prior to the Kentucky Primary--Sen. John McCain will participate in the 137th NRA Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky--in the same event as a right-wing pundit well-known for his violent rhetoric,Ted Nugent.

Sources say McCain is 'penciled in' to the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum, but not officially listed on the schedule.

Why might McCain be reluctant to have himself officially listed on the NRA's event? The answer may well be his concern about being associated with Nugent who, less than one year ago, held up two machine guns at a concert and--in one of the most brazen displays of violent rhetoric by a pundit ever caught on video--threatened the lives of a Governor and three Senators.

"Suck On This Obama...Piece of S--t!"
It is stunning that McCain's decision to appear at the same event as Nugent on the eve of the May 20 Kentucky Primary has not yet became a major story in print or broadcast media, particularly given the prominence of Nugent in the NRA event website and the preponderance of video on Nugent widely available on the internet.

Why might McCain be reluctant to have himself officially included in the NRA's schedule? One reason might be the prominence the NRA routinely gives Nugent on their website and at the event as well as the large amount of video available on the internet showing Nugent using violent language, encouraging citizens to engage in vigilantism, and threatening the lives of sitting members of government.

Nugent's past violent outbursts are well documented and widely available for any reporter who wishes to examine them.

The following video from 2007, for example, shows Nugent at a concert holding two machine guns in his hands and threatening the lives of a governor and three sitting senators:

These are some of the violent lines Nugent shouts at the cheering crowd in the video clip:

• "Hey, Obama! [holds up machine guns] You might want to suck on one these you punk...Obama, he's a piece of s--t!"
• "Hillary! [holds up machine guns] You might want to ride one of these into the sunset, you worthless b---h!"
• "Hey Diane Feinstein! [holds up machine guns] Ride on these you worthless whore!"

In this video from a 2007 edition of Texas Monthly, Nugent explains his position on the Second Amendment. About two minutes into the recording, Nugent appears to urge citizens to take up arms and 'blow the brains out' of criminals:

The quote from that sequence is as follows:

"...instead of arresting people for molesting children 24 times, I would rather the dad walked into the room, found a person molesting that child and blew his brains out."

This video of Nugent was posted on YouTube in 2007, but appears to have been recorded either in late 2001 or early 2002. About two and half minutes into the interview, Nugent expresses his violent belief that certain criminals should be summarily 'destroyed':

These videos are in addition to the interview published in the Detroit Free Press where Nugent said, in reference to his decision to give a conference in South Africa during apartheid,"My being there (South Africa) isn't going to affect any political structure. Besides, apartheid isn't that cut-and-dry. All men are not created equal." Detroit Free Press Magazine, July 15, 1990 (from this CampusProgress.org page on Nugent).

Nugent, apparently, believes that Democracy can be reduced down to one interpretation of the Second Amendment, yet one of the most basic principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence is expendable (e.g., "All men are created equal.")

McCain Hiding From Nugent's Violent Rhetoric
The strategy of the McCain campaign seems to be very simple: benefit from the over conservative program of NRA event without suffering from any association with Nugent.

The NRA for its part seems to be playing along.

Despite past statements critical of McCain by right-wing pundit and NRA spokesman Wayne LaPierre, the NRA seems to have done what it can to accommodate McCain's political need to strike a distance from the well-documented violent language and threatening antics of Nugent.

But what about the media?

When Nugent appeared on stage with the Governor at the inaugural ball Rick Perry--wearing the Confederate Flag--big media hardly blinked an eye.

Certainly, McCain is free to associate with the NRA, and without question there are tens of thousands of NRA members who will disagree in part or in whole with the views of Nugent and other speakers who may appear at the NRA event.

Nonetheless, journalists and producers at CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC have an obligation to bring McCain's participation in the NRA event, as well as the concurrent role of Nugent, to wide public attention.

Follow Jeffrey Feldman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffreyFeldman

Comments

[BeefJerky]

Hey, maybe they can do an arrangement of "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran."

[UltraClassic]

Hillary '08

Ah geezz, Ted Nugent is a rock n roller, an entertainer. I got hit in the head by a Jack Daniels bottle in Corpus Christ, Texas at one of his concerts in the '70s. He and his fans are pretty hard core.

Don't get so wrapped up about this guy unless you are also going to start hammering Randi Rhodes and the AAR crowd also.

Hillary '08

[Garioch]

Fantasist, as proven in the past will refuse going anywhere near anyone with a chance of being shot back at. Therefore remarks and threats against people who have armed protection can safely be ignored... small woodland animals are the most dangerous things Mr. Nugent is ever going to contemplate going up against.

[Paratus]

Sorry folks. I don't see a threat to a life in what Nugent says (hell, I don't even like his music). If you want threats consider Randi Rhodes being banned from flying due to her unstable comments on her show, or Mike Malloys statements about having "violent fantasies" regarding Dana Perino or the late Michael WEbb, host of "Blatherwatch, who called for Bushs execution. He was also a rabid anti Second Amendment guy.

The Second Amendment does not grant rights and is not a militia amendment. Like the rest of the Bill of Rights and the rest of "the people" found elsewhere in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Second pertains to the individual. It says the right is inherent and the government shall not monkey with it. Thus ALL gun laws are unconstitutional. Gun control is a solution to a problem that does not exist not to mention the fact that it is unconstitional.

Personally I have no problem with a dad waxing the child molester. Why would anyone get upset over this????????

Hillary, Hussein and McCain are not friends of the Constitution, the people or freedom. I fear the next four years will see more damage to individual freedom and more growth of the intrusive government. Our solution is not on the ballot this year.

[feo]

The Amboy Dukes (Nugent's band at the time) lived one block away from me in Detroit in the mid 60s. Nugent was ignorant and vile then and he hasn't worked on self-improvement much since then. And while guys from the neighborhood were getting killed in Nam (including two brothers two blocks away), he was off in the Michigan woods slaughtering small animals and avoiding the draft. And here's the real punch: he isn't and never was much of a guitarist.

[Beaux510]

Dude, with all due respect, to lay waste to the Nuge's moronic political epithets and hypocrisy is fine and I would agree, much deserved, but to say "he isn't and never was much of a guitarist." is just plain denial, as well as monumentally inaccurate.

The Nuge is and ever was a giant on the frets. If only he'd stick to that, and just shut his yap about anything other.

[HSimpson]

* "Hey, Obama! [holds up machine guns] You might want to suck on one these you punk...Obama, he's a piece of s--t!"
* "Hillary! [holds up machine guns] You might want to ride one of these into the sunset, you worthless b---h!"
* "Hey Diane Feinstein! [holds up machine guns] Ride on these you worthless whore!"

Does anyone really think this means he's threatening the lives of these people? C'mon and get real. In street talk as most understand it, what is meant is to taunt those who wish to deny you something by waving it in their face. Sort of like " You didn't think I should be aloud to have these? Well choke on this"
Its a taunt and nothing more. Its not to my taste but its far from being a real threat and I'm sure the writer knows that. Wouldn't the law be investigating it if it was? And if we are going to demand that ANY association {no matter how far reaching} with people on the far far fringes of opinion be hung around the neck of a candidate for public office, then Obama has a heavy load to carry.
I personally think its really reaching to harp on these things. What are their accomplishments and what do you intend to try to do. Thats what I want to know. This is silly.

[Johnagain]

The point of this writer was not to assert that Ted Nugent is a bonafide threat to those politicians, but rather to point out exactly what kind of characters McCain is aligning himself with. If McCain is seen with these kind of people on a stage or meeting, being endorsed or supported by them, it has significance.

[Donise]

While I certainly don't want another Republication in the White House and definitely not Senator McCain, I wouldn't equate Ted Nugent with John McCain in any way, shape, or form. I think I could say with fair certainly that Senator McCain didn't invite Nugent to the event, but rather the committee setting up the event. Ted Nugent is a publicity seeking, drama king, acid rocker and maybe a tad bit of a nut job. At any rate, likening Ted Nugent to John McCain is about as ideotic and counter-productive as likening Reverend Wright to Senator Obama. Apples and bricks. Guilt by association. Blah, blah, blah!

[Beaux510]

Calling Nuge an Acid Rocker is like calling Britney Spears a country star.

Please get your genres right.

[StinkyPete]

I missed the part where he threatened the lives of candidates or officeholders. If such a thing ACTUALLY HAPPENED it should be easy to have him charged.
Let's try not to conflate one's stage persona with actual personality. Lotsa people actually think that TV is real - um It Isn't. Take for example CSI: Las Vegas where Katy Segal played a role, one that I doubt accurately mirrors her actual behavior on (or off) the job.

[BlackJAC]

Your analogy is flawed, for Katey Sagal wasn't playing herself in that episode. A better analogy would be the episode where the movie actor kills the two Asian women because one of them was really male: he claimed the scarring on his knee was incurred "while rapelling one-handed down a cliff while firing an AK-47" when it was really because he tripped on trailer stairs. Still, Ted's really selling this alleged persona of his like it's going out of style soon.

[fsilber]

I read an interview with Nugent, and the interviewer brought up his avoidance of Vietnam and asked him whether he feels shame over that. To his credit, Nugent was honest and admitted feeling shame and regret for that decision.

[BlackJAC]

Only because he's an unrepentant sojer groupie who's been feeling less than masculine his entire life.

[Caolas]

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"

Frankly, I think the Founding Fathers would be turning in their graves if they could see what has happened to the Militias of this Country. The 2nd amendment is the Militia amendment, not the Gun amendment. The right of Gun ownership is clearly an intended condition of keeping the Militia "well regulated" (maintained).

I might also add that I find it quite hypocritical that Mr Nugent is such a gun enthusiast and, yet, he did everything he could to avoid the Vietnam war and dodge the Draft. For someone who appears to harbor such a profound interest in shooting people as Mr Nugent does; to have avoided Military service in time of War, seems to me like the action of someone who is all talk and no action.

[knighthowl]

While I share your views of Mr. Nugent, I cannot share your opinion on the meaning of the Second Amendment. I am a lawyer so I have some education in Constitutional law, but I was also very good at sentence diagramming in my younger years. I think the diagram of the sentence tells us more than constitutional law.

The actual sentence is: the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The phrase preceding the sentence does not limit the sentence, but provides a reason for the rule. The founding fathers were quite good at expressing ideas. If they had wished to say that the people's right to keep and bear arms for use in a well regulated militia shall not be infringed, they would have done so.

[StinkyPete]

I know you'll REALLY like this. PDF of a brief submitted to SCOTUS this year.

http://tinyurl.com/64mjlw

[feo]

If so, then why did they bother to mention militias at all? Seems to me that the conditional dependent clause is there for some purpose beyond decorative prose. Also, the Founders were often quite nebulous in their intent. "Cruel and unusual?" We've been trying to sort that out for 200 years.

[jimdog1954]

The founding fathers could not have predicted the advancement in the field of personal weapons of mass destruction. In their day, a single-shot, black powder, muzzle-loader was the most destructive personal weapon in the world. If they could have foreseen a 15-round semi-automatic handgun capable of killing 15 people in 10 seconds, perhaps the wording of the second amendment would be different. So, as a reasonable solution to the problem, let's have no limits on single-shot, black powder, muzzle-loaders, and take all the others off the street.

[Pragman]

Fine, but requiring all guns to be registered in no way infringes on the right to keep them.

[kdogg]

I went and saw him in concert about a year ago and really enjoyed the show. He was popular before my time so I was not familiar with him but I got to go along with my friend and his father. Having said that, I will never in any way shape or form ever support this douche bag again. I knew he was associated with the NRA which made me a little leery but jesus what a fruit cake. I remember being a little weirded out at the concert when the big screens where playing videos of him hunting various animals during the concert. That should have been the signal go get the hell out of there. At least I didn't pay for the tickets.

[RoseMerry]

Ted Nugent is first and foremost, an attention getting rock'n'roller. Right-wing? Maybe - I believe he is more Libertarian than right-wing but take anything he says with a grain of salt and a Marshall stack cranked up to 11 - he wants to shock you.

No big deal.

[JScott]

Yup he's only libertarian enough to get the benefits that this country gave him with his fame and fortune, but for everyone else he don't give a sh*t. I'd like to see what happens when he exits his property and sunddenly sees a tollbooth at the end of his driveway-'sorry Mr. Nugent, the road hasbeen privatized by Blackwater, ya gotta pay everytime you go on them, oh and be ready to pay when you come to a signaled intersection, we charge to pass thru them as well, oh and when you exit this road back to your property, there's a charge there too.' Ahh the wonders of libertarianism and privatization.

[flanardiente]

More to the point, would John McCain want to share the stage with a man who, in his own words, lived in his clothes and shit in his pants to avoid being drafted, while he was a prisoner in Hanoi?

[NATIONALSECURITY4US]

YOU SEE TED & MANY OTHER AMERICANS / WORLD CITIZENS HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE LIES THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS PAN-HANDLING TO THE PRESS AS PURE BULLSHIT & THE PRESS
IS JUST AS GUILTY FOR GOING ALONG WITH ALL OF THE LIES -- INSTEAD OF EXPOSING IT FOR WHAT IT IS -- AS TED NUGENT PUT IT = "PURE EVIL" & THEY MUST BE PURGED FROM OUR SOCEITY BECAUSE THEIR ENDS WILL NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS...

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST = KILL OR BE KILLED -- THAT'S WHAT'S LURKING OVER THE HORIZON

[WalterHiggins]

OMG, he said, "suck on"!

Since when is flagrantly defending a constitutionally protected right a bad thing?

Or are, "machine guns", your version of the, "boogeyman"?

[chumleypotts]

I still like his music. Stranglehold is fantastic! Imagine if he'd appear on Keith O. Olbie would draw record viewers for that night, plus it would be damned entertaining.

[McSameisthegame]

"A chicken in every pot-a machine gun in every hunter's truck!""

[McSameisthegame]

So,Walter, each of us can own a bazooka,too???Thank God for the 2nd amendment!

[WalterHiggins]

Guns are dangerous, machine guns are more dangerous. Cars are dangerous, trucks are more dangerous. Electricity is dangerous, high voltage is more dangerous. Flammable liquids are dangerous, etc.

A semi-trailer truck is far more dangerous than a machine gun, and yet we see them on the street all the time without quaking in fear.

The second amendment does not protect the reckless or unsafe use of any weapon.

[BlackJAC]

The right to say that all soldiers are nothing more than developmentally-arrested welfare addicts who need their self-esteem constantly pandered to and hate the idea of earning a paycheck in the private sector is also Constitutionally protected. It also gets you branded as a "freedom-hating friend of Osama who wants America to get taken over by the terrorists." It can be fun to mouth off, but history is littered with people who just didn't know when to shut up.