Has there ever been a better example, at least in recent years, proving that the extreme left and extreme right share more in common than those on their own side of the ideological divide when it comes to the issue of health care?
On the far right: the shouters shouting down other people who wish to speak at town meetings, whacko "birthers," and liars inventing "death panels" and obscenely and recklessly mentioning Adolph Hitler and Nazi symbols to scare people; irresponsible radio and TV talkers who use hate words and name-calling as a substitute for debating the issues civilly; and
On the far left: including the most vicious posters on the so-called liberal blogosphere, threatening businesses with one or more executives who offer personal ideas for achieving national health care reform different from the Administration's or Democratic congressional leaders' versions (full disclosure: I support all of President Obama's core principles for national health care legislation, though I still have many unanswered questions); hateful e-mails, phone calls, blogs, and personal attacks, distorting alternative ideas different from the Administration's approach and attacking the motives of those airing them; and intolerance for anyone who disagrees, including personal invective and demonization of those with different views.
When the far left and the far right join in the Politics of Hate and Demonization, it is time for the vast center-left and center-right of this country to speak up and call them out equally.
It is time for responsible liberal and conservative political leaders and talk show hosts to denounce these extremist haters who stand in direct opposition to President Obama's call for respectful discourse and debate and who threaten our democratic traditions and institutions.
Silence is no longer acceptable by responsible liberals towards the reckless far left or by responsible conservatives towards the reckless far right.
Silence is complicity.
Mr. Davis was former Special Counsel to President Clinton, 1996-98, and served on President Bush's Privacy and Civil Liberties Board, 2005-2006. He writes regular weekly columns for The Washington Times and The Hill newspapers.
For starters they are all ready for the mental hospital.
That tells you all you need to know about Lanny Davis right there.
But there is no comparison between the language or the tactics of the different ends of the spectrum. I'll admit that I hate to see personal attacks from either side on this site; however, the threats, lies, distortions, misinformation, racist remarks, misogyny, slander and hatred flourish far more on the right side of the aisle--from those who profess to want a "Christian" nation.
As a Christian, I find it appalling; as an American, I'm embarrassed.
When did the truth cease to matter?
But really, 70% support the public option, so who exactly is the "far left" in his eyes?
Are we going to take advice about liberalism from Lanny? Wouldn't a liberal be more qualified?
Isn't dismissing your critics as wackos a sign of something or other?
BTW, equating the two "fringes" ignores that only one side gets their views aired by the corporate media.
-Thomas Paine
When I was a community organizer, the words "left" or "right" were never uttered. Our org. was fighting subprime lending and the legislators on BOTH sides of the aisle that accepted cash from lobbyists to allow subprime lending to continue in Ohio. We called them, we blogged about them (before there was a thing called blogs), we frequently tried to meet with them and when they blew us off we showed up at their homes and jobs. We respectfully attended the senate finance hearings and organized press conferences without the upper hand of astroturf manufacturers. Our chants and signs had everything to do with predatory lending--something real and tangible that was a threat to our economy. About 8 years later, the economy collapsed under the housing bubble.
There is a difference between "radicals" and active citizens. Stop trying to equate the two.
Or am I just being a "radical far leftist" who is engaging in destructive an hateful practices like making phone calls, emailing, and blogging. That's totally equatable to bringing guns to rallies and spreading wild untruths, while calling our president a racist and likening him to Hitler. Oh please, centrists and Clinton democrats (thanks for allowing credit default swaps, by the way) come rescue the country from radical leftists!
It's the centrists who are giving away, and who gave away during the Clinton administration, real health reform, so forgive me if I think this article is complete garbage.
To compare the two indicates your lack of objectivity. Distorting is not liying. Businessmen have a profit motive for their political positions. For them to act like they do not is a distortion. Hatefull e-mails are private. Hitler signs are public.
As a Hebrew you should be particulary insulted and agrieved by the Hitler and Nazi crap. You copare it to some nasty e-mails. Bull.