Every time a Republican attacks our freedoms a terrorist gets his wings. That's all that really needs to be said about illegal spying on Americans, veiled Administration threats to our media and judiciary, and all the anti-American statements of freedom-hating conservatives.
Dear Liberals: Don't you get it yet? To get into arguments about whether Bill Keller should be tortured to death is to lose the debate. Here you go again - giving attention to loonies with phony talking points, defending principles that should require no defense, and taking part in a phony controversy designed to distract America from the abysmal failures of its GOP leadership.
Haven't you people learned anything from the great "framing" debate of 2004?
The latest wave of liberal outrage is directed at conservative Melanie Morgan's call to send the New York Times editor to the gas chamber. (Call it "Deadline Man Walking.") Some additional progressive heat is directed at Fox anchor E.D. Hill for suggesting a Government Bureau of Censorship.
Once again, Democrats and liberals are letting the other side frame the debate. Every minute that's spent talking about Melanie and E.D. is a minute that's not being used to ask the American people a very simple question: Do you love America's freedoms enough to fight for them?
You should laugh off the Morgans, Hills, and Coulters as the clowns they are, then stick to a simple two-part message. Here's the first part:
Every time the Republicans attack the liberties that make our country great, the terrorists win. Every time this Congress and this Administration sanction illegal wiretapping, read your bank records without a warrant, or spy on peace demonstrators, they're saying "we don't think we're strong enough to defend ourselves and the Constitution."
You could accurately say that these conservatives "hate our freedoms," but why give them the airspace? Just say that if the terrorists really "hate our freedoms," why let them provoke us tinto taking them away? Since when do a bunch of fanatics in a cave make us bow down?
If you let the terrorists change our way of life - they win.
Here's the second part of the message:
Do you really believe the Administration's only going after terrorists with these invasive fishing expeditions? Remember, we've learned (thanks to Katrina and Halliburton) that they're both incompetent managers and self-serving political cronies. Do you trust them to go through the private records of every American - without adult supervision?
Ask yourself why they've been hiding their spying activities from the courts. No judge in the country would deny them the warrants they need to fight terrorism. They've been rigging elections for years, gaming voter districts, jamming phones, getting illegal campaign contributions, giving their pals big contracts ... Don't trust our rights to this crowd.
When the President's Press Secretary says "... a public's right to know in some cases might override somebody's right to live," freedom-lovers everywhere should respond: "Prove it." Despots have always said the same thing. If the Administration had good reasons for this spying, why did they hide it from the secret courts? Should we toss aside our freedoms and our system of laws for a vague statement about the risk to an unnamed "someone" from an crowd that's infamous for its dishonesty?
If Snow's boss won't make his case in court, he has no right to make it from Tony's bully - or bullying - pulpit.
Here's the most important point: Throughout history the American people have always been brave enough - and determined enough - to defend our country and stand up for our liberties. There have been problems along the way, but overall, we've always stayed true to our Constitution.
We - and the principles that make us great - have weathered a civil war, a Depression, two world wars, and a cold war. Don't give up now.
We can fight this threat and remain a free people. Let's get some new leaders in Washington who will defend our freedoms, not tear them down.
Don't let the terrorists win.
A Night Light
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UPDATE: Paul Krugman's latest editorial also makes essentially the same point - that this absurd argument was a "coordinated attack" by conservatives to distract us (he says it's about Iraq, but don't forget those gas prices, too!)
I've updated this post based on Tony Snow's recent comments. And Greg Sargent makes some excellent observations about how this "controversy" debases our entire political discourse. (Gee, ya think?)
On a separate note, commenters should be aware that - as always - heated debate is fine, but comments that just insult other people will not see the light of day. Don't like it? Then go to one of those right-wing sites where vituperation is the norm.