The hypocrisy of the far right pundits attacking the NYTimes for publishing info regarding Cheney's and Rumsfeld's vacation homes has really proven to be a big bag of wind. Foul smelling wind. Like the odiferous breath of Satan. Or maybe just right wing dog breath. I dunno.
Glenn Greenwald has written a great deal about this, as have Scott Lemieux and Greg Sargent. But I have something they don't: an email exchange between li'l ol' me, and David Horowitz.
I posted about this previously, but here's the whole email exchange. It started with a comment at Horiwitz's blog:
The Western White House, aka Casa Pacifica, and Reagan`s Ranch, were both
well-known locations.So I guess, by your logic, Cheney & Rumsfeld are more important than St.
Ronnie and Tricky Dick?
Horowitz:
These houses are vacation "White Houses"; and we are in a war with terrorists which as the President said "changes everything." Thnk about it.
Me:
The thing is, we've known about Presidential retreats for years. The use of Camp David, used by Roosevelt starting in '42, was a direct result of Secret Service concerns about the visibility of his yacht that had previously been his getaway. But the location of Camp David was known to all. And we certainly were at war, with a real declaration from Congress at that time. Security was tight at and around Camp David, but still, the location was known. And we were concerned with potential terrorist attacks, since we interned Japanese-Americans.
Are you suggesting we somehow un-ring that bell, or perhaps the POTUS, VPOTUS, et al be spirited away to some undisclosed location for the duration of the GWOT? Hardly seems an American thing to do.
Also, as has been mentioned in some media, the Washington Post previously published an article, with Rumsfeld's permission, that gave locations of Rumsfeld's home and the soon to be purchased Cheney home.
And NewsMax, hardly "liberal Media" had also already published the same information. I have yet to hear anyone on the right demand the WaPo and NewsMax be branded as treasonous.
Horowitz:
First, these are not presidential retreats. Second, this is the most divisive war America has fought since the Civil War, and it is a war with terrorists. Consequently, the potential for crank attacks on American leaders is much greater.
Me:
First, these are not presidential retreats. Second, this is the most divisive war America has fought since the Civil War, and it is a war with terrorists. Consequently, the potential for crank attacks on American leaders is much greater.
I don't dispute that point. The problem is that Rumsfeld gave permission for the photos to be taken. And both his and Cheney's vacation homes in St. Michaels had already been discussed by NewsMax, who published the information, so it was in the public sphere long before the NYTimes article.
So again, I ask, why single out the NYTimes as the villain, when others were complicit, including Rumsfeld when he agreed to have pictures taken.
It seems to me that the real agenda is not the safety of leaders and cabinet members, but the smearing of the NYTimes.
Horowitz:
I think I have answered these points already in my blog. The NY Times is singled out because it is a paper with great authority and has been abetting the enemies of this country since the Vietnam War.
There it is folks. Let's recap:
No refutation or comdemnation of anyone else publishing this information, including the Right-Wing tabloid (I use the term loosely) NewsMax. Nope, no sirree. Just the final ideological admission:
The NY Times is singled out because it is a paper with great authority and has been abetting the enemies of this country since the Vietnam War.
Bastard.
Steve regularly blogs at SteveAudio.blogspot.com