On Tonight's Bill O'Reilly show (I don't know the name of the show, I don't watch Fox News. The channel was on at the health club while I was waiting for food...), he challenged his panel to name a Republican, that wasn't a political operative, that was calling the Democrats the Taliban.
Gee, I don't know, does Cal Thomas count? Is being syndicated in over 500 papers too fringe to be respected?
The narrow primary defeat of veteran senator Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary is more than a loss for one man. It is a loss for his party and for the country. It completes the capture of the Democratic Party by its Taliban wing.
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But they have now morphed into Taliban Democrats because they are willing to "kill" one of their own, if he does not conform to the narrow and rigid agenda of the party's kook fringe.
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Lieberman's one "sin," in the eyes of the Taliban Democrats
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The Taliban wing of the Democratic Party cannot countenance any "heretics" who do not toe their line.
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Taliban Democrats have effectively issued a political "fatwah" that warns all Democrats not to deviate from their narrow line, or else face the end of their careers through a political jihad.
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If that is the message the Taliban Democrats want to send to the nation, they have all but guaranteed a Republican presidential victory in 2008 and GOP losses, if any, might not be as bad as predicted this November.
http://www.townhall.com/...
One of the guys on the panel asked Mr. O'Reilly to disavow the fringe on the Republican side too, and Michael Savage was the example Bill agreed was fringe.
Did Mr. O'Reilly disavow such talk?
No.
I have to ask myself, why give political operatives a pass?
Here is the letter I wrote to Speaker Hastert tonight:
Dear Speaker Hastert,
I understand that Tony Snow referred to Ned Lamont as "the candidate from Al Quaida".
Mr. Speaker, if Mr. Snow indeed made this remark, then please I ask you and all the other Republican Representatives, in fact you and all the Representatives, to demand an immediate public apology from President Bush, since Tony Snow is his personal spokesman.
Bush owes this public apology not only to Mr. Lamont, but also to all American voters and to all the world. Bush/Snow's nasty slur implies that someone whom American voters have just nominated to represent them is a "terrorist" against them. Such a slur clearly seeks to incite American against American, and thus threatens the personal safety of every American. As Speaker of the Article I branch of government, your party should not condone the Executive's attempt to paint democratic elections as terrorist acts!
Thank you Mr. Speaker.
As I'm sure Mr. O'Rielly knows, when Congressmen and Congresswomen are sworn into office, they take an oath to uphold the Constitution.
I ask myself, why should our representatives get a pass on upholding free and fair democratic elections? Why should the press let members of Congress make political hay by saying the exercise of the democratic process supports the Taliban?
We are at war here, and to me it looks like the press is playing its part in rolling over for the enemy by supporting theocratic ideals. Consider, who supports a one party state/one party elections? A) The Taliban, B) Fox News, C) Cal Thomas, D) Speaker Hastert.
Mr. O'Rielly, if you feel the answer is not B, then disavow the "fringe" of the Republican Party -- including those "political operatives" that endorse Taliban (one-party/one-candidate/one-god) politics.
While Mr. O'Rielly is pondering how Fox News could not be seen as anything but being fair and balanced, I recommend he call Joe Schwarz. I wonder if Mr. O'Rielly remembers Joe Schwarz? As an informed member of the news media, Mr. O'Riely's behavior sure doesn't show he remembers:
Conservative group sets sights on Chafee By M.L. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Fri Aug 11, 4:34 PM ET
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Fresh off their first victory over a Republican incumbent, GOP conservatives seeking party purity on taxes and spending are focused on ousting moderate Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.
Yes, the talibanization of the Republican Party is overlooked by those painting Democrats as "the Taliban." I know a better label for such behavior: Psycological Projection.