Today on NPR's Talk of the Nation, host Neal Conan, with guests Kathleen Parker and Jamie Kirchick, followed a tortuous path of logic to reveal the naked impulse of left-wing violence behind the mask of James von Brunn.
Their talk entitled Is Right-Wing Extremism On The Rise? spent little time on the stated subject before they descended into "showing" how the left-wing was equally at fault for violence in America.
http://www.npr.org/...
Parker was there to present a right-wing viewpoint I suppose, and that makes sense. But why Kirchick was there other than to enforce a right-wing view on this subject is beyond me. Recently he has published the following defense of anti-abortion advocates in the Wall Street Journal in which he defends them from any blame in the murder of Doctor George Tiller:
http://online.wsj.com/...
The high point of their analysis was when Kirchick lectured a caller who dared to point out the lack of left-wing violence during the Bush/Cheney years. The caller was roundly dismissed by both guests and by Neal Conan who tut-tutted that of course there were lots of plots against the last administration, because THERE ALWAYS ARE! Not suprizingly, no credible plots were named.
Kirchick then proceeded to find left-wing zealotry behind the anti-semitism of James von Brunn. He singled out Daily Kos bloggers as being representative of the unholy left-wing/right-wing alliance that he discerns. Chuckles and quips from Kathleen Parker ensued. Neal Conan exercised his view of journalistic integrity by letting this inflammatory statement go by unchallenged. I believe Kirchick picked up this particular talking point from Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck/National Review (it's good to know where New Republic writers get their intel):
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...
Here is the response I left on NPR's comments section:
The next time you decide to debate an issue like this from all sides, please have someone who truly represents the progressive side of the issue. Jamie Kirchick was a poor choice to balance the views of Kathleen Parker. I am sure it is very comforting for all of you to decide there is really no problem of violence from the right-wing that is not equally threatened by the left. So, a discussion of right-wing violence turns into another opportunity to lambaste anyone who is not center-right or even more extreme. Your caller who pointed out the lack of left-wing violence during the Bush/Cheney years was met with open derision from both guests as well as the host. Without any evidence you all agreed that "of course" there was violence threatened by leftists during the last administration. But no credible plots were named. Mr. Kirchick proceeded to lump Daily Kos bloggers in with James von Brunn. This shows incredible intellectual ignorance and smacks of an Orwellian attempt to blame everyone on the left for the sins of violent haters on the right. You see, they are really all just the same. What we already know to be true must, of course, be true.