As an example of the amazing cognitive dissonance within the Republican party, compare that quote to the absolutely apeshit reaction that Ron Paul got last night in the Republican debate.
The context of that quote:
On September 13, 2001, Jerry Falwell said this on Pat Robertson’s show, "The 700 Club": "The enemies of America give us probably what we deserve." When asked to elaborate, Falwell added, "When we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way—all of them who have tried to secularize America—I point the finger in their face and say, ‘you helped this happen.’"
The debate began with a brief bit of warm eulogizing for Jerry Falwell, and how most campaigns had already expressed their condolences and respect, and then the debate hit its point of highest energy with Rudy Giuliani (and others) sickeningly going after Ron Paul for SUPPOSEDLY saying a much WEAKER version of what Jerry Falwell ACTUALLY said, often and explicitly.
Ron Paul:
"I believe very sincerely that the CIA is correct when they teach and talk about blowback. When we went into Iran in 1953 and installed the shah, yes, there was blowback. A reaction to that was the taking of our hostages and that persists. And if we ignore that, we ignore that at our own risk. If we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem. They don't come here to attack us because we're rich and we're free. They come and they attack us because we're over there. I mean, what would we think if we were – if other foreign countries were doing that to us?"
There's a great column on Lew Rockwell today summing that up.
Ironically, at right-wing blogs yesterday, you had the strange sight of columns blasting Ron Paul as a hate-filled lunatic literally RIGHT NEXT to warm eulogies for the Reverend Falwell. (Don't believe me? Check out Captain's Quarters, one of the supposedly "smarter" of the right-wing blogs).
Of the two quotes, one is a hate-filled rant saying America deserved 9-11. The other is a pretty fundamental tenent of foreign policy, that frankly NO serious foreign policy analyst (outside of the Bush administration) would ever disagree with.
The Republicans seem to be very confused on which is which.
I can think of nothing more emblematic.
(originally here)