We here at Daily Kos are one of the most powerful collective voices of the liberal side of American media.
Given the liberal side of American media is practically nonexistent, that means we're just about the only group that can significantly impact Democratic politicians in Washington.
Therefore I call on this community, Markos and his mainpagers, to join with me to call on Congress to draft a resolution condemning Andrew Breitbart and Fox News for race baiting and smearing the reputation of Shirley Sherrod.
Too much to ask?
First up, do Presidents ever call out a partisan media outlet directly?
Yes. Yes they do.
Bush: MoveOn.org ad on Petraeus 'disgusting'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A MoveOn.org political advertisement that criticized the top U.S. commander in Iraq was "disgusting," President Bush said Thursday, accusing Democrats of being afraid to criticize the anti-war group.
Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill last week about the so-called surge in Iraq.
Bush told reporters at a White House news conference that MoveOn.org's ad in The New York Times about Gen. David Petraeus was a "sorry deal." The September 10 full-page ad was titled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"
"I felt like the ad was an attack, not only on Gen. Petraeus, but on the U.S. military," Bush said. "And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democratic Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad."
Bush said that "most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org" and they "are more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military." Watch Bush condemn the MoveOn.org ad »
He said, "It's one thing to attack me. It's another thing to attack somebody like Gen. Petraeus."
http://www.cnn.com/...
All of this because of ONE AD taken out not by a major news network, but by an advocacy group trying to impact debate on the war.
What did George W. Bush do?
- He called out the organization by name
- He called out liberals for not directly disavowing the ad
- He linked the ad to an "attack on the military"
This was total bullshit, obviously, but it shows how conservatives are willing to directly engage in the media debate. Bush's direct intervention blew the story up, not about Petreaus, but about the larger issue of "supporting the troops."
Soon, a complaint congress responded with this:
Congress Votes to Condemn MoveOn.org
Last week the Senate voted to condemn MoveOn for their attack against General Petraeus. (Roll call and text of Resolution is at that link)
Today, the House followed suit in a vote of 341 voting to condemn MoveOn.org, 79 voting against denouncing them and 12 that didn't vote.
So my question is this:
Where the fuck are the democrats in Congress to condemn Fox News and Andrew Breitbart for the smearing of an American patriot like Shirley Sherrod???
Where is our resolution???
Why are we not fighting back the way they fought back???
If our politicians aren't willing to call out this race baiting as the worst vestiges of the 1960s racist response to Civil Rights (the insane racist fear that black people will exact revenge on white people if given equal rights), then when will they ever fight?
Americans respect politicans who fight for their core beliefs.
I call on Daily Kos to band together and join me in asking our Congress for a condemnation of Fox News and Andrew Breitbart for the propaganda editing of a videotape meant to smear her reputation and destroy her career.
Whether or not Vilsack fired her or hired her or did anything else, none of that is relevant.
Where is our resolution condemning racism in the American conservative movement??? THIS is how we'll win in 2010. When democrats begin to fight back for their core beliefs.
And what is a core belief of the Democratic Party if not the condemnation of George Wallace era anti Civil Rights racist smearings of African-Americans as demons who hate white people???