Bad Deeds for 7-9-2008

The Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy – The violent language of the Right poisons American democracy. Here are some examples:

• Ann Coulter calling for John Murtha’s murder,
• Bill O’Reilly telling San Francisco that al Qaeda could attack them,
• Dinesh D’Souza suggesting that liberal weakness encouraged al Qaeda to attack us on 9/11,
• Tucker Carlson bragging about beating up a man he thought was hitting on him in a bathroom,
• Rush Limbaugh encouraging riots,
• Michael Savage calling for the execution of Madeleine Albright?

Jeffrey Feldman has written a book titled Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy. Jeffrey’s book offers some proposed solutions on how to bring the dialogue back to a more honest level and to lift the discourse away from the violent rhetoric.

John McCain Makes Another Crude Joke About Killing Iranians – Here’s an example of violet language discussed above. Someone in John McCain’s campaign needs to tell him that he’s not funny and that making crude jokes about killing innocent people is not presidential and inappropriate.

Most of you have heard of McCain’s Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran gaffe, and now the GOP presidential hopeful has made another crude joke about killing Iranians and again, its wholly inappropriate.

PITTSBURGH — … Republican presidential candidate John McCain was asked about an Associated Press report that $158 million in cigarettes have been shipped to Iran during George W. Bush’s presidency despite restrictions on U.S. exports to that country.

“Maybe that’s a way of killing them,” McCain told reporters,….”

McCain Skips Vote on Medicare Bill
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) puts out a statement ripping McCain: “Senator Kennedy managed to make it back [to vote] from treatment for cancer, but Senator McCain couldn’t be bothered. Senator McCain, who wants to be our next President, has skipped this vote three times now. Clearly, he’d rather hide than face up to the insurance industry. You can do that when you’re in the U.S. Senate, maybe voters should leave him there.”

Regards,

Jim