The Republican Media- No. 32



It really isn't what Ted Nugent said at the NRA convention  on Saturday.     Right Wing Watch reports

Nugent called President Obama a criminal and denounced his “vile, evil America-hating administration” which is “wiping its ass with the Constitution.” Taking it a step further, he said that “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” “If you can’t galvanize and promote and recruit people to vote for Mitt Romney, we’re done,” he continued. To the consternation of the Secret Service, Nugent added "We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November. Any questions?” 

At a concert in 2007, Nugent had declared

I was in Chicago last week I said, “Hey Obama, you might want to suck on one of these, you punk?” Obama, he’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on one of my machine guns. Let’s hear it for them. I was in New York and I said, “Hey Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset you worthless bitch.” Since I’m in California, I’m gonna find Barbara Boxer she might wanna suck on my machine guns. Hey, Dianne Feinstein, ride one of these you worthless whore.

Last month, Mitt Romney solicited- and received- Nugent's endorsement, sufficiently prompting one of his sons to tweet excitedly "Ted Nugent endorsed my Dad today.    Ted Nugent?   How cool is that?   He joins Kid Rock as great Detroit musicians on team Mitt!"

Of course Ted Nugent endorsed team Mitt!    Why not?    He got Mitt to agree not to put any restrictions on gun rights!

Mitt Romney may appear to have sold his soul to a washed-up entertainer who would call a  female U.S. Senator "worthless bitch" or "worthless whore" (oh, not a worthwhile whore?) and denounces the President of the United States as a criminal.     But Romney already had sold his soul (clearly many times) so that is of little matter.

Nonetheless, Maggie Haberman of Politico has no such excuse when she writes

After a day of the Democratic National Committee slamming Mitt Romney over his backer, trash-talker Ted Nugent, the Republican hopeful's campaign goes the disavowal route.

“Divisive language is offensive no matter what side of the political aisle it comes from.  Mitt Romney believes everyone needs to be civil," said campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul.

What's perhaps most notable about Nugentgate is that, as Democrats tried to make an equal opportunity-offensive case against Team Romney after the Hilary Rosen-Bill Maher contretemps....

Ted Nugent refers to politicians as "worthless bitch," "worthless whore," and as "a piece of shit (who should) suck on one of my machine guns," Romney's spokesman refers to generic "divisive language" and, without naming anyone, says "everyone needs to be civil."       Politico, displaying shameful bias, responds by calling that a "disavowal."      A disavowal of whom?  When you are confronted with an indefensible remark from a supporter and you hide behind the facade of moral equivalence, you've disavowed no one and chosen to point the finger at others.

Not content with imagining a "disavowal," Haberman trivializes Romney's alliance with Nugent by spinning  "Democrats tried to make an equal opportunity-offensive case against Team Romney after the Hilary Rosen-Bill Maher contretemps."

Democrats aren't trying; it's evident to anyone not in the tank for Mitt Romney.     This is what the mighty Politico calls  "an equal opportunity case":      Ted Nugent says the President of the United States is leading a "vile, evil America-hating Administration" while Hilary Rosen criticizes for not working outside the home another woman, Ann Romney, whose husband has said "even" mothers of two-year-olds "need to go to work" (so they) have the dignity of work."    Calling Senator Clinton "a worthless bitch" and Senator Feinstein "a worthless whore" is equal to Bill Maher contending that the "tough job" of being a mother is unlike "getting your ass out of the door at 7 a.m. when it’s cold, having to deal with the boss, being in a workplace, where even if you're unhappy you can’t show it for 8 hours."      False equivalence is taken to new heights- or depth.  

Steve M. at No More Mr. Nice blog recognizes the double standard:

You know this is going to be a one-news-cycle story at worst. I think that's because the media believes that gun owners are just too darn salt-of-the-earth to be held to decent standards of behavior. Same for hardcore Republicans in general: if you don't put on a sheet or use the N-word in e-mails, you're golden. Say what you want. Threaten whatever Democrat you choose. Say, for instance, that Bill Clinton "Better have a bodyguard" if he dares to venture below the Mason-Dixon Line. Go ahead. You're the football captains in this high school cafeteria. You've got carte blanche. 

Show some effort, Politico; do your job.    Being even-handed is not the same as being fair or accurate. Unfortunately, it is good practice for being stenographer of the Republican Party.



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