Here is yet another column on the reciprocity issue, although this one is from last December's Boston Herald, noting how John Kerry was quick to jump all over Trent Lott, while glossing over his own slurs. Mr. Fitzgerald also touches on Mike Wallace, Jesse Jackson, and Alan Dershowitz, who have each had their own foot-in-mouth moments. None have ever been called out to the degree that Lott was (although Jackson did take a lot of heat, to be fair). Here's the money quotes. (These are all from Fitzgerald's column; my comments in parentheses)
John Kerry 1: "The Iraqi army is in such bad shape, even the Italians could kick their butts.'' (Remember, Boston has a HUGE Italian population.)
John Kerry 2: Attempting to belittle Bill Weld's work ethic, Kerry described the former GOP governor as "a guy who takes more vacations than people on welfare.'' (Welfare recipients are lazy? How déclassé, Mr. Kerry.)
Mike Wallace: During a break in the taping of a "60 Minutes'' piece on minority borrowers, he suggested they might have difficulty reading complicated contracts "over watermelon and tacos.'' (Hello? Talk about stereotypes...)
Jesse Jackson: characterized New York City (under mayor Ed Koch) as "Hymietown". (This one was covered fairly thoroughly, but the history revisionists have worked hard to sweep it under the rug)
Alan Dershowitz: once charged Billy Bulger with using "code words'' like "manipulative'' and "crafty'' to communicate a bias against Jews, yet there was no ambiguity whatsoever when Dershowitz claimed English au pair Louise Woodward couldn't expect a fair trial in Cambridge because "it has a very large Irish population.'' (I guess the Irish, like the Italians, are fair game for the left.)
None of these quotes (except Jackson's) received much coverage. Some of these are really offensive, far more than the moronic comments of John Rocker. However, since he wasn't perceived as a good liberal (I have no idea of his political leanings), he got raked over the coals.
The article doesn't mention it, but John Rocker's boss, Ted Turner (owner of the Atlanta Braves), has made some ignorant swipes as well, mostly against organized religion. Calling Catholics with ashes on their forehead (on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent) a "bunch of Jesus freaks" is pretty nasty.
posted on July 19, 2003 11:30 PM
Comments:
Keep the pressure on, Ron. People are waking up, albeit slowly, to the asymmetry and insincerity of the "rules of discourse" the Left has tried to force on us. The essential, unconcealeable unfairness of it will galvanize a reaction that will rock the Left and its Old Media allies back on their heels for a generation.
The Internet has been instrumental in making this possible.
posted on July 19, 2003 11:30 PM
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