Running Scared

President Trump recently had Ted Nugent over to the White House, although (more likely, because) the one-hit wonder had before the 2012 presidential campaign had warned “We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their [the Obama administration’s] heads off in November.” Two years later he referred to the first black president as a "chimpanzee" and denounced "a Chicago communist raised communist educated communist nurtured subhuman mongrel like the ACORN community organizer gangster Barack Hussein Obama..."






Still, that was one guy, one time who was given the privilege of a visit very few Americans ever are offered.

Then Steve M. pointed out the statement of Ann Coulter, who once had maintained “My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building;” then clarified "Of course I regret it. I should have added, 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters;'" then given a chance at retraction, added "I think the Timothy McVeigh line was merely prescient after The New York Times has leapt beyond — beyond nonsense straight into treason, last week.”

That same year, SM noted, Coulter wrote her second-right wing screed to hit #1 on The New York Times best-seller list for non-fiction, an honor second to being invited to the White House, but even more career-enhancing.

Still, old news of a sort, not worth blogging about now that Kathy Griffin, the latest celebrity to do something reprehensible, took down an image of Trump with a bloody, severed head.  Fulsomely apologizing on Instagram, she wrote "I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people. It wasn't funny. I get it.....I made a mistake and I was wrong."

CNN canceled its arrangement with Griffin to co-host New Years' Eve festivities with Anderson Cooper, as did Route 66 Casino in New Mexico the July appearance of the comedienne. CNN and Route 66 have business considerations, although the idea of someone failing to live up to the ethical standards upheld by a casino is absurd.

But no more absurd than the response from a couple of Democrats.  Minnesota Senator Al Franken, who already had panned Griffin's stunt as "inappropriate and not something that should be anywhere in our national discourse," canceled a July appearance he was to have held with her to promote his new book.  And freshman senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada announced she would give to charity a donation made to her by Ms. Griffin.

Ted Nugent gets invited to 16oo Pennsylvania Avenue, a fitting tribute from a man who recognized (and still does) that the American people are fed up with what they term "political correctness." Ignore Breitbart, Newsmax, and the other right-wing media outlets which want to bait Democrats into displaying what they and their followers consider weakness.  Republicans will not be satisfied with apologies or satiated by sincere remorse, and a demonstration of sensitivity by Democrats will remind many people of what they don't like about the Democratic Party.

"When people are insecure," Bill Clinton once said, "they’d rather have somebody who is strong and wrong than someone who’s weak and right.”    Donald Trump knows that well. The opposition, burdened by conscience, does not.

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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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