John Cole has a fairly inspired rant about the right-wing blogosphere. He notes that Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) was talking about his trip to Iraq and referred to one of the soldiers as a “two-bit security guard” when the soldier denied him access to a gym in the Green Zone for lack of proper credentials.
Cole describes the probable state of the right-wing blogosphere if McHenry had been a Democrat:
If McHenry was a Democrat there would be a full on red alert action report sent across the WingNetTM. Kerning charts would be pulled out for referencing. Cheeto’s and Mountain Dew stock would triple. McHenry’s countertops would be inspected, and the Confederate Yankee would spend a week linking all the times McHenry had been in the same state as Barack Obama, showing decisively that Obama hates the troops (Jake Tapper would note that he thought this was the case, because he has a really keen sense for traitors- ask anyone in his family). We would learn that someone in McHenry’s family tree did something vaguely subversive in the 1960’s (maybe smoked a joint while listening to Jimi Hendrix’s version of the Star Spangled Banner, rather than standing erect and proudly displaying a lapel pin).
The Instapundit would kick his passive/aggressive BS into overdrive, linking every rambling yahoo on the intertrons who wants to proudly display their patriotism (500 different links to poorly written proclamations without the benefit of a shift key that “OUR TROOPS AIN’T JUST SECURITY GUARDS THEY ARE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTESTEST). Red State would send out a fundraising letter for another 25k for website development to combat evil leftist smears against our troops. Mickey Kaus would stop sodomizing fellating goats long enough to pen a column about his outrage, and since he is a Democrat himself (wink, wink), this would give the outrage enough respectability that the odious fool Howie Kurtz would write six columns about it, describing the outrage, pushing it until there would be wall to wall coverage on the cable networks and Wolf Blitzer finally asks the poll question:
“Why do Democrats hate our troops and why do they hate the country, and how can they expect to win the Presidency with that attitude? â€
That is what would fucking happen.
Jesus christ, that’s a lot of words wasted on something that you don’t even know involved a real soldier or not.
Maybe, just maybe, it was a “two-bit security guard”. Hard to believe that they’d waste a soldier on something like that.
Whatever. If it really is a soldier, the truth will come out. Milblogs are more tenacious than the right wing blogs. Doesn’t matter if the guy is a Republican or not.
I think it’s less a critique of McHenry and the propriety of him referring to the guy as a two-bit security guard and more of a critique of the hyperventilation that would ensue on right-wing blogs if a Democrat had done the same thing. You know, on account of Democrats hating America and everything.
Yeah, but its all based on speculation that a security guard is a soldier.
Being, you know, a right wing blogger, part of the vast right wing conspiracy, I can’t get too worked up until I know that. His being a Republican doesn’t really change anything, because Republican does not equal right wing.
And anyway I’m busy with the Obama/ Wright thing. ;) That’s the gift that keeps on giving.
And “Operation Chaos”, of course.
You know, on account of Democrats hating America and everything.
Well, Michelle Obama at least.
What if he is “only” a security guard? In the damn GREEN ZONE. You know, a place where security is important. If Mr. McHenry doesn’t have the proper credentials, he should retreat and go get them. These same bastards are fine with our mail, email, and phone calls being subjected to scrutiny here, but they can’t be bothered to flash an ID in a secure compound in a war zone? After all the times they’ve pedantically reminded us “WE’RE IN A WAR!!!”, how could he forget while standing in the middle of one?
It has to suck, though, when you go over to a war and the health club isn’t even open at 5 a.m.
This is from the same reporter that accused John McCain of plagiarism last week, and then had to retract the claim when it turned out that the person she thought McCain was copying from was himself revealed to have copied a speech that McCain gave much earlier, in 1995.
And, since it appears that the “two-bit security guard” was in fact a private contractor (the sort of people that Markos Moulitsas baldly proclaimed about whose deaths he “felt nothing” and said “screw them” when their charred bodies were hung from bridges in Fallujah), then her fine tradition of journalistic excellence is being continued.
So, Buzzcut and Scott, are you in fact denying that the right-wing blogosphere would react as described if Mchenry were a Democrat? That is the issue of this post, and you both seem to be dodging it by your tangents about the accuracy of the details or the veracity of the reporter. I believe Cole is right; every other detail being the same, the right wing would attack mercilessly if McHenry was a Democrat.
If the security guard is not a soldier, and if McHenry were a Dem, no, there would not be orgastic joy in the RWBS.
Scott– Your point?
I mean, are you saying it didn’t happen?
Or are you seconding Markos’ statement?
Because it kind of appears that you are doing both.
Did you see the thing with Naomi Campbell at Terminal 5 at Heathrow? She made such a stink that she got ARRESTED.
These “important people” like Congressmen and Celebrities don’t like to be told no.
This is a larger issue than just one dipshit Congressman.
Watching the video is even worse. He spoke to the guy’s supervisor, like he was at Denny’s and they had messed up his order. Then there was a rocket attack and the loudspeaker said to “Duck and cover” and he repeatedly says he had no idea what to do. Just a bizarre little video.
Seems like this guy McHenry is young enough to have some good years of potential military service in him. That would offer a great opportunity to clear up his questions about how to properly approach a sentry, how to react to rocket or mortar attack, and when it is or isn’t appropriate to try to pull rank.
This whole thread demonstrates what’s wrong with politics in America today. Both sides strenuously examine one another’s words, looking for impropriety.
Oh, if they only did that with POLICY.
What I think is wrong with politics today is too much belief in systems ( such as supply side economics and private control at any cost) and not enough pragmatism which is looking for the best solution for the most people with reasonable expectation of creating equity and future reward for all in some way ,which is a tall order even if that’s the agreed goal,and if we can come up with proposals.
Belief rather than objective fact gathering to make evaluation of issues, has made every dispute morality-based and we spend our time proving we’re right and the other side wrong,and as soon as the blame is assigned, the issue is effectively put on the back burner.It’s all made for a growing American cynicism.
Abroad, Americans have had the reputation as being pragmatic doers ,able to think on our feet while others argue over the right way to procede ( the French are notorious for that). ‘If you want something done,put an American in charge’ and that’s been a typical comment from the French over the years.But there’s a re-evaluation in Europe going on..