If Republicans and Democrats like the ones over at Media Matters would could consider this book here to be racist or Anti-Semitic? After all, it was written by a Republican President.
On Tuesday, Franklin Graham appeared on Morning Joe and made some statements that threw the show’s panel — which included Alex Wagner, Willie Geist, and John Heilemann — into disarray. Graham questioned President Obama‘s faith and contentiously explained why Mormons aren’t considered Christian.
Graham, throughout the interview, repeatedly said he didn’t know if President Obama was a Christian.
“I asked him when he was running… how he came to faith in Christ. He said that he was working in the South Side of Chicago in the community and they asked him — the community — asked him what church he went to, and he said ‘I don’t go to church.’ They said, ‘If you’re going to work in the community, you have to join one of our churches.’ And of course, he joined Reverend Jeremiah’s church. So that’s what his answer to my question was.”
“So therefore, by your definition, he’s not a Christian,” Geist said.
“You have to ask him,” Graham said. “I cannot answer that question for anybody.”
Mike Barnicle then asked why Graham couldn’t just say, “Yeah, I believe he’s a Christian,” in light of him saying he is, going to church, and practicing his faith.
“I accept him as what he says. If he says he’s a Christian, I accept that, I’m not going to say he’s not,” Graham said. “All I know is what Jesus Christ has done in my heart and how he’s changed my life.”
Graham also explained how the Muslim world sees President Obama as a Muslim, but he doesn’t believe he’s a Muslim. He did stop short of categorically saying he wasn’t a Muslim. “I can’t say categorically because Islam has gotten a free pass under Obama,” Graham said, pointing out the Christian minorities throughout the entire world coming under attack by Muslims, especially after the Arab Spring.
[….]
“His values are so clear on moral issues,” Graham said on Santorum. “No question about it.”
“[That’s] an amazing double standard that you just applied,” an incredulous Heilemann said. “Your reaction to the difference — The question about Rick Santorum and President Obama, I think, just exposes an incredible double standard you’re applying to those people. They’re exactly the same situation!”
“No, I asked President Obama how he came to faith in Christ and he said, ‘I don’t go to church,’” Graham replied.
“Have you had that conversation with Rick Santorum?” Heilemann asked.
“I’ve talked to Rick Santorum, yes.”
“And he was just more persuasive to you?”
“I think so,” Graham said. “But you have to look at what a person does with his life. Anyone can say he’s a Christian. But you look at [how] do they live? Where do they go? And act? Listen, Obama is a nice man, I’ve met him on several occasions–”
“But you think he behaves in an un-Christian way,” Heilemann interrupted.
“No, he is a nice man. And his wife is a class act and their kids are class — You can’t help but like them,” Graham said. “So I have no idea what he really believes and I really don’t have any idea other than what Rick Santorum stands for or what he really believes.”
“What about Mitt Romney?” Wagner asked.
“I like him,”
“Is he a Christian?”
“He’s a Mormon.”
“He says he’s part of the Judeo Christian faith, do you take him at his word?”
“Most Christians would not recognize Mormonism as part of the Christian faith.”
“So he is not a Christian…”
“I’m just saying most Christians would not recognize Mormonism. Of course they believe in Jesus Christ, but they have a lot of other things that they believe in, too, that we don’t accept theologically,” Graham explained. He then added that Romney, “would be a good President if he were the nomination, because I think the man has got the ability. He’s got the strength, business-wise, political-wise — he’s a sharp guy, and he’s proven himself. Any one of these candidates–Newt Gingrich, all of them. Now, newt’s been married several times, he’s had those issues, but he could make a good candidate. And I think Newt is a Christian…at least he told me he is.”
“So Newt Gingrich is a Christian,” an exasperated Geist asked, “but you’re not sure that President Obama is!”
Again, I am not saying that these men not do not have the right to believe what they do; they do, and I also happen to agree with their assessments of Romney and somewhat on Obama. However, to haul themselves to the biggest liberal network in America and do something like this, makes these men, Christianity, the Church — look like complete buffoons. Perhaps Rev. Graham and his Ministry should concentrate more on furthering the Gospel of Christ and not be going to a liberal network and making statements which, in all honesty, does more to hurt the cause of Christ, than it ever does to help it.
In other words my friends, as a 29 year veteran of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; I just do not see the Godly wisdom of doing this sort of thing. It just does not strike me as something helpful for the body of Christ. Let those who have ears to hear; let them hear.
In March 2005, David James called Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-Texas) Congressional office for some documentation.
James’s nonprofit group, the Liberty Committee, had paid for one of Paul’s flights, and James needed a receipt or boarding pass to document the expense. He’d been pushing Paul for the paperwork and now, on the phone, he was “putting his foot down.”
“So I called the office manager,” James recalled. “They knew me, like, as well as they knew Ron. And I said, ‘Liberty Committee is paying for this expense. I need to get the boarding pass or the ticket or something.’”
The office manager said Paul’s Congressional office no longer had documentation for that flight; Paul had sent it in to the House Finance Office for reimbursement. But Liberty Committee had already sent a check to American Express to cover the charge on Paul’s credit card.
“I don’t care what flights the Liberty Committee pays for,” James said, “because Ron never took enough in expenses to come anywhere near his value to us. And this was piddly. But it’s just what it was.”
James first thought it was accidental and faxed a letter to Paul’s office, requesting that its money be returned for the flight. Paul did repay the $403.70, but the episode strained their relationship and led to a falling out a year later.
In a subsequent conversation, James raised the issue, and Paul “was very curt, and he simply said, ‘Yep, well, happens all the time,’” James, 64, told Roll Call.
Ed Morrissey also writes about this, and thinks that Ron Paul should come clean or face a house ethics committee hearing. I wholeheartedly agree. If you are going to pawn yourself off as the most honest person on capital hill; you should try actually being the most honest person on capital hill. I have written on my previous blog about this man’s claims to be the most honest politician, and for a short time, I actually believed that, but as time wore on, I began to read about the stuff that Mr. Paul does and does not want his own followers really knowing about it. But, I, as well as other bloggers have documented his antics for a while now.
While Mr. Paul might have some very good ideas on capitalism, free trade and our monetary system; his utter hypocrisy when it comes to issues like this and his utter idiotic ideas on foreign policy handicap him. Not only this, but his past writings that did have his name on them, and his associations with Jew haters, racists and other such sort of nonsense make him someone, despite what I said recently, which was honestly in jest; that I could never, in good conscience vote for in a million years. All one would need to do is look through the archives of my previous blog to see all the stuff that I have written about the man over the past 6 years.
Again, while I can appreciate his opposition to Wilsonian foreign policy; something that I have spoken out against myself here, and I can and do agree with very much, as much as I agree with his idea of free trade, free markets and the gold standard. I cannot side with this man because of the rest of his problems. As I have said on this blog and my previous blog many, many times; Ron Paul is NOT, nor has he EVER been the Messianic figure that many of his well-intentioned followers assumed him to be. This proves that and if the Ron Paul crowd had any sort of common sense at all; they would back away from Ron Paul and support someone who could actually fix this Nation’s problems.
However, if I know the Ron Paul crowd like I do; they will simply dismiss this true story, as some sort of Jewish conspiracy by the Illuminati and the Bilderberg boys to keep him from winning the White House, which is pretty much par for their course. I could tell you stories of how when I, on my previous blog, would write something even remotely critical of Ron Paul; my inbox would overflow with Ron Paul supporters calling me everything from a Neo-Con (which is Jew in Ron Paul speak) to a Bush-lover. Once, though, one of them went over the line and sent a death threat via e-mail. I did report that to the FBI in Detroit. This is why I try to avoid writing about the man. Because his most devout followers are absolutely insane.
Trust me, when I tell you this; the left’s crazies, have nothing on Ron Paul’s crazies. 😯
The Republican race for President in Michigan has tightened considerably over the last week, with what was a 15 point lead for Rick Santorum down to 4. He leads with 37% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 15% for Ron Paul, and 10% for Newt Gingrich.
The tightening over the last week is much more a function of Romney gaining than Santorum falling. Santorum’s favorability spread of 67/23 has seen no change since our last poll, and his share of the vote has dropped only 2 points from 39% to 37%. Romney meanwhile has seen his net favorability improve 10 points from +10 (49/39) to +20 (55/35) and his vote share go from 24% to 33%.
What we’re seeing in Michigan is a very different story from Florida where Romney surged by effectively destroying his opponent’s image- here Romney’s gains have more to do with building himself up.
Groups Santorum has double digit leads with include Protestants (up 47-30), union members (up 43-23), Evangelicals (up 51-24), Tea Partiers (up 55-20), ‘very conservative’ voters (up 54-23), and men (up 40-28).
Romney is leading the field with women (38-34), seniors (42-34), moderates (35-24), ‘somewhat conservative’ voters (40-34), and Catholics (43-31).
Newt Gingrich’s continued presence in the race is helping Romney a lot. If he dropped 45% of his supporters would go to Santorum, compared to only 29% for Romney and it would push Santorum’s lead over Romney up to 42-33. 47% of primary voters think Gingrich should drop out while only 40% believe he should continue on, but he’s certainly not showing any indication he’ll leave.
Santorum’s advantage over Romney seems to be a reflection of voters being more comfortable with where he is ideologically. 48% of voters think Santorum has more similar beliefs to them, compared to only 32% who pick Romney on that question. 63% of primary voters think Santorum’s views are ‘about right’ compared to only 42% who say that for Romney. 37% believe that Romney is ‘too liberal.
It could be the fact that people from Michigan are beginning to realize that Santorum is a Religious extremist. Which is fine, if you are a lowly blogger like myself. But when you are running for President of the United States; that can be a problem. Mitt Romney is more a moderate; but his Religion sucks. My issue with both of these guys is this; their religion, because you have one guy who is a part of what the Bible calls, “The Great Whore of Babylon” and then you have a guy who’s a part of the biggest false Christian cult since the Roman Catholic Church. But as an protestant Christian, as a Fundamentalist Baptist, of this stripe here; both of these religions are a problem, and a big one at that! The question both of these candidates need to answer is this; of where do these two gentleman’s allegiances lie? Are they with the Roman Catholic Church or in Romney’s case, are they with the Mormon Church?
Is Romney’s plan for America one to uphold the Constitution and restore America’s greatness…. or is it to fulfill the Mormon agenda? Which can be read here and here.
Is Santorum’s plan to fulfill the Roman Catholic’s plan for America? Which can be read about here.
For all of Ron Paul’s issues; at least he is a protestant Christian; and I believe I could actually trust him in the White House. I might just for him in the primary here.
(Reuters) – Iran has stopped selling crude to British and French companies, the oil ministry said on Sunday, in a retaliatory measure against fresh EU sanctions on the Islamic state’s lifeblood, oil.
“Exporting crude to British and French companies has been stopped … we will sell our oil to new customers,” spokesman Alireza Nikzad was quoted as saying by the ministry of petroleum website.
The European Union in January decided to stop importing crude from Iran from July 1 over its disputed nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at building bombs. Iran denies this.
Iran’s oil minister said on February 4 that the Islamic state would cut its oil exports to “some” European countries.
The European Commission said last week that the bloc would not be short of oil if Iran stopped crude exports, as they have enough in stock to meet their needs for around 120 days.
Industry sources told Reuters on February 16 that Iran’s top oil buyers in Europe were making substantial cuts in supply months in advance of European Union sanctions, reducing flows to the continent in March by more than a third – or over 300,000 barrels daily.
What this will cause is a spike in prices in the oil market; which of course, will cause gas prices to go up in the U.K. and in France. The bad thing is, the U.K.’s and France’s gas prices are alright incredibly high, because of the high taxes that are being tagged on to the sales of gas. This, of course, is making United States and I would imagine international officials very nervous. So, talk of war is imminent.
Which brings us to our next story, which comes via the U.K. Guardian:
Officials in key parts of the Obama administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear programme, and believe that the US will be left with no option but to launch an attack on Iran or watch Israel do so.
The president has made clear in public, and in private to Israel, that he is determined to give sufficient time for recent measures, such as the financial blockade and the looming European oil embargo, to bite deeper into Iran’s already battered economy before retreating from its principal strategy to pressure Tehran.
But there is a strong current of opinion within the administration – including in the Pentagon and the state department – that believes sanctions are doomed to fail, and that their principal use now is in delaying Israeli military action, as well as reassuring Europe that an attack will only come after other means have been tested.
“The White House wants to see sanctions work. This is not the Bush White House. It does not need another conflict,” said an official knowledgeable on Middle East policy. “Its problem is that the guys in Tehran are behaving like sanctions don’t matter, like their economy isn’t collapsing, like Israel isn’t going to do anything.
“Sanctions are all we’ve got to throw at the problem. If they fail then it’s hard to see how we don’t move to the ‘in extremis’ option.”
The White House has said repeatedly that all options are on the table, including the use of force to stop Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, but that for now the emphasis is firmly on diplomacy and sanctions.
But long-held doubts among US officials about whether the Iranians can be enticed or cajoled into serious negotiations have been reinforced by recent events.
“We don’t see a way forward,” said one official. “The record shows that there is nothing to work with.”
Scepticism about Iranian intent is rooted in Iran’s repeated spurning of overtures from successive US presidents from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama, who appealed within weeks of coming to office for “constructive ties” and “mutual respect” .
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim this week that Iran loaded its first domestically-made fuel rod into a nuclear reactor, and Iran’s threat to cut oil supplies to six European countries, were read as further evidence that Tehran remains defiantly committed to its nuclear programme. That view was strengthened by the latest Iranian offer to negotiate with the UN security council in a letter that appeared to contain no significant new concessions.
If Obama were to conclude that there is no choice but to attack Iran, he is unlikely to order it before the presidential election in November unless there is an urgent reason to do so. The question is whether the Israelis will hold back that long.
I hated to quote so much of that; but I wanted see what it is that I am talking about. Everyone that reads this blog for any length of time; knows that I am not a huge fan of so-called “Military Action.” I believe if we are going to have war with Iran, we need to formally declare war against Iran in Congress and then go fight the Iranians. Not just have some sort of “Military Action.” Because as we all know from history, those “Military Actions” can turn into a meat grinder real quick; case in point, Iraq.
Also, if anyone who happens to read this, and is a Ron Paul supporter and thinks this is a big scam. (Update:Perfect example here!) Check this report out via the Associated Press:
VIENNA (AP) — Iran is poised to greatly expand uranium enrichment at a fortified underground bunker to a point that would boost how quickly it could make nuclear warheads, diplomats tell The Associated Press.
They said Tehran has put finishing touches for the installation of thousands of new-generation centrifuges at the cavernous facility – machines that can produce enriched uranium much more quickly and efficiently than its present machines.
While saying that the electrical circuitry, piping and supporting equipment for the new centrifuges was now in place, the diplomats emphasized that Tehran had not started installing the new machines at its Fordo facility and could not say whether it was planning to.
Still, the senior diplomats – who asked for anonymity because their information was privileged – suggested that Tehran would have little reason to prepare the ground for the better centrifuges unless it planned to operate them. They spoke in recent interviews – the last one Saturday.
The reported work at Fordo appeared to reflect Iran’s determination to forge ahead with nuclear activity that could be used to make atomic arms despite rapidly escalating international sanctions and the latent threat of an Israeli military strike on its nuclear facilities.
Fordo could be used to make fissile warhead material even without such an upgrade, the diplomats said.
They said that although older than Iran’s new generation machines, the centrifuges now operating there can be reconfigured within days to make such material because they already are enriching to 20 percent – a level that can be boosted quickly to weapons-grade quality.
It is quite obvious the Iranians are not just bluffing when it comes to making nuclear warheads. The problem is that this puts the United States in a very difficult position. The United States and NATO got involved with Libya and that did not end very good at all. The United States has basically stayed out of the Syrian conflict. If the Obama Administration does decide to act against Iran, its critics would savage the President for acting against an oil rich Nation like Iran, as opposed to coming to the aid of people being oppressed in a Nation like Syria.
The Obama Administration seems to be hedging its bets on sanctions on Iran and if there an attack that it would come from Israel. The problem with that is this; the President of Iran, quite bluntly, is crazy —- as in psycho kind of crazy. If Iran is attacked by Israel, they will most assuredly fire missiles at the United States, the UK and everyone else. So, there you have it. This is where we stand. The libertarian in me is praying someone in Iran blinks and backs off. However, the realist in me is not that optimistic. Something tells me that we are headed for another conflict, which saddens me greatly.
Because the question that Americans will have to ask ourselves and the Obama Administration will have to ask itself or if one of the Republicans just happen to win — they will have to ask themselves this question here: Would it be honestly worth putting our youngest treasures out there again to be turn into a meat grinder, just to put down another out of control Arab Country? This is the question that responsible people in all levels of Government have to ask themselves. We just do not need another Iraq again. We, as a nation cannot afford it monetarily, and our Military is still recovering from the last General’s war that was fought.
Something, somewhere has to give and for the sake of this Country — I hope it is them, and not us.
I will be straight and honest with you all, because that is how I do it around here. I was homeschooled for a short period in my life. I also attended Christian Schools for a good deal of my life. I also happen to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I take medication for it. I will be very honest with you; homeschooling is not for everyone. I used the ACE curriculum and I will say emphatically that ACE Schools are not suited for Children with learning disabilities. Furthermore, I have very mixed feelings on Christian Schools; if they are staffed with qualified teachers, they can be a good experience. If not, they can be a nightmare. Believe me; I have seen both sides of that coin.
For those who wonder, the A.D.H.D. affects my ability to excel in math. I can plus and minus with the best of them. However, when it gets any tougher than that, I do the run for the calculator. I am getting better with it, as I get older; my checkbook is always balanced. However, I will not be volunteering anytime soon to be solving any sort of complex scientific problem. In other words, if NASA were relying on me to get to the moon, we would be lucky to leave the drawing room!
However, I happen to notice this article over at Salon.com about how homeschooling your children would be a horrible thing and a slap in the face to the big Government public school system. There are a few things, that stand out in this article and I will touch on a few of them. When a parent takes his child out of the public school system and decides to homeschool them, that parent is saying that the school system that he is enrolling in is a failure and that child is unable to learn in it. Which is ironic, because when my Mother withdrew me out of the Christian School that I attended to homeschool me, which was done at my request; I was saying the same very thing about the school that I was attending at the time.
Another thing that stands out in this article is the nuanced dog whistle assertion that if your child is homeschool that he will grow up to be some “right wing extremist militia” type. My friends let me be clear; that assertion is absolute hogwash. It just so happens that I only spent like 2 years in public schools. The rest of educational years were spent in various Christian Schools, and I when I turned 18 years of age and registered to vote; I voted Democratic Party up until the year 2008. Yes, I did eventually did change my political views. However, the changing of my political stance had absolutely nothing to do with my Christian Schooling or my Home Schooling; my change in political philosophy was warranted by the idiocy of what was happening in the Democratic Party in the 2007 primary. Furthermore, my departure from the status as a Democratic Party voter was the utter hapless treatment of our United States Military and its service members that served in it. There are many more reasons, but for the sake of brevity, I will just list these.
Therefore, to my fellow Conservatives, libertarians and tea party friends: do not be bothered by this article. It is simply a progressive buffoon attempting to keep the Government union-backed public sector employees employed. Perhaps it is a sign, that the progressive left is feeling the heat and fears losing the overall battle of the political discourse in this Country. This in this writer’s humble opinion would be a good thing. As the far progressive left, as far as this writer is concerned has driven this Country into a state of ruin, and on top of that, lied their way into controlling that car. It is time for change and for a new discussion — an erasing and washing of the blackboard, if you will. The progressive way of thinking and operating this Country has failed and it is time for a massive redo. The progressive left knows this and this is why articles like this one are being written.
Do not be dismayed by this, we on the right in this Country; on the righteous side of the political discussion are armed with the truth, the left only has lies and propaganda. We shall prevail and we shall be victorious. Homeschooled youth usually have higher IQ’s; excel in most subjects and go on to do many great and important things. I was not the rule; I was the exception to that rule. Just because I suffer from a learning disability, which was diagnosed long before I ever started schooling; does not mean the entire idea of a homeschooled child should be thrown out. To do this would be to take away a parents right of individual choice and that, in a Constitutional Republic is very unacceptable.
LAKE JACKSON, Tex. — Once there was a challenge of a softball game from the Ron Paul clan to the Mitt Romney clan. “They didn’t show up,” Mr. Paul says. “We didn’t schedule it. We really razz them about that, ‘You guys chickened out!’ ”
This is the way that politics should be today!
In a Republican presidential contest known for its angry rivalries, the Romney-Paul relationship stands out for its behind-the-scenes civility. It is a friendship that, by Mr. Paul’s telling, Mr. Romney has worked to cultivate. The question is whether it is also one that could pay dividends for Mr. Romney as he faces yet more setbacks in his struggle to capture the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination.
Ideological similarities among supporters of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich suggest that if Mr. Gingrich dropped out, many of his backers would coalesce behind Mr. Santorum. But as Mr. Paul steadily collects delegates, one thing that remains to be seen is whether his affinity — at least on a personal level — for Mr. Romney could help the former Massachusetts governor as the fight drags on.
Mr. Paul, a 76-year-old congressman from Texas, sees his three Republican rivals as more or less the same politically. He can be tough on Mr. Romney, whom he describes as a flip-flopper with a dubious political core.
“He’s been all over the place on some of this stuff,” Mr. Paul said in a recent interview near his Texas home. But he seems to segregate those views from his personal feelings for Mr. Romney, whom he sees as a steady, dignified personality whose devotion to wife and family reflect his own values.
I would recommend that you head on over and read the rest of that; it is a truly great story of how two men who disagree on much and still are friendly to one another. This is the way that it was back in the days of Ronald Reagan, him and Tip O’Neil would fight like dogs during business hours and then after business hours, Tip and Ron would have a drink at the White House and discuss the days events.
Again, at the risk of sounding like a nostalgic old fogie, this is the way things were done in the olden days. When leaders were statesmen, and not the idiots we have today. We could learn much from these people of old, it is tragic that people like Ron Paul are not more followed in the way they do things. Not that I support all of Ron Paul’s policy positions, but his statesmanship is something to be admired.
By the way, yes, I did give Althouse a little grief on her blog; she is a two-bit phony, in my humble opinion. She gives Ron Paul and Mitt Romney grief for their kindness toward each other. I think Ann Althouse could learn a little about what true Conservatism is from Rep. Paul. Because it is surely not what she pawns off as Conservative; that is for sure. Sorry, but voting for a liberal socialist Democrat is not conservative, not even close.
Well, it appears now that ol’ Sabu here is not too keen on being the pivot man in the prison circle jerk.
The Story:
Detroit— “Underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab appealed his life sentence Friday, one day after a judge issued the maximum penalty for trying to destroy a Detroit-bound airliner carrying 289 people on Christmas Day 2009.
The notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Detroit.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds sentenced Abdulmutallab to four life terms on Thursday, ending the country’s highest-profile terror case since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“This court has no ability to control his motivation, which appears to be unchanged,” Edmunds said Thursday. “I can control his opportunity to act on those intentions.
“I believe he poses a significant ongoing threat to (the) safety of American citizens everywhere.”
Before being sentenced, Abdulmutallab’s legal adviser, Detroit lawyer Anthony Chambers, argued the mandatory life sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment
Like I wrote in my last entry about this idiot; we should have tried this terrorist puke in a military court. This murderous thug is not a uniformed combatant, he is a terrorist thug, who should be executed by firing squad, or better yet, with a damn rope and a tree. Racism? man, please. 🙄 Anyone who does what this little puke did, should not be affording any sort of respect at all. Least of all any respect of his race. 😡
But, now, as I wrote before, we will have to pay for this puke’s legal defense and pay to feed, clothe and shelter this little puke. Which is morally wrong, considering who and what he is, and what he tried to do. Which was not a ordinary criminal act, but an act of war. But your friendly neighborhood Marxists feel that he deserves the protection of the Constitution of the United States.
It is truly pathetic, it really is; here is hoping that we elect a President in 2012, that sees this threat for what it truly is and not a criminal one.
I will give him credit, Mr. Buchanan makes a very good point:
Is it now hate speech to restate traditional Catholic beliefs?
Documented in the 488 pages and 1,500 footnotes of “Suicide of a Superpower” is my thesis that America is Balkanizing, breaking down along the lines of religion, race, ethnicity, culture and ideology, and that Western peoples are facing demographic death by century’s end.
Are such subjects taboo? Are they unfit for national debate?
So it would seem. MSNBC President Phil Griffin told reporters, “I don’t think the ideas that (Buchanan) put forth (in his book) are appropriate for the national dialogue, much less on MSNBC.”
In the 10 years I have been at MSNBC, the network has taken heat for what I have written, and faithfully honored our contract.
Yet my four-months’ absence from MSNBC and now my departure represent an undeniable victory for the blacklisters.
The modus operandi of these thought police at Color of Change and ADL is to brand as racists and anti-Semites any writer who dares to venture outside the narrow corral in which they seek to confine debate.
All the while prattling about their love of dissent and devotion to the First Amendment, they seek systematically to silence and censor dissent.
Without a hearing, they smear and stigmatize as racist, homophobic or anti-Semitic any who contradict what George Orwell once called their “smelly little orthodoxies.” They then demand that the heretic recant, grovel, apologize, and pledge to go forth and sin no more.
Defy them, and they will go after the network where you work, the newspapers that carry your column, the conventions that invite you to speak. If all else fails, they go after the advertisers.
I know these blacklisters. They operate behind closed doors, with phone calls, mailed threats and off-the-record meetings. They work in the dark because, as Al Smith said, nothing un-American can live in the sunlight.
At the risk of sounding like a snarky old coot, I will simply say this; When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, Mr. Buchanan should have seen that the writing was on the wall and left MSNBC. Actually, the hard swerve to the hard life and its intolerance for Conservative thought, of any sort; started after Tim Russert passed away. It went into hyper-overdrive, when it was clear that Obama was going to win the election in 2008. The only person to blame for Pat Buchanan’s troubles is Pat Buchanan; the man stayed on much long after the political winds had shifted around him.
For all of the political traits that liberals and Paleoconservatives share, there happen to be some traits that they do not. Paleoconservatives and liberals share the disdain of war and Wilsonian foreign policy. Paleoconservatives and Liberals however do not share the same ideas on freedom of speech, or the sharing of ideas outside of what they, the liberals, consider mainstream. While President George W. Bush was in office, Pat Buchanan’s outside of the Conservative mainstream ideas were perfect for the progressive, anti-Bush tone that the network was taking at the time.
However, as President Bush began to fade from the relevant political discussion and when the Democrats saw that, they had someone that could actually challenge the Republican’s candidate, things changed around MSNBC and not for the good either. Without getting into rehashing of a good deal of history, I will just simply say that pretty much after 2008, Pat Buchanan began to stick out like a sore thumb and should be seen that and left for better climates; like Tucker Carlson did around the same time.
As for Mr. Buchanan’s assessment of homosexuality and the decline of the white Anglo-Saxon protestant class of people, I have one thing to say — I concur. The fact that MSNBC fired Mr. Buchanan over his positions on these two subjects is living proof that the far-leftists have overtaken the political discourse in the Democratic Party and in the progressive movement as a whole. Furthermore, the imbecilic notion that Mr. Buchanan’s assessment of the current state of the Anglo-Saxon protestant class of Americans is somehow an indication of hostility on Mr. Buchanan’s part towards Blacks, Jews or any other class of persons is moronic at best.
As for Mr. Buchanan’s Roman Catholic beliefs, which are Christian in origin, I also concur. The Holy Bible, which contains the Holy Scriptures given to us by the Almighty God Himself; is clear, in both testaments — old and new —- that the practice of homosexuality is a forbidden thing. It is the sodomite lifestyle, it is repugnant in the eyes of a Holy and Righteous God, and Christians are forbidden to partake in it, and are commanded by God Himself not to have associations with those who do. Yes, there is a good deal of Holy Scripture to back those statements up and I will provide them to anyone who doubts what I have written.
Lastly, I feel that as a libertarian-minded Conservative it is important to point out to Mr. Buchanan the following: No privately owned network is obligated to allow you to appear on their network. Free speech in this case, is not applicable. MSNBC is a privately owned network, which is backed by advertisements from private companies. Contract or not contract, MSNBC, does reserve the right to remove someone, if said companies who buy advertisements are not comfortable being associated with said person. While it might seem a bit rude for MSNBC to just drop Mr. Buchanan and void his contract, MSNBC does have the right to act in its best interests. Now, if the Government moved to silence him, I would say, sound the alarms. However, MSNBC is not the Government; they are a private media outlet. Therefore, the howling of “repression of freedom of speech” is a bit much to be honest. One thing to remember, the only place that you can be truly free to express your opinions, regardless of the content, is a site that you personally own. Nobody else is ever obligated to cater to you whims. Some people forget that, and shout, “Freedom of speech!” When, in fact, that argument is not even a valid one.
