Limbaugh and Hannity

I listened to a bit of Limbaugh and Hannity yesterday. Limbaugh was down on Obama's speech on Afghanistan, saying that we were basically promising to surrender in a year and a half. He then commented on the theory that we would build up the Afghan Troops, stating that some of them don't even know what a pencil is. I swear I heard this, and it really made me laugh, but I can't find the quote.

Then Hannity had a person on who had been to see Sarah Palin. Apparently Sarah Palin had autographed his back, and he had immediately run out and gotten a tattoo of the signature. What was that about Obama's cult of personality again?

Mordantly Funny

Caught a few minutes of the Sean Hannity show as I was out and about this afternoon - they had Dick Morris on who was noting that President Bush had taken enormous and far reaching executive powers to himself, which was ok because President Bush could be trusted with those powers. Unfortunately it looks like there is a chance that those powers will drop down to the hated Hillary Clinton, and he's warning America in the strongest possible terms that they must not let this happen.

Had this possibility really never occurred to him before? And if not, doesn't that mean that he's, well, kind of stupid?

Senator Craig Is Persecuted for All Our Sins

Well mostly for his own sins. But also the sins of Democrats. Or so conservatives would like you to believe.

The story so far.

Something happens in a Minneapolis Airport Bathroom involving Senator Craig (it may have involved soliciting sexual favors).

Senator Craig pleads guilty.

Senator Craig, realizing his tactical error tries to claim that his guilty plea was an attempt to get through this problem quickly.

Republicans shocked and horrified by Craigs activities criticize him harshly and request that he leave the Senate.

Craig appears willing to do so, but then changes course and appears more willing to fight.

Republicans realizing they are stuck with Craig, need to defend him.

How do you finesse this? Simply replace Republicans with Democrats in the fourth statement above (the one in blue). Attack Democrats for calling on Craig to resign while blissfully ignoring such statements from your own side of the fence.

Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity both harped on Democrats yesterday, as they do every day I suppose. But this day it was about our having hounded Craig from the Senate. Obviously plenty of Republicans have called for Craig's resignation, but you ask yourself what makes a better story.

Senator Craig, resists the will of his own party, and vows to stay in the Senate.

Senator Craig, resist the will of unscrupulous Democrats, and vows to stay in the Senate.

Regardless of which one is true, we both know which one will rile up the conservative base more.

So Rush and others are compelled to defend Craig against his Democratic attackers. And how will they defend him? By defending hypocrisy, as we'll see later on.

Hannity and Dionne

Caught a bit of the Hannity radio show last night while driving home from work and getting stuck in traffic. He got a call from a lady who noted that all Christians have sinned and therefore we should forgive Vitter, because he's been a good representative. Kind of all over the place there.

Oddly enough, Hannity quoted a recent article by E.J.Dionne on why this isn't a viable response.

My defense of Vitter is qualified because I believe that married guys have a moral obligation not to seek the pleasures of "escort services."

Nor do I like hypocrisy. During the battle over the impeachment of Bill Clinton, Vitter wrote in the New Orleans Times-Picayune that if no "meaningful action" were taken against the president, "his leadership will only further drain any sense of values left to our political culture." Vitter, then a state representative, suggested that Clinton was "morally unfit to govern."

Of course it was fascinating to hear this woman, who frankly sounded pretty nasty, explain why this extension of Christian forgiveness was not applicable in the Clinton case. Naturally enough they don't count as Christians and so don't get treated as Christians.

And that in a nutshell is exactly how much the American Conservative Christian has stripped herself of any decorum or dignity.

Hannity, to his credit, wasn't having any.

The E.J. Dionne piece goes on to say that for Dionne's part he would like to see our nation and particularly our media culture move past needing to report on every stupid sex scandal that comes along. Unfortunately, I don't think that's very likely.