This past weekend there was a media feasting on a few poorly chosen words by CNN commentator Hilary Rosen. Although Rosen is not a representative of President Obama’s administration or campaign, the President and his staff was hounded for reactions and responses to her comments. Republican operatives and media flacks spent countless hours falsely asserting that Obama was in some way responsible for Rosen’s opinions.
OK then, let’s have some fairness and balance. This weekend another political partisan had a few things to say about the upcoming election. Washed-up, geriatric rocker, Ted Nugent appeared at the NRA conference in St. Louis and what he had to say ought to have similar repercussions for Romney. His unhinged rant was an onslaught of invective wherein he called the President and others in the administration “evil” and “vile,” and he spoke of his desire to oust “the enemies in the White House.” Here are a few more choice moments from his psychotic spewing:
- “If you don’t know that our government is wiping its ass with the constitution, you’re living under a rock someplace.”
- “We’ve got four Supreme Court justices who don’t believe in the constitution.”
- “If Barack Obama becomes the President in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”
- “Our President, Attorney General, our Vice-President, Hillary Clinton – they’re criminals.”
- “We need to ride into the battlefield and chop their heads off in November.”
- “It’s as Nazi Germany as it gets.”
- “We need to become warriors on the streets of America.”
These remarks run the gamut from merely disrespectful to hostile to treasonous. And this is not coming from an unassociated cable news talking head, Nugent is a Romney advocate whose endorsement Romney purposefully solicited. Last month Nugent Tweeted his support after a personal call from Romney:
“after a long heart&soul conversation with MittRomney today I concluded this goodman will properly represent we the people & I endorsed him”
At the time I wondered whether the media would hold Romney accountable for actively seeking the endorsement of a psychopath who has threatened the President and others with assassination. Apparently the media wasn’t interested. However, after the press’ mobbing of Rosen you might think that they would expect similar responses from Romney for what his campaign surrogate says.
The differences in the way that the press handle these situations should put an end to any talk of the so-called liberal media. Nugent’s violent and revolting rhetoric (which he means sincerely) far exceeds the comparatively tame opinions of Rosen (which were misconstrued). And Romney ought not to be allowed to evade questions on the matter.
[Update] New York Magazine contacted the Secret Service with regard to Nugent’s threats and they confirm that “We are aware of it, and we’ll conduct an appropriate follow up.”
Here is a highlight reel of Nugent’s remarks (and if you have the stomach for it, here is the whole thing [Note: The NRA has removed this video]).
Well, let’s hope he’s dead or in jail!
I don’t have the stomach for it. I read about this ahole and this story on Raw Story and couldn’t watch that one either. Ted Nugent is a washed up has been seeking publicity but in addition to that, he is a effing maniac. Who the hell talks like that!!! Was he protesting the last administration when they were ‘wiping their asses with the constitution’? Maybe he should tell us how he thinks it was the last administration was so great when it came to protecting our constitutional rights. This man and his rhetoric are so hateful and violent and Romney should be pressed on whether or not he condones this sort of thing. This is no slip of the toungue ‘what I meant to say’ sort of thing. Nugent says shit like this all the time. I had a Ted Nugent CD once, it wasn’t very good and it went through the shredder a long time ago.
Not to pile on (well, considering the subject, why the hell not?) but Cat Scratch Fever is among the ugliest songs I’ve ever been subjected to.
I often wonder, why do these crazies get a pass? If a Liberal were to say the same things about a Republican President, they would be arrested in the middle of the night and locked up somewhere!!
Yes, we DID comment and say things about Bush/Cheney during their regime. But we spoke the TRUTH! We did not have to make shit up~ they did what we accused them of, and worse!
Why do the neo-con mental cases get away with violent rhetoric without being held responsible for their words/actions/deeds?
You mean, disagreeing with someone’s politics is NOT the same as believing they are “vile”, “evil” and that they “hate America”? Who knew?
“…chop their heads off in November…”
A very bad choice of words.
And so was this:
“…Let’s take these sonofabitches out…” – Jimmy Hoffa, Jr.
Lefties all said that Hoffa was referring to the November elections. Fine, I can live with that explanation. Guess what? That’s what Nugent was referring to.
Since Debbie Wasserman Schultz fully condemned Nugent’s words but refused to do the same thing regarding Hoffa’s outburst, I will simply hang the hypocrite sign on her and other lefties and waltz away.
Honestly Scott, I agree with you on this one. I think it’s very easy to see that Nugent was speaking metaphorically. The “…in November” makes it clear.
What I find fucking retarded is this notion that Obama “hates America”. Yeah, because that is why someone strives to be president, because he hates the country. The rhetoric from the right just makes you sound like lunatics. I keep reading about the coming “dictatorship” and socialism. And all the gun rights that will disappear. There hasn’t been one goddamn law passed that limits gun rights since Obama became president. We still have a market economy. Hell, “Obamacare” uses the private healthcare industry as its foundation. The rhetoric and scare tactics are moronic.
As usual Scott, you can only try to divert the conversation. You never actually defend your side. Perhaps because it is indefensible. You even imply that in on your comment. If Wasserman-Schultz is a hypocrite because she didn’t condemn Hoffa, then Romney is a hypocrite for not condemning Nugent, right?
I also noticed how you picked just one of Nugent’s comments and ignored all the others. If you haven’t got a response that doesn’t make you look lame, it would be better for you to just refrain from responding.
“Dead or in jail”
…because?
Dead or in jail? Maybe he was referring to the fact that the government might make it illegal to defend yourself. Maybe he wasn’t threatening anybody. Maybe he just doesn’t want anybody to invade his home and all he has to defend himself is a pair of finger nail clippers. Clippers? Oh no! I think you might cut your nails too short. I think we will make those “illegal” too!