From the diaries by susanhbu. If someone in public life says anything the least bit unusual, especially if they are a liberal or a Democrat, the media are all over it. But if you happen to be Pat Robertson, you get a free pass.
This past Sunday, on ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopolis, Pat Robertson, founder of The Christian Coalition, claimed that the threat posed by the federal judiciary is “probably more serious than a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings.”
Does Robertson really believe, as he had written in his recent book, Courting Disaster, that judges pose “the most serious threat America has faced in nearly 400 years of history, more serious than al Qaeda, more serious than Nazi Germany and Japan, more serious than the Civil War?”
Robertson: “George, I really believe that.”
The Christian Right’s propaganda campaign is coming to a cresendo, as Christian Right political and religious leaders, “whip-up,” as MoveOn.com put in a letter to members today, “an intense fear and hatred of American judges — including comments from Republican congressmen and senators intimidating, threatening and even justifying outright violence against judges.”
MoveOn wants to take out television ads demanding that House and Senate leaders disassociate themselves from Robertson’s demagogic and crackpot claims. Sounds like a good idea.
But isn’t it amazing how the punditocracy, or for that matter, religion and political reporters are so silent when Pat Robertson says kooky and truly extreme things, even on a national public affairs program? Why does Robertson get a free pass?
Imagine what would happen if a progressive political and religious leader, let’s say Rev. Jesse Jackson said something like that.
I think its time to confront the news media on thier double standard.
[Crossposted from FrederickClarkson.com]
No more free pass for Pat.
Do you know if Crooks & Liars has posted a video of the interview? He’s out of control.
I dunno about crooks and liars. But Move.on has it
great. thx.
Here’s the link to MoveOn’s page about Pat Robertson. There is a video link for the ad they are running.
I just signed MoveOn’s petition re Robertson:
http://www.moveonpac.org/
Crack pot Pat is the poster child for the Extremist Right Theocracy. He can do no harm as far as they are concerned. The Corporate Media Right wing Elites are pleased as punch that it is Pat the Pundit stating all these wonderful Idiocicratic supposedly Populist messages that the left is out to destroy the US. As long as the left is the perceived enemy, the true Enemies of Democracy can continue to burrow deeper into the fabric of America and destroy her as a practicing Democratic Republic. The Corporations are using the Christian Right to further their own aims which is to turn the US into the United Corporation of America. Where the Oligarchy’s of the few will control the many and have to share nothing with them. Enslaving us into corporate lapdogs who relish the few crumbs that are thrown our way. The Dominionist among the Oligarchy will rape pillage and plunder the environment, having faith that their God will swoop down and restore all to the pristine nature of what it was before they raped it into ruin. The only redeeming thing I can say is if that fairy tale comes true, those who violated their own faith, by not following their own teachings of the Christ will be on the wrong end of their salvation.
MoveOn wants to take out television ads..
Just checked the freeper site and I don’t think anbody in politics will go near that guy for awhile. Also checked MoveOn’s, making me more concerned about the reaction from “our side”. He’s done enough damage all by his pin-headed self. Let it ride.
that he’s even on a television station that he doesn’t own! Why is he worthy of any air time?
I didn’t see this and greatly appreciate you posting it. I was so furious I Googled for other coverage. The best I found was Tom Regan’s piece (more like a blog) in the Christian Science Monitor. Here’s his conclusion:
“Now, Pat Robertson has every right as an American to say dumb things as often as he likes. That’s because the US Constitution – the very document that stands in his way – gives him those protections. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to sit around and just nod our heads in a ‘There goes Pat again’ manner.
Because the rest of us, who believe that the rule of law and the practice of religious tolerance help make the United States the great country that it is, cannot afford to be silent. We just can’t. Now more than ever, we have to speak up against the kinds of statements made by Robertson and his ilk.
And that is not at all a dumb thing to say.
“
of the victims of 9/11 have to say about Pat Robertson’s evaluation of the relative threat level?
Let’s give him the opportunity to tell them the “threat” posed by the judiciary is (quoting), “probably more serious than a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings.”
Face to face.
In the Colosseum.
In Rome.
good point about friends and relatives of the 9/11 victims. As outrageous as it it to us, I can only imagine how they might feel. Robertson is a demagogue who exploits that suffering of others for his own base political interests.
with each successive, strident, repulsive step they take, these people are showing themselves to be members not of a religion, but of a cult. They are emotionally fractured, the nuts orbiting Terri Schiavo made it plain to see for anyone who watched the news or read anything on the internet. Pushing us to the edge of a police war! How could Jeb Bush call himself a leader with his irresponsible actions in Florida. He was tearing the nation and his state apart. This is the leadership that sane people saw and said to themselves “Holy Shit, those guys are nuts.” They are a cult. We need to reclaim the language and call them what they are: a dangerous cult. Anyone call’s bullshit on you, just remind them of the 900 or so who died with Jim Jones. These are the same people. They are not religious, they are fanatic and all that’s left is the minority core. They must be marginalized until their influence is non existent, and they are doing it to themselves. Justice Sunday was a bust, and those that did see it, if only a fraction of them was as disgusted as I was by that ugly display of hate, they will come to their senses.
Well, how do you define, “cult” and how does that relate to the crazy and hateful things that Pat Robertson said?
I do think that there are such things as cults, but just because someone says hateful things, does not make them cultist.
I also don’t think they will fail just because they say outrageous things. There needs to be a concerted effort for people opposed to this stuff to start working on building for political power, fast.
Barbara Boxer’s guts in being the love voice to contest Ohio’s electoral college in the Senate mined political capital for us. So did all of brave Reps in the House, who so bravely defended democracy in the House that day. And so many of us who could, watched them on CSpan. We knew to look for the proceedings because our blogs taught us how to see it. The blogs taught us how to communicate with Representatives who are not intent on theocracy. They knew we were out here, and we had their backs. They found the courage to do the right thing. That was the beginning of the resistance. The religious right’s days of shaping opinion are done. They peaked last week. They look scary, but they do little. The plutocrat’s minions in the House and Senate are the real threat. The religious right is nothing but a smokescreen to cover up the mining of the nation occuring in the House, the Senate, and the Executive.
the plutocrats are real enough. But the religious right is more than a smokescreen. And IMHO, they have not peaked. Our side has some momentum, and some of us have found our voices and our courage. These are all good and all hopeful and encouraging signs. But in my considered opinion, if we fail to take seriously the organizational power of the Christian right in ELECTORAL POLITICS and get serious about matching that power, we will lose.
Don’t get me wrong, I do consider them a threat. I have nothing but my intuition to go on here, but the religious right is marginalizing itself rather quickly. Did you see this?
Yes. I’ve seen alot about this. Its a small episode, IMHO, signifying not very much.
The political power of the Christian Right will not be affected much, if at all by a stupid episode in a small church in North Carolina.