"Swastika Guy," they just can't help themselves!

"Say what you like

about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."

-- Walter

"It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!" - Nietzsche  

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by: twas brillig @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 14:52:32 PM CST

V. I. Lenin!

"I'll take incompetence over a business model incentivised to kill me any day." -- DtR(H)

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by: redstateblues @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 15:57:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Walter

I have a Walter Sobchak action figure (don't call it a doll!) sitting amongst my things right now.

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by: Steve Balboni @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:12:54 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I am over this

Don't you think you're beating the drum a little much Pols? This is the 7th time this photo and topic comes up on the Front Page alone before the page jump.

I hate that this guy showed up to the rally with his sign. I hate the simplistic politics that the Republicans, led by Caldera and Wadhams, implement. I can't stand Michelle Malkin or her lame excuses and explanation about this whole debacle.

But, can we move on? As a centrist, I can tell you this story is stale. Maybe within the echo chamber of the far left it's still raging but I think the rest of us have moved on.  

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by: jackblackCSU @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 15:27:18 PM CST

Nah

speaking from within the echo chamber of the far left, we've moved on too, but I think Pols is right to dog this in its permutations. It's not about the swastika and Malkin's idiotic embrace anymore, it's about the Colorado GOP braintrust (I use that term advisedly) making asses of themselves because, deep down, they don't really get why the swastika offends people. (See CMM's post yesterday on Peter Boyle's nonapology over "rhyming" Diana and vagina for another instance of a right wing hero just not getting it.)

The news this week is full of faux, half- or non-apologies from state Republicans and their ilk. This is politics as practiced from the right these days.

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by: RedGreen @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 15:41:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Agreed.

  Let's say for instance that Malkin or Caldera or whoever came out and said something like "It was obviously poor judgment and very embarrassing to have a guy with a swastika on the stage during the press conference. While we have a philosophical disagreement with the President and his policies, any comparison to the Nazi party is obviously beyond the pale and does not reflect our view or the majority view of our organization".
 How long would the story stay alive after that? It's the shitty, twisting-in-the-wind, half-assed, non-apology-apologies that have kept this alive.  

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by: Karinthy @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:05:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

They could even have said "WE SCREWED UP"

Wasn't it refreshing when Obama said that? Wow - someone actually ADMITTING they made a mistake. (By allowing Swastika Guy to get anywhere near a stage or a camera.)

But noooooo... these Republican right wingers can never admit they ever ever ever made a mistake! And they end up looking like absolute idiots.

Defend the 1st, 10th, 14th and 17th Amendments - and Social Security! Vote Democratic!

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by: Half Glass Full @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 22:39:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Yes, that would have been the smart move.

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

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by: Steve Harvey @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 08:56:13 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I've found "I'm sorry, it's my fault" to be incredibly powerful

you can see it totally deflate people who are ready to pile on about why something is my fault. It lets the conversation turn to fixing the problem instead.

One of my biggest suggestions to people that report to me is to learn to say that whenever they screw up.

Tom Tancredo Interview

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by: DavidThi808 @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 12:37:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I had a boss once who told me to never admit that I didn't have an answer.

For that and other reasons, I didn't hang around a long time....

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 20:32:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You don't get to decide what's still funny

and this remains hilarious.

It's like how many houses John McCain has, or John Edwards' $400 haircut, or Bill Clinton's sexual escapades. Years later one could still make a reference, and people would find it funny.

Bring back S[redacted]e H[redacted]y!

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by: sxp151 @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:13:02 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I actually forgot about the McCain houses thing until now

But thanks for reminding me. It was hilarious.

"I'll take incompetence over a business model incentivised to kill me any day." -- DtR(H)

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by: redstateblues @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:14:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

He still doesn't know

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by: RedGreen @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:41:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Romney Sells Two Mansions

And how many mansions does Romney own?
Looks like the depression is hitting him hard.
WBZ - Romney Sells 2 Of His Multi-Million Mansions

This movie has been rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and destruction
@pambennettauror

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by: Pam Bennett @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 18:20:56 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Malkin should follow the lead

of all the other Republicans: either condemn it like Penry, or say nothing like the rest of them. Don't keep bringing it up, and for crying out loud don't defend it! It's not PNow's fault that you got caught. Whining about liberals only makes matter worse for them.

I swear, if the Right read more of Markos Moulitsas' books, they wouldn't have problems like this. Markos only got where he is by studying and reverse engineering Republican tactics anyway.

"I'll take incompetence over a business model incentivised to kill me any day." -- DtR(H)

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by: redstateblues @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:04:46 PM CST

Penry didn't exactly condemn it.

He said it crossed the line, but then went on to criticize "the left" for having a double standard.

He just couldn't help himself.

Best to kill them early instead of letting them possibly need food stamps.
--marilou, 2010

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by: Ralphie @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:11:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I know

But it seems like a condemnation compared to Malkin. Maybe she was just doing Sen. Penry a favor.

"I'll take incompetence over a business model incentivised to kill me any day." -- DtR(H)

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by: redstateblues @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:13:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Not our of the realm of possibility

Dick Wadhams loves being a lightning rod to make his crazy-ass candidates look sane.

Malkin's not that bright. I think she just enjoys the controversy. But it's not beyond the realm of possibility that Wadhams is secretly smiling that someone else got to be the diversion for once.

Non impediti ratione cogitationis.

"Some of the people that wanted to engage me in conversation appeared to have been the losers in the 'Are you smarter than Michele Bachmann contest?'." --Rep. Barney Frank

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by: ThillyWabbit @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 20:00:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Didn't seem like a condemnation to me

Seemed like Penry took the opportunity to criticize anyone who called bullshit on him, even if they were right and he was wrong.

It's a Penry thing.  You live on the Western Slope, you get used to it.

Best to kill them early instead of letting them possibly need food stamps.
--marilou, 2010

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by: Ralphie @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 20:05:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Seriously.

  Malkin could really use some Brian Fantana type of advice. "Take it easy champ, why don't you stop talking for awhile".

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by: Karinthy @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:15:54 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Malkin must be....

jealous of Ann Coulter and Michelle Bachmann as they have previously been in the lead in the "Craziest Bitch of The Right Wing" contest....she just made up quite a bit of ground in that contest...


"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining."  Glenn Beck  

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by: Arvadonian @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:21:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Not thrilled about calling them "bitches"

Glenn Beck and Doug Lamborn and Sean Hannity are as bad as any of them, so clearly gender doesn't have anything to do with it.

Bring back S[redacted]e H[redacted]y!

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by: sxp151 @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 23:57:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

how is it

.
that you promote Hal's once and future opponent into the ranks of those two silver tongued devils ?
.

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by: Barron X @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 00:21:37 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Figured I needed a nutjob Congressman

to match Michelle Bachman, and he was the closest one.

Bring back S[redacted]e H[redacted]y!

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by: sxp151 @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 09:05:00 AM CST

[ Parent ]

They....

are competing to be the "Craziest Bastards of the Right Wing" along with Rush Limbaugh..but all are trailing Michael Savage....

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining."  Glenn Beck  

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by: Arvadonian @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 14:37:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

finally some good comes of this

.
caving in to popular demand,
Colorado Pols announced late tomorrow that,
starting 2 April 2010,
they will be spinning off a third "daughter" site.

In the tradition of
Jeffco Pols and
Denver Pols,
they will be bringing the public who watches "American Idol" their own take on American Idolatry: "Swastika Guy" Pols.

Watch for it at your grocers.
.

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by: Barron X @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 16:49:55 PM CST

If it just stopped here, it would be funny

But blog world is taking on hate radio.  REmember the whole saw "Don't get into a word battle with someone who buys ink by the barrel."  Blog world should not get into a fight with people who control up 100 hours a week of the public radio waves.  

This will go on and on and on on the radio.....reaching literally millions of people....

i have already gotten the email from a friend telling me I have to complain to Clear Channel about boyles and the demeaning of women ...

I don't give a flying fuck abour boyles...I figure this is the closest he is  ever going to get, again, to that part of the female anatomy..

However, dumping on kids doesn't seem to arouse anybody's ire...except mine.

I believe the time to take on hate radio is now....but these are not the issues....not the posters and not vagina...it is too easy to ridicule the whole mess.

The issue has to be substantive.  I think republican legislators getting time on KOA to dicuss Colorado politics w/o equal time for democrats is such an issue.  i think that it is high time that the Independence Instiute pay for the time Caldera is on the radio...I think that is free advertising for the Institute's agenda....


Voting Republican is legal, but it is morally wrong - David Thi808

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by: dwyer @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 20:54:28 PM CST

Boyles and vaginas

I don't give a flying fuck abour boyles...I figure this is the closest he is  ever going to get, again, to that part of the female anatomy..

Naah, he'll get a lot closer.

He's a douchebag, after all.

Defend the 1st, 10th, 14th and 17th Amendments - and Social Security! Vote Democratic!

---

by: Half Glass Full @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 22:48:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Hell, now we are as bad as he is.

But what about targeting kids on the radio. Do you have an opinion on that?

What about republicans all day all the time on KOA? Do you care?  

Voting Republican is legal, but it is morally wrong - David Thi808

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by: dwyer @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 03:52:42 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Free speech is a bitch, when others are exercising it.

The Supreme Court has been pretty clear about where they draw the line, and its not at the point where they give megaphones to those who can't afford them in order to balance the volume of the voices of those who can. We can't turn down the volume of those we disagree with, but can only turn up the volume of opposing points of view, and cast a harsh light on irresponsible speech whenever and wherever it occurs.

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

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by: Steve Harvey @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 09:04:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I absolutely agree. The answer to bad free speech is more free speech.

However, I am not up on recent decisions regarding the public airwaves.  Has the Court ruled that the holder of a license has no obligation to broadcast opposing viewpoints? Or has it held that this a legislative decision and or a regulatory decision. Or has it simply not had occasion to rule?

I have learned a lot SH, on the economy from your posting.
Perhaps you can enlighten us further on this issue.

Voting Republican is legal, but it is morally wrong - David Thi808

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by: dwyer @ Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 12:30:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Current jurisprudence on the matter is actually a bit ambiguous.

In Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC (1969), SCOTUS upheld the constitutionality of The Fairness Doctrine, incorporated into FCC regulations, which did obligate licensees of broadcast frequencies to share their airwaves with those of opposing points of view. I know of no ruling since then which has overtured this holding. The Fairness Doctrine was repealed under Reagan, however.

I was thinking more of campaign-finance reform in my response, which should have said "SCOTUS draws the line at taking away the megaphone of those who can afford it." While SCOTUS, in McConnell v. FEC (2003) upheld McCain-Feingold (which, in a sense, limits people's ability to pool resources to buy political air-time) in a 5-4 vote, it has also held, in Randall v. Sorrell (2006) (following the precedent in Buckley v. Valeo) that Vermont's limits on political contributions were unconstitutionally low.

Personally, I like McCain-Feingold, and would like to see campaign finance reform taken much further, but think that SCOTUS made a creative ruling not in accord with the Constitution in order to favor what at least five of the justices considered good public policy.

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

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by: Steve Harvey @ Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 13:02:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the informative review.

From what you say, it would appear that the issue of the Fairness Doctrine remains open. It was repealed under Reagan, but not by any action of SCOTUS.  So, it is possible to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine or a version of it without immediately running into Constitutional roadblocks.

I never thought about the Fairness Doctrine in terms of campaign finance reform.  One is about money, and the other is about a public resource.  But you are right, both are about  securing the means necessary to get one's political message out,

If, as expected, print media continues to disappear, and the new technologies...Internet, cphone, even cable, become less accessible because of their expense relative to more traditional means of communication,  due to the collapsing economy, then access to public airwaves becomes more important. IMHO

Voting Republican is legal, but it is morally wrong - David Thi808

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by: dwyer @ Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 23:55:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Good point.

If mass communication were to become more centralized (again), and predominantly in the form of broadcast media, then fair access to those media would become correspondingly important. I can't assess the likelihood of such a re-centralization occurring, but it's certainly a possibility. (The internet is likely to remain a bulwark against such re-centralization, but, even so, some people would be getting their information primarily over the public airwaves).

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

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by: Steve Harvey @ Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 11:57:22 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Nowhere Man

He's a Swaaa-steeka Man
A.K.A. Republi-can
Soon the G.O.P. will be
for noo-body...

Defend the 1st, 10th, 14th and 17th Amendments - and Social Security! Vote Democratic!

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by: Half Glass Full @ Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 22:46:48 PM CST

Where's Marilyn Musgrave when you need her?

After the KKK-love experience, she would have told Malkin how it's done when the fringe comes around for a pat on the head:

http://www.5280.com/blog/?p=1805

"It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!" - Nietzsche  

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by: twas brillig @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 12:01:48 PM CST

That photo is so uncomfortable to look at n/t

"The fact that we Dems can't rebuild the house does not mean you bring back the [Republicans] who burned it down." - DavidThi808

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by: Aristotle @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 13:01:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Of funny. Try captioning it.

"Oh, Mr. President!  Is Laura in the room?"

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 20:39:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It reminds me of a poster popular in the '80s

of a "Gone-With-The-Wind" style picture of Ronald Reagan carrying Margaret Thatcher, with mushroom clouds in the background (like Atlanata burning), and the caption: "She promised to follow him to the end of the Earth. He promised to arrange it."

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

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by: Steve Harvey @ Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 12:00:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

LOL!

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 19:51:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]