Mario Piperni dot Com

.

There’s no other explanation for it.  They’re bleeping idiots.

A majority of Republicans believe that President Barack Obama “sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world,” according to a survey released on Monday.

A full 14 percent of Republicans said that it was “definitely true” that Obama sympathized with the fundamentalists and wanted to impose Islamic law across the globe. An additional 38 percent said that it was probably true — bringing the total percentage of believers to 52 percent. Only 33 percent of Republicans said that the “allegation” (as Newsweek put it) was “probably not true.” Seven percent said it was “definitely not true.” The rest (eight percent) either didn’t know the answer or didn’t read the question.

These are the same morons who believe that Fox is fair and balanced, that global warming is a hoax, that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice, that allowing guns in bars is a wonderful idea and that Sarah Palin has anything relevant to say.  The problem is not one of being opposed to President Obama’s policies or believing in traditional conservative principles.  Political diversity and opposing views are a good and necessary requirement in any democracy.  What is ridiculous is being opposed to this President because one believes he wants to impose Islamic law across the globe.

Fox and conservative media in general have done quite a number on Americans and it is hard to see how the trend will reverse any time soon.  These guys dominate the airwaves.  Here in South Florida, talk radio is controlled by a rogue’s gallery of conservative shysters.  The day’s lineup is Beck, Limbaugh, some lunatic named Schnitt, Hannity and finishing up with Mark Levin.

You can barely tell one of these clowns from another.  Tune in at any time of the day and you’re hearing the exact same talking points, lies and misinformation being repeated.  It’s as if they conference call each morning and discuss how they’re going to bullshit their audience of hapless dolts.  And as evidenced by the poll results, it’s working.  I can’t think of a single Republican politician who is actively trying to set the record straight.  The best they can offer is Mitch McConnell’s, “The president says he’s a Christian. I take him at his word.”  Obviously, it serves their purpose to keep the stupid stupid.

As I watch the gross ignorance being inflicted upon Americans, I am reminded of my Japanese buddy, Kenichi Go, who once remarked in the midst of a seemingly hopeless plight…”it is a sadly situation.”

Yes, Kenichi-san, a sadly situation it surely is.

___

To receive new posts directly on your Facebook page, become a member of MarioPiperniDotCom’s page. Click on ‘Like’ here
.

.

MediaMatters has a piece on Laura Ingraham’s evolution of thought on the Park51 project which highlights the ways of the conservative media.

Ingraham, December 2009 in an interview with Daisy Khan, wife of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.

INGRAHAM: Let’s talk about the Islamic center at Ground Zero. Questions — I can’t find many people who really have a problem with it. Bloomberg for it. You got rabbis in New York saying they don’t have a problem with it. Why near Ground Zero? Why did you choose that space?

KHAN: Well, I think the closeness of the center to Ground Zero, first and foremost, is a blow to the extremists. And you know, we Muslims are really fed up, Laura, of having to be defined by the actions of the extremists. You know, we are law-abiding citizens. We are faithful people. We are very good Americans. And we need to project a different message of Islam, one of tolerance, love, and the kinds of commonalities we have with different faith communities. And the center will be dedicated to promoting what it means to be Muslim and what it also means to be American, and that is the real message that needs to get out.

INGRAHAM: When you see surveys — and I know your group takes a moderate approach to Americanizing people, assimilating people, which I applaud. I think that’s fantastic.

[...] But I like what you’re trying to do, and Ms. Khan, we appreciate it..

Ingraham, August 2010.

“I say the terrorists have won with the way this has gone down. Six hundred feet from where thousands of our fellow Americans were incinerated in the name of political Islam, and we’re supposed to be — we’re supposed to be considered intolerant if we’re not cheering this?”

In a mere eight months, Ingraham went from “we appreciate” what American Muslims are doing in building the Park51 Islamic center to “the terrorists have won.”  Here is how she justifies her turnaround.

…Ingraham then stated that in the time since her interview, “a lot of questions emerged.” Ingraham’s “legitimate questions” included the claim that Rauf was “blaming America for 9-11, blaming America for bin Laden,” and that one “of these Imams at an Islamic center he’s associated with in Manhattan” stated “that the Jews were behind 9-11.”

Check out the MediaMatter article to understand why Ingraham’s “questions” are little more than smear.  The bigger point here is the way in which conservative media types have shown themselves to be a highly disciplined lot.  They have a knack for staying on point and switching views to suit the storyline they wish to project.  And for the most part, they speak in a monolithic voice generating enough noise to sway public opinion.  You saw it during the health care debate and you see it today when polls indicate that a majority of conservatives are not sure whether their President is a Christian or, astoundingly, whether he was even born in the United States.

In truth nothing happened in the intervening eight months to cause one to have to change their views on the New York mosque.  What was true in December of 2009 is equally true in August of 2010.  Nothing changed except this: conservative’s had found another cause célèbre they could use for political gain.  And as all good foot soldiers know, truth and honor have no place on the field of political battle.  Just ask Laura Ingraham.

___

To receive new posts directly on your Facebook page, become a member of MarioPiperniDotCom’s page. Click on ‘Like’ here
.

.

I’m sure most of you do not need any convincing that Glenn Beck is little more than a con artist who has found a way to make millions by exploiting the fears of the feeble-minded people he calls his audience.  But this one was too good to pass up.

Beck has been on a rampage ripping into Feisal Abdul Rauf, the guy behind the Islamic center to be built two blocks from Ground Zero.  Beck has been portraying him as a terrorist sympathizer.  Specifically he has attacked Rauf for making the following statements.

A)  “I wouldn’t say the United States deserved what happened on 9-11, but the United States’ policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.”

B)  “When people said they hate us [the U.S.], well, did we deserve 9-11? No. But were we minding our business? No. Were we in bed with dictators and abandoned our values and principles? Yes. That causes problems.”

You can debate whether Rauf was right or not in making these statements but Beck has no such doubts and sees it as a direct attack on the country he loves and further proof that Rauf cannot be trusted.

Oops.  Did I say Rauf made both statements?  Sorry, my mistake.  Rauf made the first statement.  The second one (B) was made by no other than Glenn Beck himself on April 15, 2010.  If you can see any difference between the two, let me know because I sure as heck can’t.

.

___

To receive new posts directly on your Facebook page, become a member of MarioPiperniDotCom’s page. Click on ‘Like’ here

.

.

This is good.

Shirley Sherrod, the fired and subsequently vindicated Department of Agriculture employee, said today she will sue the conservative blogger who posted doctored video on the Internet last week that made her appear racist.

The posted video resulted in Sherrod being fired by the Obama administration, which was followed by public apologies from President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for dismissing her without learning the whole story. Even Fox News Host Bill O’Reilly apologized when it became apparent that the video he aired on his show was incomplete and that Sherrod was telling a story of personal growth, not bigotry.

But Andrew Breitbart, the blogger who posted the spliced video of Sherrod in the first place, has remained unapologetic, despite the fact that the full video features Sherrod telling an NAACP meeting how she became a better person and overcame her biases.

My gut feeling tells me that this will lead to neither an apology nor a change in behavior from the Breitbarts of the right-wing blogosphere but I’m glad to see someone willing to say, “Enough!” and try to do something about it.

___

.
To receive new posts directly on your Facebook page, become a member of MarioPiperniDotCom’s page. Click here