I felt the need to provide the following Public Service Announcement to all the conservative commentators, amateur and professional, who have been sharing all their varied criticisms of the new administration on a regular basis. I’m not referring only to the big-time talking heads like Limbaugh, Hannity, and O’Reilly…I’m not just including the lesser-known and part-time bloggers. I’m also talking to all the folks on Facebook injecting barbs into their status updates, and posting links to propagandist media. I’m talking to the individuals still emailing partisan gossip and misinformation to friends and family. I’m talking to the people posting comments on Youtube, news sites, and other forums, taking any opportunity to slight Obama and the Democrats.
Are you aware of how you appear to the rest of America? To reasonable conservatives, to moderates, to independents, and to liberals? The history of U.S. Government and politics didn’t start in January of 2009…people’s memories may be short, but they are not THAT short.
- At every opportunity, President Bush appeared foolish before the cameras in front of an audience that was GLOBAL. It was more than just a few mispronunciations…it was more than just the occasional gaffe. It was more than simply “not being a great orator“. It was a consistently inappropriate, unprepared, unprofessional, and ill-informed. Complex questions were responded to with short sarcastic quips…or not at all. Often his answers were nonsensical or contradictory. He made jokes on the subjects of torture, war, death, disaster, and violations of the Constitution. His “town halls” were staged events with preselected participants and prepared questions. All efforts to achieve transparency were thwarted…journalists who questioned this were excluded from the press corps. Had Obama committed any of these acts…even once…you would be most vociferous in your scorn and derision. But back then, you said nothing. For eight years…you said nothing. Yet somehow you now care whether or not Obama wears a jacket in the Oval Office, and you parse each word of each speech so you can proclaim, “Look there, did you see what he said?”
- On numerous occasions, President Bush lied to us. He lied about 9/11. He lied about the justification for invading Iraq. He lied about Bin Laden. He lied about being a “uniter not a divider.” He lied about firing Rumsfeld. He lied about his past and his past associations. He lied about his tax cuts. He lied about making this country safe. He lied about supposed “terrorist plans” that he “saved” us from. And these…are just the highlights. If Obama were caught in a lie, or even an exaggeration, on even the most trivial of subjects…you would be furiously adjusting your Facebook status. But back then, you said nothing. For eight years…you said nothing. Some of you even came to Bush’s defense, formulating wild rationalizations that flew in the face of all available evidence and data.
- At every level, and in every organization, Bush installed political cronies, business partners, GOP donors, friends and flacks. FEMA’s Michael Brown was neither qualified (by anyone’s estimation) not competent. Claude Allen, assistant to the President on domestic policy…was a thief. Lester Crawford, commissioner of the FDA…owned A LOT of stock in companies the FDA regulates. Lurita Doan, a former government contractor, was made head of the GSA…and then effectively stopped the GSA’s audits of contractors. Housing secretary Alphonso R. Jackson…gave contracts to friends to forced the Philadelphia Housing Authority to sell land to his friends. Julie MacDonald of the Department of the Interior…sent non-public information to lobbyists in efforts to thwart the Endangered Species Act. I could go on…here’s a fun list of the “Top 25 Most Corrupt” which doesn’t even contain all the completely unqualified businessmen and lobbyists Bush posted in high positions. And there’s the biggies…Gonzales ineptly ran Justice, while politicizing it….Rumsfeld ineptly managed the war and its aftermath…Stephen Johnson of the EPA…John Bolten – WORST DIPLOMAT EVER…John Yoo, Justice’s constitutional attorney who appeared to have never read the document. Ashcroft, Paulson, Bremer, Griles, Libby, Goodling. Here’s another list. Most of them share that they were inexperienced going into the posts and had questionable associations (many to the oil industry and to arab countries)…they all share that they were eventually exposed as either incompetent and/or criminal. Oh, and guess what? In his last two weeks, Bush rewarded even MORE buddies. If an Obama staff member or appointee so much as jaywalks you cry corruption and start emailing your friends. But back then, you said nothing. For eight years…you said nothing. Obama’s appointees to date have been extremely experienced and respected, but some turned out to have past issues with their taxes. Despite openness, repentance, and amends made by all parties…you are having a veritable field day bringing up issues of “ethics” and “change.”
- In each decision…in each act of Congress…President Bush and the GOP engaged in rampant partisanship. According to Bush…we were with them, or against them. You either agreed with the Bush administration and the Republican-led Congress or you were “unpatriotic“…or perhaps “hurting our troops“…maybe even “helping the terrorists.” No bipartisan discussion or compromise was sought. We were even told, “the American people elected us the majority…our decisions have their mandate.” The entire portion of America (NEARLY HALF!) who voted for “the other guy“…could be ignored…they lost. Departments meant to be “non-partisan” were politicized. Spending ran amok. Vital regulation of numerous industries was removed or undermined. Democrat-led bills…no matter what studies or facts showed they might help Americans…were killed on the House and Senate floors. If Obama, despite having handily won the election and having majorities in both the House and Senate, were to accuse dissenters with being “unpatriotic” or were to fail to consult GOP party leaders…you would be insulted, and outraged. But back then, you said nothing. For eight years…you said nothing. You even engaged in the petty labeling and name-calling. And now…despite all evidence (even coming from some Republican legislators) that Republicans have been involved AT EVERY POINT in the Stimulus Bill’s development, you cry, “Unfair!” Despite unprecedented outreach to the GOP, and the advice of nearly every economist in the country…you claim, “Look, he’s no different…he doesn’t care about change. This stimulus will fail because he’s not listening to Republicans!”
- Consistently, and unabashedly, President Bush violated his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Torture. Abandonment of Habeas Corpus. Failure to provide a “speedy trial.” Unlawful detention. Extreme rendition. Warrantless wiretaps. Violation of the protections against unlawful search and seizure. Unlawful use of executive orders and signing statements. Breach of the separation of Church and State. Failure to provide legal counsel to the accused. Denial of the right to confront one’s accuser. Limited free speech. Invaded privacy. If Obama were to even SUGGEST a limitation on any of our constitutional and otherwise protected rights and freedoms, your exclamations of “tyrant” and “traitor” would be extreme. But back then, you said nothing. For eight years…you said nothing. You even defended the actions as somehow making us “more safe.”
It’s funny…many predicted that once Obama was in office, you’d no longer hear from people deemed liberal like Keith Olbermann, or Rachel Maddow, or John Stewart. Because of the conservative’s inability to find fault in even the WORST behavior by one of their own…they assumed that liberals must be the same way. They don’t get it: part of being part of the group they’ve labeled as the “liberal, intellectual, educated, elite” is that YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE FACTS AND THE TRUTH. Liberals will point out the faults and mistakes of liberal leaders. Liberals will criticize the people they voted for, if it is warranted. Now, to be honest…why haven’t we been criticizing Obama more? It’s hard to criticize a man who tells you what decisions he is making and the logic, facts, and expert advice upon which he made them (unlike Bush). It’s hard to criticize a man who, when he appears to make a mistake, either provides a full explanation or an apology (unlike Bush). It’s hard to criticize a man who takes a good faith approach in attempting to “doing the right thing” even if it is hard or politically unpopular (unlike Bush). It’s hard to criticize a man will to face tough questions from citizens, the press, and political opponents in an open and unscripted manner (unlike Bush). It’s hard to criticize a man who is more than just a “great orator” (that just means you speak well, with no regards to WHAT YOU ARE SPEAKING) but is a man whose speaking reflects careful consideration, forward thinking, and a willingness to listen (unlike Bush).
It’s hard…but some of you are certainly showing it is possible. Hypocritical…and counterproductive……and somewhat immature…and unnecessary…and it reveals more interest in “what’s in line with my beliefs” then “what’s actually true.” But it’s possible. If you don’t care about how it looks, or about equity, or about truth, or what’s right…you just keep right on doing it. Otherwise…the person who needs to be working for change, is you.