The Message, The Messenger, And Right vs. Left

It's all too easy to berate a person delivering a valid message in favor of addressing the message itself. This is the M.O. of the Modern American Right - they know that their point of view on a variety of issues like women's reproductive rights, race relations, and he very nature of how news is delivered will ultimately fail if they focus on the message over who/whom delivers it.

But such is the nature of Right Wing framing.

Case in point is Keith Olbermann's new program on Current TV and a recent guest that the Tea Baggers and their sympathizers tried to prove was either nothing more than a hack comedian/actor or simply playing the so-called "race-card" in order to make the Tea Baggers look bad.

Internet sophist and over-simplifier, Allahpundit, takes to another meeting of Garofalo and Olbermann in textbook fashion when it comes to not addressing the message:

Via the Daily Caller, is Olby the voice in Garofalo’s head or is Garofalo the voice in his? There’s not a scintilla of disagreement here — just JG doing her usual over-the-top impression of a cartoon liberal with KO mm-hmming all the way — until around 4:35 in, when suddenly a dispute erupts over whether Clarence Thomas is (a) a victim of Stockholm syndrome in having married a white tea partier or (b) a token used by the tea party to distract from its own seething racism. Gee, guys, I don’t know. Can’t it be both? Coming next week to “Countdown,” hopefully: Olby interviews a tape-recording of himself.

And while some of you might claim that I am acting in the very fashion I am decrying, perhaps you should keep reading.

Let's let's look at the interview in question:



And while Allahpundit is want to source a popular Right Wing framing site, it should be pointed out that the very idea that there is racism within the Tea Bagger conglomerate is ignored in favor of insisting that there very well might be racism within Olbermann's staff since they appear to be predominantly white.

So, are Allahpundit and Ace of Spades now calling for some sort of "Affirmative Action Initiative" when it comes to the media, their staff, and their reporting? Absolutely not, as this is nothing more than a diversionary tactic explicitly used to undermine the very accurate and honest statement that racism still exists in this country.

More to the point, this is another aspect of Right Wing framing, as Allahpundit is insisting that Olbermann explain his staffing decisions in favor of confronting the very real aspect that there is a racist element within the Modern American Right. This is something that I have addressed before - insisting that it's not you but the other that is to blame for everything.

There's quite a bit that Olbermann and Garofalo get into that I can and will address later on, but the primary aspect is what Allahpundit does to this clip with his misplaced, meandering thesis and the reality behind it. Yes, I completely disagree with - and have for some time - that the blanket racism charge needs to be addressed. Not everyone that considered themselves a part of or even tangenticaly aligns themselves with the Tea Baggers are racists, as there are other primary motivators for such a movement.

I have seen Olbermann take after Obama on a variety of issues, such as warrantless wiretapping or the conflict in Afghanistan or the occupation of Iraq. So does the meme of "Liberal Media Bias" only go so far that the Right is butt-hurt that their water isn't carried on specific issues? I would wager yes on that one.

And with that in mind, I would like to leave you with this clip from Maddow to ponder the next time someone within the Modern American Right claims she is a pure Obama sycophant:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Friday Blog Round-up

Here's a new feature that showcases the blogs I follow.

This section will ( hopefully ) be a continuous Friday feature that showcases both the Left and Right. Not in the spirit of "fairnessy and blancyness", but just to show you how completely off base the Modern American Right are and make you understand that the Mainstream Media aren't digging in like they should on the real issues - while favoring the framing of the Right.

- It's certain to be a Right Wing, GOP, Tea Bagger talking point that Anthony Weiner's seat ( oh wait, are we supposed to say it's "the poople's seat"? ) will tilt to the Republicans, but Nate Silver tells us why Rep's should be tepid in their insistence.

- John Cole how Republican/Conservative/Libertarian/Randian? posturing gets mixes in a pot and either comes out as Galt-Cultist goulash, or just idiocy disguised as important socio-political dialogue.

- My Twitter Pal ( @bluegal - you're "it" ) briefly talks about the different from "non-profit" charter schools and "for-profit" charter schools ( read: Tea Bagger Institutions Of "Learning" ).

- Occasional commenter Busted Knuckles over at "Ornery Bastard" has the greatest description of what it means to be a Republican and really break the law in reference to extra-marital exercises.

- Gryphen over at The Immoral Minority points out what Fox"News" and Fox"Nation" will attempt to spin before we can say "Paul Revere actually brewed that beer with Samuel Adams, donchaknow"

- Former "I'm really the intellectual guy" MTV anchor ( and that's fucking funny on it's own ) Kurt Loder takes to the Doughy Pantload path and ends up highlighting how "Fascism" is part of the Green Lantern movie storyline. Yeah, you knew it was coming.

- Breitbart's "Big Gov't" site continues to push their ignorance ( wait, is it really ignorance or just a veiled attempt to protect those businesses that are more than willing to shaft the consumer if they can have accountability removed? ) of Net Neutrality with another call for "defunding".

- The internet's Dumbest Man is more than eager to show his hatred for women's reproductive systems while stalking his employer Andrew Breitbart at the so called "Right Online" convention to attempt to tell people he knows that his decisions are more important than any woman's. Typical.

- Oh, so the Romney "hey, guys I'm unemployed too" bit was just an innocent joke?

- Once again, Brent Bozell's easily lead employee's equate low ratings with "Liberal Media Bias"

Got a link for me to use? You know where I am.............

The Dangers Of Niche Market Posturing

Considering the fact that The Modern American Right endlessly claim that our country is "Center Right", that we embrace "conservative ideals", and that we need to be fiscally responsible, why the fuck is Rush Limbaugh hawking a pack of iced tea - yeah, you read that right - that they really aren't that secure about peddling?

After teasing it for a few days, Rush Limbaugh made a major announcement on his show Wednesday afternoon. He’s launching “Two If By Tea,” what he calls “the best” sweet tea you’ll ever drink. A picture of “Rush Revere” adorns the bottle, “sounding the warning the liberals are coming.”

“We are doing this for the single reason that we love tea, and we want to share it with you,” Rush explained. “The shrink wrap is a work of art,” Rush said. “You’ll save it … along with the bottles.” Part of the profits will go to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation.

Can we all say "Tax Write-off"? Yeah, I knew you could.

You'll notice the words "part of the proceeds". Why not all? Is Limbaugh banking on the fact that he can make more money off this if he doesn't have to donate 100%? I'm guessing yes, since there is a NO RETURN policy. After all, I remember his "donation fever" after the "phony soliders" letter of complaint from the US Senate was sold on EBay for $2.1 million ( which Limbaugh matched to obvious maximize his return ).

But let's look at the price - $23.76 per 12-pack.

In most markets, the cost of a 12-pack of beer ( Bud Light ) costs approximately $10.00. The cost of a 12-pack of coke costs approximately $5.00. The cost of 12 McDonald's sweet teas - despite the way they market it is almost half what it would cost you to buy Limbaugh's non-guaranteed bottles of swill.

So who's benefiting from this? Certainly not the consumer - unless they want to drink anything Rush tells them to out of some sense of patriotism. And I would love to see the results of a full audit from the alleged recipients of Rush's "charitable giving" considering how his compatriot Sean Hannity faired with his alleged "Freedom Concerts".

I bet you can say another word - "scam". Yep.

The Irony Of Right Wing Posturing

Jim Hoft ( also known as GatewayPundit - or the "Dumbest Man On The Internet" ) has a problem with Community Organizing. That is, until it presents an opportunity for him to pretend like he has a soul:

A St. Louis Facebook group was able to organize and deliver 4 semi trailer full of goods to the Joplin, Missouri tornado victims today.

St. Louis for Joplin Missouri Facebook group organized and sent 4 semis full of goods to the Joplin tornado victims today.

The semis left St. Louis this evening for Joplin, Missouri after the charity drive was organized a day earlier on Facebook. They collected 4 semi trucks full of household goods, diapers, sheets, cleaners, water, etc. for the people of Joplin.

So now he's for community organizing? After all, it's not solely about politics. But I guess it's alright for little Jimmy provided they aren't organizing to find affordable housing for low income families who happen to be primarily black.

Typical.

Another Truther Tea Bagger

GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo flubbed a questions on two key points of the Constitution by a man who was obviously a Tea Bagger and conservatives jumped all over it

A cringe-inducing moment for GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo, who confuses the 1st Amendment with Article 1, Section 1 of the Constitution when confronted by a voter at a town hall meeting.

Next time, spare yourself the added embarrassment and just say: “I don’t know.”

Video: GOP congressman fails tea partier’s pop quiz on the Constitution

But it has come to light that this guy is a "truther", so the walk-back has already begun.

The questioner, unfortunately, is a 9/11 Truther. Sigh. Well, even Truthers can expose real truths once in a blue moon...

So what are the pre-requisites for being a Tea Bagger? After all Debra Medina aligned herself with the Tea Baggers and they pretty much fed to to the lions once she admitted on Glenn Beck's radio show that she "wasn't sure" the whole 9/11 story was true.

Odd, that these conservatives will defend racial animus, violent threats against politicians and children, yet if you question your government or the direction your country is going too much then you're obviously to crazy for them. I suppose you have to be just crazy enough.

I will offer this caveat though - by all appearances, this guy seems to know his Constitution, but then again he could have just breezed through Article 1 Section 1 hoping to stump the Congressman enough to fake him out on the obvious follow-up. It would be interesting to see what the questioner knows of healthcare reform. Has he read that?

Where Were You On The Night Of The 18th?

Since being reported in the Washington Post, conservatives are rallying around Jim DeMint, claiming that he has suddenly been justified in his stonewalling of Barack Obama's intended head of the TSA Erroll Southers. The report shows that Southers gave an inaccurate statement regarding an incident that occured 29 years ago.

Southers, a former FBI agent, has described inconsistencies in his accounts to Congress as "inadvertent" and the result of poor memory of an incident that dates back 20 years. He said in a Nov. 20 letter to key senators obtained by The Post that he had accepted full responsibility long ago for a "grave error in judgment" in accessing confidential criminal records about his then-estranged wife's new boyfriend.

His letter to Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate homeland security committee, and Susan Collins (Maine), the ranking Republican on the panel, attempts to correct statements about the episode that were made in a sworn affidavit on Oct. 22 and have been reported.

Conservatives seem to think that remembering any and everything that you did 20 years ago is a prerequisite to holding any form of governmental office. However, one would think that remembering taking protected/personal information about someone from a federal database would be something a person would remember. But then again, the average American isn't likely to find themselves in front of a congressional panel partially made up of people that are there to ensure that you don't get the appointment that you have been nominated for.

Even after Southers' correction was given to Liberman and Collins, conservatives are claiming that he's not suited for the position because of what he did 20 years ago. There's no mention of his prior record as counter-terrorism expert. The reason is that he ability to perform the job isn't what matters, it's all about one incident that conservatives claim would potentially happen again. But after 20 years without incident, wouldn't one think that Mr. Southers had learned his lesson?

But back to conservatives claiming that Jim DeMint is somehow the hero in all this. Ed Morrissey over at HotAir says that he did the entire US a BIG favor, so his obstructionist stance really hasn't hurt the agency, even though it actually has. This is to be expected.

Conservatives are now shouting for Obama to name another appointee and to basically start the entire confirmation process all over again. And guess what, that means that it's going to be even longer before the agency has any form of leadership. And considering Republicans verifiable history of obstructing literally every person that Obama appoints to any and every position in his administration, are we supposed to believe that if Southers is removed from consideration that DeMint - or any other Republican Senator - is going to not going to continue their obstructionist tactics? No matter who is in the position, Republicans are going to find a way to put a hold on the process, thereby leaving an agency that they claim needs leadership without any.

Misplaced Admiration

Still trying to wrap my head around this USAToday/Gallup poll that shows that Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin are essentially tied for the "Most Admired Woman In America" title.

The woman hasn't finished anything since her stint as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. She quit her elected job as Governor in order to take credit for writing a book that someone else wrote for her and then toured the country trash talking Obama and any and everyone that asked her a valid question she couldn't answer.

If this is the new high-water mark in conservative political action then I don't see 2010 being that bad of a year for Democrats.

Year Of The Conspiracy Theorist

In Part IV of my "best of the year/decade" series, we take a look at how the conservative movement embraced conspiracy theory as fact and made not only a laughing-stock of themselves, but somehow managed to take away the mantle of "lunatic-fringe" from the likes of Alex Jones.

1 - Orly Taitz


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Since she burst onto the scene, I've often asked myself how someone so completely unglued from the fabric of reality is not only allowed to practice law but has the mental capacity to do so. It is, for that same reason, the many of the members of the tea-bagger movement are seen as just as crazy and ill-informed as she is, considering they cite her claims as fact.

But it isn't just Taitz or the tea-baggers that continually espouse this assertion that Obama was not born in the US. Rush Limbaugh, one of the leaders of the conservative movement, gives voice to this inane prattling:

2 - Obama is the Anti-Christ



Conspiracy theories that involve the Bible and politicians are not new in the least. I can still remember people insisting that Reagan was the Anti-Christ because of the numerical value of his name.

Many cite the fact that this has some relative truth to it simply because it comes from the Bible. However, there are many passages within the Bible that are so vague, so lacking in context, that they could mean anything. After all, the entire book of Revelations was allegedly written by a man marooned on an island and was hallucinating.

3 - Obama is a Muslim



This has got to be one of the most crystal-clear examples of how racism and xenophobia were part of the campaign against Barack Obama and not just used as conspiracy theory. Also, it is the video above - actually the 13 second sarcastic response to the allegation - that birthers and religious paranoid delusional reference as a "confession" that Obama is in fact a Muslim.

4 - Beck's Communist Art Project



Of all the conspiracy theories that Beck puts forward on literally a nightly basis, this one has got to be one that has got to be one of his best. And by that, I mean his craziest. Well, the FEMA concentration camps were a good one, but he back-peddled on that one while he was trying to pass it off as fact - he just didn't have the courage at the time to listen to the voices in his head like with the art one.

Keith Olbermann had a nice response to this, I thought:



5 - Census workers are coming for you



This bit of conservative paranoia was brought to us from someone whom is almost as crazy as Orly Taitz and somehow managed to get elected to Congress.

In this one, we get a two-fer. Beck and Bachmann, in the initial throws of the "warn on ACORN", claim that they have control over the 2010 Census and that within the form there is information that will be used against you - perhaps placing you into one of Beck's FEMA camps.

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Conspiracy theory within the Republican party and it's voters has become the new fact, just as the fringe-conservative has become the traditional conservative. Not in my lifetime has a group of people been so willing to insist that their very freedoms, their liberties, and life own lives are in danger. And while some will cite the theories behind Sept. 11th and many actions that George W. Bush took during his two terms as President, those were never embraced as fact the way that conservatives are reacting now to Barack Obama.

Yes, the "Truther" movement was most certainly anti-Bush, it was - and continues to be - roundly rejected by liberals/progressives within the Democratic party. Aside from that, there were really no conspiratorial movements on the Democratic side, or at least none that were given such a monumental platform as those espoused by the modern conservative movement.

Is He Or Isn't He

Jake Tapper, while hosting "This Week" on ABC, asked Mitch McConnell if the GOP were going to campaign in 2010 on repealing healthcare reform. And even though Tapper usually plays it soft with Republicans in order to curry favor with them from time to time, he didn't exactly let Mitch off on this one:



More from Think Progress.

I could be reading more into this than I should, as it's often difficult to read someone like McConnell, but it appears to me that he is leaving just enough room in his statements to allow him to switch once healthcare reform is shown to be effective. The only problem with that course of action is that he and every Republican in both Houses of Congress are going to have to explain their consistent opposition to reform, more precisely their "no" votes. But I have a fairly good idea of how they will do it.

Moreover, it should be noted that the more paranoid within the GOP have already called for not only campaigning on repeal but implementing it at the first opportunity.

The First Three Of The Last Name Say It All

Can we even believe Joe Lieberman anymore? Could we ever?

When he says things like "Obama didn't press me on the Public Option", can we even take this with the most minuscule grain of salt?

No. We simply can't.

Lieberman likes to frame himself as an independent, like he has no party affiliation. But, history shows that his votes are primarily in line with Republicans. He's even stated that he's not ruling out running for President with an "R" after his name in 2012. Does he really expect to get any votes? He's not even polling at all in the variety of "theoretical straw polls" that show that Palin, Romney, and even Mike Huckabee are more popular than him amongst Republicans.

He should be summarily dismissed from the Democratic Caucus and lose his chairmanship. He's not acting like a real independent, he's acting like an opportunistic hack who craves the spotlight more than the needs of the people he was elected to represent.

The Man Comes Around

I have been doing some serious considering as to whether, as a voting Democrat and a liberal/progressive idealist, I could get behind healthcare reform as it stands at this point.

After the public option was tossed to the side to appease conservatives that are going to vote against this anyway, I was afraid that Democrats had lost their spine, their will to fight. And then here came Obama saying that it had to be done, to move forward, to pass it. That's the main issue that I take with Barack Obama, he's too willing to compromise with the conservatives when he just needs to tell them to fuck off and let us get this done the way it needs to be, the way a plurality of Americans want it to be.

And when Howard Dean said to kill the bill, I wasn't sure what was going on. Now it seems that he's coming around to how most of us progressives are seeing this. It's imperfect in the Senate version, but there's still work to be done and tweaks to be made.




Think Progress has more.

From my perspective, the way that the Senate approaches legislation is quite dysfunctional. The very idea that there has to be a super-majority just to prevent filibuster is ridiculous. Also, the procedural aspects of the Senate allow conservatives to stall and delay debate for any number of reasons. It's a childish game that the Republicans are playing and they can get away with it.

Does there have to be a super-majority when we elect officials? No. So why is this rule in place to begin with?

Lastly, Republicans have refused to take up the issue with healthcare costs for nearly two generation. Why? Because it's actual legislative work that they don't want to have to do. Democrats have failed multiple times - most recently when Clinton was in office, and that was because Republicans simply didn't want us to win. That is what is driving Republicans on virtually every issue Democrats take up - they don't want to be the ones on the losing end of an important battle. If they are, and it's looking like they will be this time, and healthcare is a success, like it will be, Republicans are done for.

Does She Still Think She's Governor?

Sarah Palin* took to her facebook her press-conference recently and responded to statements from the Governoator regarding climate-change and Palin’s new-found stance as a Global-Warming denier.

Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment? Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation’s only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change. While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can’t primarily blame man’s activities for those changes. And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn’t do was hamstring Alaska’s job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act “greener than thou” when talking to reporters

But while she and her ardent defenders will, at a moments notice, jump to her defense and claim that she is what she isn't or isn't what she is - depending on the arrangement of the talking points and who's holding the camera at the time - there is one thing that not only her fans, but Palin herself seems to have forgotten: she quit her job as Governor of Alaska.

Why are people still standing up for her?

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*there's still no proof she writes these statements herself

Against Banks Before They Were For Them

Conservatives across the nation have suddenly discovered a new way to counter any argument put forth toward them in response to financial regulatory reform: "Why do you hate Capitalism so much?". It's not even a clever way of deflection in order to keep from answering the question. It is, at best, a clear signifier that they clearly don't understand the question to begin with and/or have little to know idea what Capitalism is to begin with.

Today, one of the top stories amongst conservatives, primarily their chief water-carriers at Fox"News" - as well as their counterpart that doesn't even bother to cover up their abject ignorance, blatant and unflinching fringe-bias, racism, and teabagging roots: The Fox"Nation" - is Obama's clear and correct assertion that banking CEOs are playing fast and loose with money that they don't rightfully deserve:



I can still hear people within the conservative movement talking about how banks that were bailed-out should have just failed. They were fully prepared for the entire financial structure within America to come tumbling down on top of them, and now they are suddenly in favor of the same CEOs that they cast aside a year ago filling their coffers with tens of millions of dollars in bonuses. Bonuses that reflect what? That's the question that should be asked - why do they deserve this?

The Climate Of Conservative Thought: Pt II

Each day while sifting through all the tweets from the reactionary prattlings of the conservatives I follow on Twitter ( who really hate it when facts are presented to them ) it amazes me that so many are latched onto the faux-controversy that is "Climategate"!!! *queue scary music*

And while some of the biggest lies are some of the biggest talking-points out right now, I have to wonder just briefly what this whole storyline would look like should Al Gore not have any part to play in it. After all, that's essentially what this boils down to.

What really makes these people so eager to deny science - aside from the fact that Al Gore is a tangentical character? Do they think that pumping pollutants into the atmosphere isn't going to cause any problems at all? If that's the case, when do we get to start dumping the used oil from our cars on their front lawns? After all, pollutants don't damage the earth.

Exit Stage Left

While this is not necessarily an incident that is on par with hordes of rats fleeing a sinking ship, it is fairly close to it considering that powerful conservative bloggers can control the base of the movement.

Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs, a conservative-leaning political blog, officially announced his break with the right in a post on Monday evening. Johnson is co-founder of Pajamas Media, and Little Green Footballs has been named one of the top 100 most popular blogs.

Conservatives love a defector – so long as it’s their side that the person is defecting to. We’ve seen this with such notable conservative luminaries as the insanely unstable David Horowitz and most recently with writer/director David Mamet. The later garnered some modercum of celebrity within the conservative movement ( for a few days ) considering his background in theatre in film. The Right saw him as somewhat of a validation of their cause, that they could even snag someone from the evil clutches of the Liberal elite that exerted control over the whole of the entertainment industry.

Johnson's reasons for breaking away from the luncacy that the conservative movement has become seem to touch aspect of the movement that aren't focused on by many and some that are simply ignored in total.

Here's a few:

1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.)

2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white supremacism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, Lew Rockwell, etc.)

3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.)

4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism, climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.)

5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.)

6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.)

Considering that LGF and Pajamas Media are two places in on the internet that some of the most prominent conservatives have linked to, referenced, or played a part in, it's rather odd that this hasn't been mentioned by people like Michelle Malkin or HotAir. Actually, it's not odd, as Malkin and HotAir's Ed Morrissey are more than likely distancing themselves from this story as much as possible. They would rather focus on the things that drove Johnson away. And it's likely that more will follow.

Something To Ponder This Morning

Here's a few things about the "Climategate" nonsense that conservative are all prattling about.

1 - The emails were hacked/stolen. There is no solid proof that these have not been altered.

2 - The format of the emails mention documentation/data that is not provided in the links that conservatives continually reference

3 - Thousands of scientists volunteer their time with CRU and exchanged emails with fellow scientists. The stolen emails represent a tiny fraction of communications between scientists. Conservatives are literally cherry-picking through the stolen communications and fabricating theories.

4 - Conservatives are literally changing the definitions of words in order for this theft to be validated and their specious claims be seen as solid research.

And there's lots more.

I'll be blogging on this later today.

Formatting The Palin Effect

In a recent article featured on the Huffington Post, Sarah Palin posted on her Facebook page a letter from a man named Harold Estes. The headline seemed to suggest that Palin was somehow advocating language within the letter that could be considered racial divisive.

I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son...Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out...I don't think you like America nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do for the obvious gifts this country has given you. ... Shape up and start acting like an American. ... I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle

For any of you that grew up in the South, you'll likely understand that "son" was not used as a term of endearment toward blacks. But the headline really missed the point of this letter and Palin's use of it.

More often than one can count, Sarah Palin loves to feature some of the most hateful, ignorant, and inflammaroty rhetoric directed toward President Obama. You'll likely not see many people within the mainstream media, save Racheal Maddow and possibly Olbermann, speak about this connection and admiration that Palin has with some of the most fringe members within the conservative movement. But when you do, the standard response is the cry of "Palin Derangement Syndrome"!

With each passing day, especially since her book-tour has taken off to such safe havens as The Villages, conservative media outlets have elevated Palin to deified status the like of which Ronald Reagan would be jealous of.