(Photo is of Mike Gallagher)Thanks to Think Progress for the following.
This goes back a couple of years, but is worth reviving as an example of the inability of some media "pundits" to grasp the fundamental concepts of our Constitution.
On December 19, 2006, on Fox News, "talk radio host Mike Gallagher said the U.S. government should 'round up' actor Matt Damon, 'The View' host Joy Behar, and MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann and 'put them in a detention camp until this war is over because they're a bunch of traitors.'"
Gallagher was angry by Behar's statement that Time magazine "should have chosen a controversial 'Hitler-type' like Donald Rumsfeld as its Person of the Year. Gallagher said Damon should also be incarcerated because he 'attacked George Bush and Dick Cheney'; he didn't explain why he wanted to imprison Olbermann."
The transcript indicates clearly that Gallagher hasn't a clue as to the basic nature of our government and our founding documents.
"Gallagher: You know, it's a little bit ridiculous that we continue to watch these TV stars and movie stars who smear our leaders. I just wonder, Rob, if you'll think for a moment what our enemies think of seeing TV personalities compare the outgoing defense secretary to Adolph Hitler. I mean, you know, conservatives never get a pass. Strom Thurmond is wished a happy birthday by Trent Lott and the sky falls in on Trent Lott. But Joy Behar goes on national TV and compares a good man like Rumsfeld to the evilest man in the world and nobody, you know, there's no repercussions for Joy Behar. I think we should round up all of these folks. Round up Joy Behar. Round up Matt Damon, who last night on MSNBC attacked George Bush and Dick Cheney. Round up Olbermann. Take the whole bunch of them and put them in a detention camp until this war is over because they're a bunch of traitors.
Thompson: They're not traitors, they're Americans. And you know what the great thing about America is you get to say what you like and you don't get thrown into detention camps.
Gallagher: No, you don't."
Maybe Gallagher is merely stupid. Or maybe he flunked civics and American history while in school. Or maybe he's just mean-spirited. Or maybe he's such an ideologue that he is not capable of seeing things clearly.
Possibly he's been bought off. Earlier in the year, Gallagher was one of five "conservative" talk show hosts who received an invite to meet with the prezident at the White House.
The irony is, that if any persons should be arrested and detained for "high crimes and misdemeanors," those should include George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for they have blatantly conspired to defraud the American people and violate the United States Constitution.
Perhaps it would be enough to send Gallagher back to school. (Although Keith Olbermann has given Gallagher his "Worst Person in the World" award!)
1 comment:
I doubt if many could pass a test on the Constitution! It is terribly upsetting to listen to some of the people on radio talk shows, or read the letters to the editor in my local papers. They haven’t a clue as to the rights and obligations of citizens of the US. They throw words like “treason” around so loosely it is obvious they do not know how that word is defined legally in the US. Are our schools so lacking in basic Civics as we old people remember what that was? I suspect that many in congress are also ignorant of Civics. Sad!
Bob Poris
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