I was only going to comment on Deal’s comment on KOS but gd swoshed right in and got things going so I thought I might not have to comment. But that was not to be.

Look, I’ve hung out on KOS a lot, for a time, and enjoyed it. I don’t agree with a bunch of stuff but it was especially fun before the election or when someone is focusing in on one particular issue that’s important but tedious. Like the Attorney General thing.

But KOS itself can become tedious and I’m mainly going back to my basic source materials to obsess upon.

But KOS is not hateful. Some people, out of the hundreds of thousands of users, can be abusive, usually in a pretty silly way, but they are usually called on it.

I read the comments at the Jerusalem Post, some Aussie papers , The Angry Arab, and a lot of right-wing sites, including many more respectable than the Freepers, and I’ve seen real hate.

I remember a caller to “The Kimmer” calling for the “elimination” of people, uh, like me, and probably you too, and having this radio host agree with that sentiment.

Kudos to Fox for firing him. Though I have no idea if they were related incidents and rather doubt it.

This new voice in Atlanta, WKGA, I think, 920 AM, is basically the line up from townhall.com

Ain’t that a bastion of conservatism?

I predict they’re gonna put the hurt on 750 and 640.

For hours everyday this voice of the Rightista’s tell their adoring audiences that people like me are loony terrorist-loving minions of Satan.

Regulars guests: Rudy, Mitt and Newt.

So I really think Deal’s talk of all the “hate” on DK is totally out of line.

And yes. Bring the camera! All over the world people are bringing cameras. The government’s bringing in the cameras too. Is that a concern?

I’m thinking of going to Hannity’s Freedom Concert. If I can figure out how to do video. Why? Because if these people say the vile things they say on the public airwaves, I’d love to see, and show others, what they say in front of the congregation.

Why should we care?

Eric Rudolph. Tim McVeigh. The Black-shirts of Italy.

Ok. Maybe I went too far. But I’m concerned.

I am willing to admit that I was a little gung ho, in labeling you. Instead of leaving this discussion in disagreement, lets both agree to hold our own accountable when they cross the line.

The fine people at Blog For Democracy might think the same but from a different viewpoint.

But no matter.

You youself said people engaging in these types of politics by “finding an edited sound bite or manufacturing a situation” is destructive. I only pointed out it has been occuring for years in other venues yet somehow the horror is only now evident to the delicate sensabilities.

In my mind that is neither defense nor excuse making.

Guess we’ll just have to disagree on that one too.

I am primarily concerned about what I here and we are discussing this topic. I am glad that you are not as monolithic as you seem on this web site (even if this is more perception than anything else). Go no further than my disagreements with Erick, Demonbeck and Bull Moose to see where I am just as contentious when I see a conservative do something objectionable.

Pointing your finger at Republican’s or people you perceive as Republicans (Niel Boortz is the primary talent on WSB 750 and is a self proclaimed small l libertarian) is a form of excuse making, which is a form of defense.

Perhaps say “KOS is not right in doing this and should be criticized, but I think Republicans are worse”.

I would then say I agree that there are Republicans who do the same thing, but would disagree that they are worse.

I probably spent too much time reading the Democratic underground over the past two Presidential cycles, and it may bias my view a bit. There, the concensus encourages doing the sleazy thing while a small minority are labeled conservative plants because they ask for reason.

You see people going for the sleazy solution on Free Republic, but the consensus that normally prevails is one that sides against the unethical and immoral (although there it is a lot closer of a call than anyone should be comfortable with).

I wish people cared more about the well being of the nation, if even slightly against their own personal interest (i.e. not getting that speacial perk you want), than the well being of some silly political party that really has no agenda other than to maintain power at all costs.

If it suited them, who thinks the Republicans or Democrats would not throw any category of their supporters to the wolves for 2 years of majority?

I’ll take the criticism on the my blog’s format under consideration.

Sorry it was so difficult on your eyes that it prevented you from actually knowing anything about my views before pigeon holing me in your convenient little stereotypes.

That’s acceptable.

But, if you wonder why people don’t read your website it might be that it is not all that pleasant to read light text on a black background. Black backgrounds are cool for kids in high school who engrave “AC/DC”, “Def Leppard” or whatever it is those types of kids are engraving on their desks these days, but for a blog about politics, it is pretty non reader friendly.

If you do not want people to think of you as a whacked out liberal appologist, then don’t try to defend things like this idea by KOS by saying it’s okay because the evil baddy Republicans do it. I attack what I think is unjust, destructive, ill considered, irrational, against personal freedom or scapegoatesque, no matter what side it comes from.

If it was up to me, both parties would appeal to me equally, and I would have a true choice. Sadly it increasingly comes down to which side produces the least amount of nausia.

However, that’s one aspect of a larger problem, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve seen a considerable number of Republican commentators unleash on Democratic candidates in nothing that closely resembles policy discussions. And I’ve seen Democratic bloggers/columnists call out their own for bad policy, distasteful campaigning, etc. (as I have seen with Republicans as well).

You got me, Doug.

How did I ever think I could pull it off when my mindless partisans views have been a matter of public record for months?

And thank you for pointing out that I do attempt to achieve moderation. I take it you’ve actually taken the 20 seconds to read some of my stuff? That’s very cool. Please feel free to drop the occasional comment. All views are always welcome.

Oh wait! I just got to the part where you continue to accuse me of being a mindless partisan.

Ah well. And just when I thought we were making progress.

Show me where one widely read columnist or blogger that is recognized as being a champion of the right has publicly called for what KOS is calling for here? I would equally condemn them as well.

Of course, like all people with fringe philisophical leanings, you are perfectly in the middle of the road. Somehow the left is always right and the right is always wrong, but yes, you are indeed the perfect example of moderation.

If it is wrong for the right it is wrong for the left. Of course you are too much the mindless partisan to agree to that.

I will claim victory and move on. Have fun.

But here’s where you fall into what would appear to be what you decry. I’m perfectly content in saying that, yes, there are folks on the left (some folks who have diaries and post at Kos and not necessarily Markos himself) who engage in this type of behavior. However, I think grift is pointing out that this happens all the way around.

For every criticism that can be leveled about Kerry’s campaign last year and the perception it was obsessed with searching for ‘bad news’ … I can also say the same thing about those supporting Bush and their charges that ‘voting for Kerry was voting for the terrorists.’

Consider the National Review. It has things like ‘Hillary Watch’ and ‘The Truth About Obama’ which has a sole purpose of demeaning those candidates personally . Consider the furor over John Edwards’s haircut. There’s nothing remotely related to policy over there.

Politics has turned bad all the way around. So while I agree with you Doug that, yes, it is bad, it sort of sidetracks your point when you make partisan claims against Democrats.

This shouldn’t be tit-for-tat.

But whatever. If it makes you feel better to bear false witness, please continue.

I just find it, and I will try to be kind here, rather disingenous to suddenly be horrified when one side starts fighting back using the same tactic the other side has been using for over a decade.

Do you need me to get you a fainting couch?

Oh, I am sorry, you are clearly a conservative, excuse my ignorance. Pretend to be anything you want, the fact remains that the left on cares more about crushing the right than enacting anything of substance.

You, KOS, and mathh are clear examples of that. Criticize your own publicly once in a while, and perhaps you will have the slightest bit of credibility.

“It is the compliance and acceptance of people like you that make the Democratic Party so unappealing to anyone with any sense of decency or personal dignity.”

Yes, yes, Brother Deal, preach on about the virtues of raising the decorum in the political arena. I can surely feel my heart converting to the righteous way.

I am the one making the point that it is wrong when either side uses search and destroy tactics, you are the one excusing the activities on the left.

It was KOS who made the suggestion that this was the proper course of action, not RedState or some conservative blog. It just further demonstrates the moral bankrupt nature of liberals. The only wrong that can be committed by a liberal in your mind is siding with a moderate or conservative.

You also miss the point of internet handles. And the fact that I have never been anonymous.

Not that I’m really surprised.