Its about time that they change the saying from “pot calling the kettle black” to “liberals being liberals.” What I am referring to, in this instance, is a mindboggling Rolling Stone profile on Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) — one that happens to be indicative both of the innate hypocrisy that lies with minority politics and specifically, the contradiction within the Democratic Party.
The article begins with what can be described as nothing but pure opinion on behalf of the writer. He simultaneously asserts both his opinion and utter lack of credentials in the realm of politics with this gem from the fourth paragraph:
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"Unlike others in the Democratic leadership who seem reluctant to criticize the president and are fearful of their own party's grass roots..."
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Others like Howard Dean, the head of the DNC who said, "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for"? Or the recent cries for impeachment? Or the vote of the Senate to override Bush's military action in Iraq?
Take a little credit, buddy. Bush's approval ratings aren’t at 30 percent because the public closely monitors his actions. They sink lower and lower every day because of a concerted and united Democratic front that both undermines and belittles his authority. The president's poll numbers are horrifically disappointing because Republicans, of late, have no answer to the mounting criticism from Democratic leadership. Bush is incompetent, sure, but he didn't self-destruct. He was dismantled.
But let’s get back to the article itself, one that unfortunately goes downhill from here.
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"We're the party of change," Emanuel tells me. "We're the party of a new direction — a break from rampant cronyism and the status quo. Period."
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That's well and good, but it contradicts both reality and the facts presented in the article — by a Democrat-friendly writer. One might even call this an instance of "liberals being liberals."
Rampant cronyism? That's peculiar talk coming from the head advisor to Bill Clinton. You know, the guy who sold nights in the Lincoln bedroom and pardoned his brother’s crimes. The same man whose wife rode his coattails to a spot in the Senate.
Emanuel isn't only guilty of cronyism by association, he actively participates in it himself.
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The night after Clinton was elected, Emanuel was so angry at the president's enemies that he stood up at a celebratory dinner with colleagues from the campaign, grabbed a steak knife and began rattling off a list of betrayers, shouting "Dead! . . . Dead! . . . Dead!" and plunging the knife into the table after every name. "When he was done, the table looked like a lunar landscape," one campaign veteran recalls. "It was like something out of The Godfather. But that's Rahm for you."
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Article comments
1 - ryan
nothing?
2 - Anthony Grande
Well I don't believe that the current administration is a dead horse but the Democratic Party sure would like it to be and if the horse ever were to die their strategy would definately be to kick the dead horse and the sheep (the poor minorities and middle class idiots follow the elite like sheep) would definately join in.
3 - Scott
I hear the "under 18/can't vote" crowd is decidedly Republican.
Anthony, care to comment?
4 - ryan
haha
5 - Anthony Grande
Are you kidding, Scott? I would safely say that the under 18 crowd is about 90% liberal/democrat.
This is because they believe everything they here on MTV and what their favorite musicians say. Teachers also play a big part in liberalizing our youth.
"To be under 18 and a conservative is to have no heart, but to be over 40 and a liberal is to have no brain," Winston Churchill
6 - Silas Kain
This is because they believe everything they here on MTV and what their favorite musicians say. Teachers also play a big part in liberalizing our youth.
Yeah, teachers are so busy liberalizing our youth that they've stopped teaching the differences in homonyms, synonyms and basic grammar. MTV does a great service in trying to get our youth to be informed. I wish parents could do their part.
7 - Dave Nalle
I have to say, after reading this piece twice, that it really does go to the heart of the problem with the democrats as an opposition party. They want to be the outsiders, but without paying the price of actually BEING outsiders.
Dave
8 - ryan
Thanks Dave, that means alot, I really respect what you do here.
9 - Scott
"Are you kidding, Scott?"
Yeah, I was. I think most of the "under 18/can't vote" crowd is a-political. 90% of them don't even follow it I'm willing to wager.
And as far as Dems being outsiders, as of this moment, they are the outsiders. So we'll see what happens in '06. It's looking not to bode too well for Republicans but we'll see.
Other than that...I read the article in Rolling Stone and I think alot of the quotes are out of context and there's too much time spent trying to tie Rahm to Clinton's scandals.
But, whatever...you don't like the guy. That's cool.
10 - Anthony Grande
"MTV does a great service in trying to get our youth to be informed."
I got to disagree. I remember that during the last election they called Bush a liar because there were no WMDs in Iraq and they claimed over and over again how Bush was going to insert the draft.
I even remember on one occasion they announced on MTV News that BUSH already tried to reinstate the draft and Congress voted it down. MTV was lying. It was actually Democratic congressman Rangel that wrote up the daft bill.
MTV is a negative influence on our kids when it comes to politics and life in general.
11 - ryan
AG--Are you forgetting their selfless coverage of Live Aide? You know, the non-profit event that they shoved commericials in?
12 - Silas Kain
MTV is a negative influence on our kids when it comes to politics and life in general.
Yeah, Rock the Vote was such a scandalous program. Live Aid was a sham. MTV promotes promiscuity and drug use.
Anthony, MTV has done more to inform the Youth of America about the things that really matter. Sure they are very commercial with their videos and advertising. That being said, they've done a hell of a job in outreach and their new project, LOGO, is absolutely incredible.
13 - Anthony Grande
Your prejudice is showing, Silas. I watched many of the Rock the Vote events and speeches and I saw people like Eminem saying, "You have to get out and vote because if you don't you will be HE will be re-elected and you will be drafted," and then he goes on to performing his song "Mosh" while holding a sign that reads "Rock the Vote". Here are the lyrics to "Mosh" if you are unfamiliar to it:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible...
It feels so good to be back..
I scrutinize every word, memorize every line
I spit it once, refuel and re-energize and rewind
I give sight to the blind, my insight through the mind
I exercise my right to express when I feel it's time
It's just all in your mind, what you interpret it as
I say to fight, you take it as I'mma whip someone's ass
If you don't understand, don't even bother to ask
A father who has grown up with a fatherless past
Who has blown up now to rap phenomenon that has
Or at least shows no difficulty multi-task
And in juggling both perhaps mastered his craft
Slash entrepreneur who has helped launch a few more rap acts
Who's had a few obstacles thrown his way through the last half
Of his career typical manure moving past that
Mr. kisses ass crack, he's a class act
Rubber band man, yea he just snaps back
[Chorus:]
Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
We gonna fight, we gonna charge, we gonna stomp, we gonna march
Through the swamp, we gonna mosh through the marsh
Take us right through the doors (c'mon)
All the people up top on the side and the middle
Come together lets all bomb and swamp just a little
Just let it gradually build from the front to the back
All you can see is a sea of people some white and some black
Don't matter what color, all that matters we gathered together
To celebrate for the same cause don't matter the weather
If it rains let it rain, yea the wetter the better
They ain't gonna stop us they can't, we stronger now more than ever
They tell us no we say yea, they tell us stop we say go
Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we gonna let em know
Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they bring our troops home (c'mon)
[Chorus]
Imagine it pouring, it's raining down on us
Mosh pits outside the oval office
Someone's tryina tell us something,
Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible
For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
How could we allow something like this without pumping our fists
Now this is our final hour
Let me be the voice in your strength and your choice
Let me simplify the rhyme just to amplify the noise
Try to amplify the times it, and multiply by six...
Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech
Let the president answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an Ak-47, let him go, fight his own war
Let him impress daddy that way
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country, we're patronizing a hero
Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die
If I get sniped tonight you know why,
Cause I told you to fight.
[Chorus]
And as we proceed,
To Mosh through this desert storm,
In these closing statements, if they should argue
Let us beg to differ
As we set aside our differences
And assemble our own army
To disarm this Weapon of Mass Destruction
That we call our President, for the present
And Mosh for the future of our next generation
To speak and be heard
Mr. President, Mr. Senator
Do you guy's hear us...hear us...[laughing] (Hailie)
And if this doesn't convince you then find the video that they played on MTV over and over again. It was just amazing.
There was much more at these rallies but this is the one that stood out the most.
14 - ryan
LIVE AID WAS A SHAM!
It was a blatant publicity stunt that benefited Africa in no way at all. It didn't raise a single penny to help the starving, rather it was a massive ego-fest for some bored rockstars.
Rock the vote? Are you serious?-- Vote or Die or Because P.Diddy Said So"
MTV hasn't done crap for society...ever.
Except for as the above poster said, play the "Mosh" video. Because, as well all know, it greatly impacted the last election
15 - Anthony Grande
Ryan, notice how quickly Silas left?
This has been the strategy of many libs on Blogcritics. When you see that you are beat in your argument you just leave and no one will ever bring up about how you lost because if your not here no more whats the the point?
16 - ryan
yup. classy.