Rightwingers are shocked by hate, except when they're dishing it out.

[Eric J in MN]

Letter in LA TIMES, November 17, 2003

So glad to see conservatives in this country have finally seen the light about hate. This is a refrain I've heard increasingly in recent months from commentators on the right.

It's funny how hate never seemed to bother them when it was coming from their own side. Whether it was Lee Atwater's infamous Willie Horton ads or Rush Limbaugh's decade-long campaign of ridicule and character assassination against the Clintons, why use logic and reason when scare-mongering and name-calling are so much more effective?

From my perspective, the left in this country has finally gotten tired of being kicked around and has taken a page from the Republican playbook — and it's getting them some traction, which is perhaps why McKinnon and his ilk have cried foul. But the right need not worry, their side still has all the best pit bulls. Just compare Al Franken's book to Ann Coulter's. He may call you a liar, but she'll call you a traitor. I know which accusation I prefer.

Neil Fletcher

Santa Monica

[Jonnycat26]

1. They can dish it out...

It really amazes to see the extreme right crying foul now. For years they've dished it out and now that someone's actually dishing it back they can't seem to take it.

And they seem obsessed by it. If you ever listen to conservative talk radio (hey, I get stuck in traffic jams. Gives me something to do) they're OBSESSSED with Franken and Moore. Some guy I've never heard of before, Marty Levine I believe, and who was incredibly annoying was talking about Franken's past drug usage. To which all I could think was, big friggin deal. He's admitted it. Nobody knows how much cocaine has been snorted up our president's sinuses, and he'll never admit to it.

In truth, the right created this nasty mess with their endless attacks on Clinton. And I'm glad to see it's coming back to bite them in the ass.

Rock on guys!

[gristy]

2. Projection. It's all projection.

They simply see in others what they feel in their own hearts. Not all republicans fall in this category, not by a long shot. But it certainly applies to many of the "commentators on the right".

[onebigbadwulf]

3. My favorite/ most disgusting hypocrisy

was when the Bush admin cried geneva convention when the Iraqi government released movies of the American POWs...

but nothing was mentioned about the bombing of hospitals, powerplants, water sanitation buildings, or the use of depleted uranium which has given Basra the highest rate of cancer in the world.

[arcane1]

4. showing movies of POW's was bad bad bad...

but showing the mutilated corpses of Saddam's sons all over tv? Well, that's ok, we're at war :eyes: