Un-American un-answers?

"We need to turn back some of the creeping, un-Pennsylvanian and sometimes un-American traits that are coming into some of our politics"

-- Theresa Heinz Kerry, July 25, 2004.

I agree. But when reporter Colin McNickle, the editorial page editor of the conservative Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, asked what she meant by the term "un-American," Mrs. Heinz Kerry exploded.

Heinz Kerry said, "I didn't say that" several times to McNickle. She then turned to confer with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and others. When she faced McNickle again a short time later, he continued to question her, and she replied, "You said something I didn't say. Now shove it."
And now the reporter is paying the price. His family is being been harrassed, and heavyhanded thuggish tactics are being used. Read about it here:
....[O]nce the DNC's liberal attack machine was fully cranked, the e-mails and telephone calls started.

"I hope you burn in hell," read one e-mail. "You're a (expletive) Nazi," went another. "Teresa should have told you to go (expletive) yourself," another friendly e-mailer offered. And these were among the milder communiques; those that included death threats will be forwarded to the senders' respective hometown police departments.

One of my daughters back in Pittsburgh was brought to tears by a caller to our house. The clever woman identified herself as a Washington reporter seeking to interview me but then embarked on a filthy tirade. It seems a member of the Heinz Kerry Civility Enforcement Patrol posted our home address and telephone number on the response part of my convention blog.

But I thought only the conservatives ran attack machines!

We've seen this before -- notably in totalitarian countries (although I've experienced it in Berkeley).

Are death threats and harrassment of families un-American?

If you want to know, apparently you need only ask certain people what "un-American" means!

UPDATE: JustOneMinute offers an exhaustive analysis of the whole un-American "Shove it" story. (It's pretty clear she lost her temper, and lied when she denied saying "un-American." There's some fuss about whether the phrase "un-American activities" is itself a provocation; in logic why would it be?)

More ShoveIt stuff here:

Teresa Heinz Kerry's "shove it" phrase to a Pittsburgh editor was the most cited Kerry campaign message in the press last week — mentioned 381 times in American publications, according to Factiva, a Dow Jones/Reuters company that tracks daily press mentions.
And if you want "ShoveIt" as a domain name, forget it, unless you're willing to settle for third-class status. Here's all that's left:
shoveit.com Not Available [WHOIS]
shoveit.net Not Available [WHOIS]
shoveit.org Not Available [WHOIS]
shoveit.info Not Available [WHOIS]
shoveit.biz Not Available [WHOIS]
shoveit.us Not Available [WHOIS]
shoveit.tv Available Click here to add to cart!
shoveit.cn Available Click here to add to cart!
shoveit.name Available Click here to add to cart!
I'm not buying, although ShoveIt.tv might have longterm appeal....

As to Google, "Shove it" Kerry brings over 90,000 hits, "Shove it" Theresa brings 44,400, while "Shove it" Heinz brings 63,300.

For now, I'll just shove on....

One last quote from Mrs. Heinz Kerry:

In America, the true patriots are those who dare speak truth to power.
Once again, I agree. (But I do hope she's not referring to wealthy film directors who travel about with bodyguards.....)

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds asks whether this is part of the new strategy of intimidation outlined in a recent workshop.

As I said, I don't think it's anything new. And you don't have to be a reporter for any of the major media. I've even seen it as a lowly blogger.

MORE: I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but now I see that Glenn Reynolds is under attack for promoting Second Amendment diversity! How un-Pennsylvanian! And then (in what has to be another coincidence) the same blogger attacks a likely Democrat in Tennessee. Such un-diversity!

It might even be un-Democratic....

It's only fair to point out that I proposed a historically comprehensive diversity flag not too long ago, and I think it's time to unfurl it again:

CompfedGayFlag.jpg

MORE: Another hoax! It turns out that this whole flap was a hoax orchestrated (not surprisingly) by Frank J.. Hmmmmm.....Frank recently mentioned "hacktivism......"

"Blaming the victims of genocide"? That should have been the tipoff.

Anyone who reads InstaPundit regularly knows that he blames John Ashcroft!

posted by Eric on 08.02.04 at 11:46 AM





TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://classicalvalues.com/cgi-bin/pings.cgi/1244






Comments

The more I hear from and about Kerry and the Democrats, the more I'm persuaded to vote for Bush.

This is somewhat unfair all around--but not a terrible abuse in any case.

First, McNickle asked her about "un-American activities," not traits. It's much more than a nitpick, given the historical use of the term "un-American Activities."

Second, he is a reporter for the same newspaper that tried to claim the Clintons were murderers. Compared to the lies that the Tribune-Review has already told, saying "shove it" deserves little more than a yawn.

Jason Kuznicki   ·  August 2, 2004 01:59 PM

Saying "shove it" is one thing, but death threats and harrassing someone's family deserve a little more than a yawn.

Such conduct is not justified even if we assume for the sake of argument that their paper called the Clintons "murderers."

Eric Scheie   ·  August 2, 2004 03:52 PM

You're right--The people who sent in death threats are unquestionably idiots. I invite you to find any corner of politics that has been sufficiently purged of their kind.

Jason Kuznicki   ·  August 2, 2004 10:44 PM

Precisely why I agreed with the text of what Mrs. Heinz Kerry said.

Eric Scheie   ·  August 3, 2004 08:37 AM

The phrase "un-American Activities" conjures up the House Un-American Activities Committee from the 1950s, headed by Joseph McCarthy. It's a sticky phrase in politics, one that many people try to avoid unless they reallly mean to recall that era.

Jason Kuznicki   ·  August 3, 2004 08:55 AM

The fact that Heinz Kerry was objecting to the use of the word "activities" rather than, as widely reported, the word "un-American" is lost on the neo-cons who don't want facts to get in the way. This has become a "Sean Hannity fact," no matter how many to times you correct the neo-cons, tomorrow they'll be coming out of the box saying Heinz Kerry tried to deny she said "un-American." As far as harassment and death threats go, this has been de rigueur for anyone who challenges Bush or the neo-con gosphel for some time now. Just ask Michael Moore, Richard Clarke or any number of hapless victims who have crossed the neo-cons. It would be nice if this "editor" would show us the faxes or letters or play the voicemail recordings for us.

voltaire   ·  August 3, 2004 10:18 AM

I don't listen to Sean Hannity and I don't know what he has to do with this, but I don't think it's logical to assert that because he says something, that makes it false. Nor does something become false because it was allegedly said by "Neocons."

Blogger Tom Maguire links to the following USA Today transcript:


*****
McNickle: (inaudible) Un-American activity? You mentioned un-American?

Heinz Kerry: No, I did not say that.

McNickle: What did you mean?

Heinz Kerry: I did not say that (pointing finger at reporter).

McNickle: Well, what did you say?

Heinz Kerry: I did not say that.

McNickle: I am just asking what did you say.

Heinz Kerry: Why are you putting those words in my mouth?

McNickle: I thought you said something about being un-American?

Heinz Kerry: No I did not say that.

Heinz Kerry turns away, then returns a few moments later.

Heinz Kerry: Are you from the Tribune-Review?

McNickle: Yes, I am.

Heinz Kerry: Of course (turns away quickly).

McNickle: Come here (tapping her on the elbow).

Heinz Kerry: (Turns back to reporter) Understandable. You said something I didn't say — now shove it!
*****
Maguire also cites the Times:

*****
Later, Mr. McNickle asked her what she had meant by "un-American activities." Mrs. Heinz Kerry replied, "I did not say `activities' or `un-American,' " and then added: "You said something I didn't say, so shove it."
*****

I have not checked these transcripts, but if they are accurate, then it appears Mrs. Heinz Kerry denied saying both "un-American" and "activity(ies)."

As to the death threat transcripts, I'd like to see them all; Moore's Clarke's and McNickle's.

The House Un-American Activities Committee existed from 1938-1975 (although in 1969 its name changed to Committee on Internal Security). Senator Joseph McCarthy did not head HUAC, but ran an equivalent committee in the Senate.

In its earlier days, the Committee's name "un-American Activities" referred primarily to Nazis; after World War II "un-American activities" became largely synonymous with Communist activism.

It certainly can be argued that the use of the term "un-American activities" in reference to Mrs. Heinz Kerry was an attempt to insinuate that she was somehow sympathetic to Communism, so I can understand why she might become indignant, and maybe she should have asked McNickle precisely what he meant.

But I still think it's fair to ask her what she meant; some people might not understand precisely what the phrase "un-American" means. (I recently used it to characterize remarks made by Jerry Falwell.)

Eric Scheie   ·  August 3, 2004 11:15 AM

"DNC's liberal attack machine?" Pul-Lease! Has anyone shown any evidence that the alleged harassment or death threats even took place, let alone took place as part of an organized effort by the DNC?

The fact that so many Republicans are making such a big deal of this exchange, speaks volumes about their self-confidence, and their ability to offer a relevant political debate to the voters. SO WHAT?

If there's anything more disgraceful than a bully, it's a bully who doubles as a crybaby.

Raging Bee   ·  August 3, 2004 11:43 AM

I saw and heard the exchange on tape when it first aired. The reporter clearly asks "What did you mean by un-American activities?" Perhaps the news service tape I saw was better positioned than USA Today's tape recorder. It was clear to me, immediately what she was getting at. The reporter had subtley changed her quote.

Heinz Kerry says: "I didn't say that."

Imagine my surprise the next day when Hannity and the rest of the conservative Wave of Inaccuracy was putting out the message the HK was trying to deny what she said. Two letters claiming HK was caught "lying" about what she clearly said on on videotape appeared in our local newspaper and similar letters must have appeared in other cities, thereby aiding the slamming of HK. Faux News has made great use of this kind of tactic and I'm getting really tired of it. Doesn't Hannity almost nightly rave that moveon.org compared Bush to Hitler??? Moveon.org never did anything of the sort. If I say that Bush is no better than Hitler on this blog, Hannity could then report that classicalvalues.com thinks Bush is just is like Hitler. Don't neo-cons across over the Fruited Plain continue to insist that the White House never said Saddam posed an eminent threat, although there are numerous videos and transcripts showing this to be a lie?

voltaire   ·  August 3, 2004 12:27 PM

You keep bringing up this cat Hannity, but you're asking the wrong people. Eric already told you he doesn't listen to him. The only thing I know about him I saw in a 2 minute news clip on some second-rate concert he put together. He seemed like a smug jackass.

I don't have cable and the only radio I listen to is NPR, Howard Stern, and local sports. I haven't even heard Rush Limbaugh's show in the last ten years, and frankly I don't care about talking heads.

And, oh yeah -- I'm an anarchist. Eric is a libertarian.

You're barking up the wrong tree.

Rather than parroting the same thoughtless critique which explains non-leftist dissent as "neo-con" rhetoric and ideology, you should ask why people are asking the questions they're asking.

As an anarchist I have no tolerance for rule by an elitist intellectual class, and I give socialists no more leverage than anyone else. As an anrchist -- and this is where I break with other so-called anarchists -- I also recognize that the best form of federal government is one that is least involved in our lives. Unlike Proudhon and many who claim anarchism, I don't buy the lie that property is theft. And unlike Bakhunin I can see the difference between an ideal and a sustainable society. (Of course, to people who pick a political side and run headlong into battle that wouldn't make sense.)

The left inevitably inches toward totalitarianism. It's fundamental to their belief in the role of government. The right, so long as moral conservatives are kept in check, is far less objectionable.

Having said that, it's reasonable to demand the same accountability for those on the left as for those on the right. Mark Shields is allowed to use the terms 'mixed race' and 'purebred' when talking about politicians, as if they were dogs or horses, because he's a leftist. Teresa Heinz is allowed to say 'un-American' because she's John Kerry's wife.

Don't pretend that if a conservative analyst said 'purebred,' or Rick Santorum said 'un-American' ('America does not belong to Rick Santorum!') there wouldn't be hell to pay.

So who's motivated by ideology? Those of who aren't familiar with Hannity, but react honestly to events as they happen, or those of you who obsess over him in a juvenile political game of us vs. them?

ps: That was a cute touch, calling Michael Moore a "hapless victim."

pps: Be careful who you invoke with your pseudonym. It was Voltaire who said, "Les Blancs sont supérieurs à ces Nègres, comme les Nègres le sont aux singes, et comme les singes le sont aux huîtres." (Traité de métaphysique, 1735)

And much more besides. A good socialist, he.

Varius Contrarius   ·  August 3, 2004 04:24 PM

Got me on the McCarthy stuff... Oh well, last time *I* try to do modern American history on memory. Ask me about the Enlightenment instead.

Jason Kuznicki   ·  August 3, 2004 08:40 PM


March 2007
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
        1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31

ANCIENT (AND MODERN)
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR


Search the Site


E-mail




Classics To Go

Classical Values PDA Link



Archives




Recent Entries



Links



Site Credits