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Book Tour Shows Palin
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'Going Rogue' phenomenon may foreshadow something bigger

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Matt Taibbi

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|NEXT STORY »

OPINION

Hey, Right Wingers: You're Hanoi Jane Now

Folks attacking Obama over Peace Prize are the America haters

By Harry Kimball| Posted Oct 13, 09 11:11 AM CDT|

(Newser) – “Why, oh why, do conservatives hate America so?” One might get that idea, Eugene Robinson writes, when the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and the RNC rush to join the Taliban in denouncing President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. These people are “exhibiting what they, in a different context, surely would describe as ‘Hanoi Jane’ behavior.” And what’s worse? It doesn’t make a shred of sense.

It’s not the fault of the “addlebrained Obama-rejectionists,” Robinson writes in the Washington Post. They don’t think the president could “possibly do anything right.” The real problem is that “otherwise sane commentators” are suggesting the honor might sway Obama’s decisions. That’s phooey, Robinson writes. “Nothing, not even the Nobel Peace Prize, can set the bar any higher for President Obama than he's already set it for himself.”

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

Visitors look at a sand sculpture of President Barak Obama with a Nobel Prize medal, created by sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik on the Golden Sea beach in Puri, India. (AP Photo)

President Barack Obama speaks about winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. (AP Photo)

Former President Jimmy Carter's Nobel Peace Prize. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

He hardly needs to be reminded of his philosophy of international relations—or that he once called Afghanistan a "war of necessity." Threading that needle is not made any easier or harder by the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision. - Eugene Robinson

As Republican leaders—except RNC Chairman Michael Steele—are beginning to realize, "I'm With the Taliban Against America" is not likely to be a winning slogan. - Eugene Robinson

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

11.23.09

Books Are Bad for You

11.20.09

The Health-Care Wars Have Just Begun

48 comments

VIEWING:

cornelison
Oct 13, 09 11:57 AM CDT

When Chicago did not win the Olympic bid The President's critics used the opportunity to attack him. When children play sports in school there's a valuable lesson. A good sport loses gracefully. Too bad the GOP needs children to teach them how to behave. Reply

+19

IN RESPONSE:

Nelstorm
Oct 13, 09 12:30 PM CDT

Apparently there's no kindergarten in Red States. There's a year where they teach you that crying and screaming makes your turn on the swings come sooner, and that sharing is worse than having no building blocks at all.

IN RESPONSE:

dontlikeyou
Oct 13, 09 12:39 PM CDT

As always, liberal hatred rings hollow and misses the mark. It plays well to the indoctrinated Socialists but means nothing and changes the minds of no one.

-15

IN RESPONSE:

Nelstorm
Oct 13, 09 1:05 PM CDT

Conservative hatred rings obnoxiously loudly, and declares wherever it manages to stick to be the intended mark. Those who it plays well to do not understand politics, it means hatred and fear, and drives independents and undecideds away from the Republican Party.

IN RESPONSE:

Worthingtons-Law
Oct 13, 09 1:52 PM CDT

don'tlikeyou misses the point that 'hatred' of GOP is no longer from just 'liberals' anymore. Oh yes, minds ARE changing.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 13, 09 1:53 PM CDT

@nelstrom I think that you meant doesn't make your turn come sooner, but I get it and I agree.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

DJM420
Oct 13, 09 1:54 PM CDT

and really, dont like facts, are you accusing 'liberals' of hating on haters? any chance you can say something profound one day and surprise us? something like a fact. maybe an idea. anything logical would be mighty refreshing, you know.

IN RESPONSE:

ultramarine13
Oct 13, 09 4:58 PM CDT

Really, dontlikeyou, how can you be as full of hate as you are? It really amazes me to watch what the right wing does in America. Their thought process seems to simply be "They don't agree with me, therefore they are wrong, therefore they hate America, and they are out to ruin society, etc." O'Riley, Limbaugh, Beck, et al. really seem to be bent on a republican party run by them for them and to hell with the consequences. I only hope that enough people see through their charade.

IN RESPONSE:

archibaldarmstrong
Oct 13, 09 7:44 PM CDT

And I assume you are saying that the Democrats are just the people to teach the lesson? Get real. They are even bigger whiners than Republicans, when the shoe is on the other foot. Think about it.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

archibaldarmstrong
Oct 13, 09 8:28 PM CDT

Touché!!!!

-1

| 0 minutes ago

NovThird2010
Oct 13, 09 12:00 PM CDT

Hanoi Jane went to North Vietnam and was photographed seated on an anti-aircraft battery while we were at war; she wasn't just making verbal criticisms. Talk about a specious argument. How does this dimwit Harry Kimball keep his job? Reply

-7

IN RESPONSE:

osu1067
Oct 13, 09 12:20 PM CDT

Bailouts?

IN RESPONSE:

skeptik
Oct 13, 09 12:28 PM CDT

uhhhh....speaking of specious arguments, Harry Kimball was quoting Eugene Robinson. You might want to try reading a little more than the headline before calling someone ELSE a dimwit.

IN RESPONSE:

BleeBloo
Oct 13, 09 1:11 PM CDT

Newser is just reporting what other dimwits have said. Come on now.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

DJM420
Oct 13, 09 1:57 PM CDT

and conservative haters have been photographed with obama-witch doctor signs, etc... taped spewing hate, cheering when obama fails, jeers when he gets a nobel... i'd say hanoi jane is a mighty apt comparison, except that jane fonda has a brain

| 0 minutes ago

MedicOni
Oct 13, 09 12:08 PM CDT

Wait, these are the same people that said criticizing the government when Bush was in office was patriotic... What the hell happened? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

osu1067
Oct 13, 09 12:27 PM CDT

"NEWSFLASH - People with vested interest in status-quo willing to lie, distort and fear-monger to preserve their place at the top of the pyramid" - Doctor_Zaius, October 12, 2009. Straight from the horse's mouth I'd say. In order to preserve power, dissension must be marginalized by any means possible. Basically, Democrats are no different than Republicans when it comes to preserving the political status-quo. In a word, Democrats are now hypocrites.

-2

IN RESPONSE:

dontlikeyou
Oct 13, 09 12:40 PM CDT

Exactly MedicOni. Democrats are hypocrites. Clearly they are worse than the worst in regard to their principles.

-7

IN RESPONSE:

RockyPneumonia
Oct 13, 09 12:47 PM CDT

I know this is going to be hard for MedicOni and dontlikeyou to understand, given that it's based on fact and not on what they want to be true, but we're not talking about people who are criticizing the government based on what it's actually, y'know, done; we're talking about people who are spreading lies and calumny that is unbased in reality.

IN RESPONSE:

Galileo
Oct 13, 09 1:07 PM CDT

@osu1067 - You should really stop using the word 'hypocrite'. Yesterday when you berated someone for using ad hominem attack and I pointed out that you had just used ad hominem attack one post prior, you were shown to be a hypocrite. So please refrain from the ultimate hypocrisy, hypocrites calling other people hypocrites.

IN RESPONSE:

DJM420
Oct 13, 09 1:58 PM CDT

Exactly MedicOni. Republicans are hypocrites. Clearly they are worse than the worst in regard to their principles. ie: john ensign, dick cheney, et al

| 0 minutes ago

Jayster999
Oct 13, 09 12:56 PM CDT

Um, Hanoi Jane was photo opping with Ho Chi Minh and Viet Cong artillery while we were at war. A roughly equal situation would be Glenn Beck mugging it up with Bin Laden. I don't think that's going to materialize. A better comparison for griping republicans would obviously be...griping democrats. You guys really don't remember bitching about Bush? You should, since most of you whine about the "Bush legacy" daily. Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Galileo
Oct 13, 09 1:16 PM CDT

Since you're an expert on the accuracy of comparison, I suppose for yours to hold up you need to give us the equivalent Bush examples. And no, regular people saying "I hate Bush" is not comparable to media figures rejoicing at the loss of the Olympics just because Obama was involved. You all are missing a key piece of the equation here, which is that it isn't criticism of Obama's policies that we're sick of, it's things like wanting him to fail. It's this notion that you'd rather things get worse so you can be right about him. What is so maddening is that even if health care reform is greatly successful, and the economy picks up, we know you will somehow hate him even more.

IN RESPONSE:

Galileo
Oct 13, 09 1:22 PM CDT

One more note: this mindset has a lot in common with conspiracy theorists. The trademark of a true conspiracy theorist is that while he claims to be in pursuit of the truth, he is most concerned with his initial opinion being right. When one is concerned with the truth, he lets the facts dictate that truth. Much like a scientist. But when someone proves false a part of the conspiracy theory, the theorist simply denies or ignores the proof and continues believing what he wanted to in the first place. It is the total absence of objectivity and reason in the far right hysteria that we are tired of.

+11

IN RESPONSE:

Spudsy
Oct 13, 09 2:22 PM CDT

It's easy to whine about Bush since he killed 4000 soldiers to get some cash for Cheney's Halliburton buddies and show daddy that he could invade a country. You guys whine when Obama continues a bailout program that was invented by your buddy Bush. So in effect, you are whining about Bush too. Feel better now?

IN RESPONSE:

ultramarine13
Oct 13, 09 5:24 PM CDT

Remember the Bush/Bin Laden family ties? That's worse than simply posing with Al Qaeda, if you ask me. And, to echo Spudsy, Bush: - lead the country to a very unpopular invasion of a sovereign nation, under false pretenses - botched the management of the aforementioned war, leading to the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of US troops and untold (easily in the hundreds of thousands) of deaths and injuries among the Iraqi civilians - botched the management of another, initially popularly supported war, leading to similar results - increased the national debt to record levels with out of control government spending (including said wars) - alienated our international allies and made a mockery of the presidency (remember the pretzel incident? Or the Segway incident?) - botched the evacuation and, through an incompetent appointee, rescue efforts in New Orleans - arrested US citizens under dubious circumstances - performed illegal surveillance of US citizens - expanded perhaps the most infamous and controversial detention camps/prisons in US history - awarded billions in war-time contracts to contractors later proven to have strong ties to the Bush administration and also to be overcharging and failing to meet expectations Need I continue? Needless to say, Bush and the rest of his administration have a hell of a lot to answer for.

IN RESPONSE:

kokuaguy
Oct 13, 09 10:45 PM CDT

Galileo, it is a pleasure to read your prose and your analysis on the newser site. Keep it up. You set high standards for us all. ; ^)

IN RESPONSE:

Rocket448
Oct 14, 09 2:15 AM CDT

Here's kudos to Ultramarine, as well. It's well that the real failures of the GW Bush administration are held up for comparison to the imagined failures of President Obama's.

| 0 minutes ago

GlennH
Oct 13, 09 1:13 PM CDT

So true. That whole bunch of right-wing crazies fit their own (previous) definition of "unpatriotic" perfectly--and, not surprisingly, they're too dumb to even realize it. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

ultramarine13
Oct 13, 09 5:25 PM CDT

Most likely their definition of "patriotic" is simply anyone who agrees with them.

| 0 minutes ago

hamsammichs
Oct 13, 09 1:21 PM CDT

Oh shit, you caught us! Well guys, the gig is up. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

cochiserocks
Oct 13, 09 1:22 PM CDT

Deductive reasoning is a dangerous logic - you can go anywhere using the same base elements as everyone else - The ad hominem attack is part of the same clutch of distorting and delusional logic filters which creates not polemics, but nutters who think they are polemic at best, and at worst - think they are right. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

riffran
Oct 13, 09 2:28 PM CDT

Sean Penn was closer to Hanoi Jane than what the dipshit journo is spouting Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Oct 13, 09 6:40 PM CDT

Say what you will, but when a party echoes exactly the same thing as the Taliban, they are purposely creating rifts in the country. Yet all these supporters of the GOP think that's fine

| 0 minutes ago

thejoint00
Oct 13, 09 2:29 PM CDT

obama haters got cought up in their own traps. or so they think. I'm still not supporting bailouts, socialized heatlhcare, or hugo chavez. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Carpediem4U
Oct 13, 09 6:28 PM CDT

what????

| 0 minutes ago

Reader83540559
Oct 13, 09 4:20 PM CDT

Robinson It isn't a problem for most of us . If Norway wants to give Barack Obama1mil plus and an award for what they consider peace making or causes now or in the future, hey it is alright with me. As long as you don't expect me to believe he has earned it. They probably gave it to him hoping to help him make a decision to not continue to send troops to Afghanistan Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Reader83540559
Oct 13, 09 4:31 PM CDT

I don't hate Obama Heck I love him I believed him when he said he was going to see that all Americans got the same healthcare he had in the senate. It looks like he isn't going to get that through BUT it's going to be ok cause I'll bet he is going to make sure the entire congress and all the other government employees have the same healthcare the rest of America has. Now when he pulls that one off I'LL VOTE FOR HIM TO RECEIVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE OKAY I'LL EVEN TELL JOE WILSON HE IS WRONG. Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Carpediem4U
Oct 13, 09 6:26 PM CDT

wtf are you talking about....health care reform is going to pass...get over it!

| 0 minutes ago

Silverbow7
Oct 13, 09 5:24 PM CDT

I'd love to see that. To bad it is impossible. If only we could figure out how to make them do the term limits they promised. Such liars. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

yummines
Oct 13, 09 7:43 PM CDT

well Obama received about 3 million right? maybe he could put that money to good use. that is what i would like to see, what Obama does with that money. But it is true that Republicans hate Obama for either ridiculous reasons or unknown pretenses. it is not smart to play the race card, and it is obvious that republicans hate democrats. i never understand why instead of spewing hatred they actually try to work with Obama, to give constructive criticism and ideas on how to fix the economy or health care. instead they just sit back and try to make Obama a scapegoat for all of the problems the US is facing. what kind of mindset do these crazies have? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

acerbus80
Oct 13, 09 7:51 PM CDT

How ironic that before the election, Hamas, the Taliban, and Al Quada all supported Obama in the election. I suppose that makes all those that voted for Obama haters of America as well? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

archibaldarmstrong
Oct 13, 09 8:30 PM CDT

Touché!!!

| 0 minutes ago

newshound
Oct 13, 09 8:23 PM CDT

The GOP is slithering over to join the likes of dontlkeyou. Keep it up guys. Keep going at this rate and you bums won't be able to get your own mothers to vote for you. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

newshound
Oct 13, 09 8:28 PM CDT

Nice try, acerbus80. Why don't you go peddle this little piece of disinformation (BTW, that's spy-speak for "lie") to your tea-party friends, they believe anything. Reply

-2

| 0 minutes ago

DERY
Oct 14, 09 8:07 PM CDT

Countless of of non-conservatives Leftists, progressives, and libertarians also criticized the award. Profs. Noam Chomksy and Howard Zinn did too. I suppose we all are America-haters? I;m sure the families of all those dead Afghans and Pakistani Pashtuns are also not too thrilled about him getting it. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

shank1977
Oct 26, 09 3:07 AM CDT

man i tell ya there sure are alot of obama left wingers here....makes me wanna puke..oh yea he said there will be change an man look at how its going oh yea its a changeing...can one left wing tell me WHAT??? he has done to change this country for the good...tell me what hes done at all for that matter???? i mean this guy hasent done notthing but worrie weather or not someone is bashing on him . Like fox news or the people who disagree with what he is doing.....oh you idiots who say me or anyone else isent american cause we disagree with his junk he is throwing at the country should be deported out...cause we are for freedom an rights thats what this country was founded on .And this guy is trying very hard to take that away from the american people..JUsT because we wont roll over an let this guy run over our rights dosent mean we are not american if anything we are more american than you will ever be....you want a dictater move to iran!!!!!! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

BobSr
Oct 29, 09 5:21 PM CDT

Why does Obama hate America so much that he wants to change it into something like China or Venezuela? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 48 comments »

Rush Limbaugh • Glenn Beck • Nobel Peace Prize • Afghanistan war • President Obama • Michael Steele • Republican National Committee • Eugene Robinson • Hanoi Jane

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Hey, Right Wingers: You're Hanoi Jane Now

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Hey, Right Wingers: You're Hanoi Jane Now

Folks attacking Obama over Peace Prize are the America haters

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Limbaugh's Wrong: Gallup's Obama Approval Below 50%

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