How Bad Is The GOP Establishment? This Bad

Update: To be clear, I don't think calling for Letterman to be fired is the right approach. But stating that Letterman owes the Palin's a genuine apology, as opposed to that farce, is a good thing. And so is taking the time to point out how Letterman's sexual mocking of any woman, least of all a young girl of 14 or 18, as a slut, or having been "knocked up" is not really what the country should be getting from a licensed national network such as CBS. They should be better than that. We don't have to flush the entire culture down the tube, do we? This ain't cable, folks.

I realize there are serious civil liberty issues here; the last thing I want is some talk of official government action. We are talking rhetoric and image here. Please reason this out.

New York State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, a Republican, is calling on the CEO of CBS to fire David Letterman for crude comments he made about Sarah Palin and her daughter.

“As the proud father of a daughter, and as a husband, I wanted Mr. Moonves to hear from me directly about Mr. Letterman’s disparaging remarks," Kolb said in a written statement.

It's bad enough that one of their own is being attacked as DC Republicans sit on their hands, some from self-interest, most out of fecklessness, or the political instincts of a board. But a key constituency with which the GOP always struggles, excepting when America's security is topical during an election - women, has been allowed to develop a significant anti-GOP political identity based upon the fringe over the years.

Now, when confronted with a rare and perfect opportunity to push back against a bad image, a gaggle of mostly older white males sleep away in their chambers in Washington and elsewhere calculating a comeback in their dreams.

So it falls to some mostly unknown Republican in New York to have the sense and decency to simply do the right thing in a serious and visible way.

Pathetic.

Comments

[rrpjr]

Rather, I think this is bad judgment all around. To call for the firing of Dave Letterman is stupid and kneejerk. I don't support it. It's what the Left does. We're supposed to be the party of free speech. Furthermore, put politically and crassly, is having Dave Letterman around to remind us of leftist hypocrisy and misogyny such a bad thing?

[Dan Riehl]

"bad judgment all around."

I agree with the "firing" aspect. I wouldn't go there. But acknowledging that his apology was a load of BS and the comments, directed at any young woman, 14 or 18, are not good for our culture, or for women in general. The GOP could also take advantage of the opportunity to note the lack of criticism from the usual liberal Dems, pointing out their hypocrisy and that they are only playing politics with the issue. In the end, they don't care, nor do they object to this nonsense the way they would pretend to do were Letterman a Republican. Sadly, I'm thinking none of them, including other current speculative candidates for the nomination in 2012 have the political talent to pull it off.

[mark l.]

this is turning into a classic snl episode.

the skit was was interesting, worth a couple of days/minutes, but it has grown old and tiresome.

90% of the people who would be even motivated to care about it, already know. In trying to squeeze out that other 10%, you are going to drive away more than you'll draw.

if palin wants to try and sue for damages for her kids, it would be news.
if palin/gop is trying to squeeze the last drop of blood from the shrivled turnip(dave), it might not work out as well as they think.

[southdakotaboy]

We absolutely need to work to get David Letterman fired. For to long we have let the left say one thing and do another, we need to start following the "rules for radicals" which clearly states you must make the opposition live up to their own standards.

Now during a recession is the perfect time to strike. The companies that support his show and CBS are now extremely vulnerable to large boycotts. If we on the right can get Letterman fired for making these kind of remarks against conservatives it will make the others think twice,because if we can do it once we can doit a second time.

As far as free speach goes the left doesn't give us that freedom so why should we give it to them. If we take vulgarity away from them they will have to start answering us with reasoned debate, and who do you think will win then (it won't be the left).

[Dan Riehl]

I think you're wrong, Mark. Were I advising Palin, assuming she does want to run someday - I'd consider these things. And remember, she may not want another term in Alaska - if she did alright, getting out for something else wouldn't necessarily be a bad move. She could try for the Senate if she doesn't envision coming out in 12, but later. She's young, got plenty of time to do what she wants.

She should stop with the 14 yr old rape meme. 14, 18 - doesn't matter for misogyny like letterman's in the culture. But fashion herself into a champion of women that doesn't fit the typical leftist, male bashing crap. Start and run a national group, speak, travel, etc - build a center Right image on women, while keeping herself engaged in other issues by trading on her fame to speak out on this and that - and develop a national base of support and organization in doing that. She could be unstopable in 4, 8 or even 12 yrs, once the time is right.

She'd have a power pase well beyond the GOP's, which she could easily slide into when she was ready to run and have them both behind her.

[rrpjr]

Quite right, Mr. Riehl. The Right hasn't even the sense or skills (at least effectively marshaled) to make hay of the egregious Americorps issue. Each day brings new riches of political opportunity, and nearly all are bungled or missed completely. Where is Michael Steele? Does he collect a paycheck? And, to repeat, martyring Letterman is the last thing we should want; leveraging his rancid leftist elitism for all it's worth is the real goal, both selfishly and in the public interest. Palin has only been serviceable in her handling of the Letterman nonsense. One can sense even from her, as from most establishment conservatives, the deathless expectation that the media will do their dirty work. How can such delusion remain? It's fear, I think. Conservatives are genuinely afraid of the media, of their vaunted control over the popular culture (a myth of vauntedness sustained in no small part by the cowardly reluctance of conservative leaders to take them on).

[narciso]

Dan, that's why she went to Evansville, and Auburn and Long Island; why she's commented on missile defense, the takeover of auto companies,
the deaths of Tiller, Priv. Long, the Holocaust Museum shooting. Check her twitter, the State of Alaska website, Sarah Pac, chip in to her defense fund.

[mark l.]

"I think you're wrong, Mark. Were I advising Palin, assuming she does want to run someday - I'd consider these things."

if i were advising her...

step one: don't get into a border war. this is a border war. during the 08 campaign she was fending off the question of competency and defending, rather modestly, against the idea that she is vindictive(see brother-in-law. going after letterman-who did not violate a law-in the dace of so mant other solid econmic issues, diminishes her.
I'm extroidinarliy sympathetic to her, but the bottom line is a question of free speech.

step two: step away from any culture issues and immerse oneself in policy. this isn't policy. instead of being known for proposing econmic ideas, her claim to fame is in danger of becoming-"aggrieved the mother of the girl who got insulted by letterman." she should let someone else carry the water, and try and look stateman-like.

i know the left doesn't like her...it was the reason she was so popular on the trail. i voted for her ticket, and it wasn't because of mccain.

3 words...

toughen up buttercup.

[Ran]

"I realize there are serious civil liberty issues here; the last thing I want is some talk of official government action." Dan, yessiree. Reminds me of something a grade-school teacher hit us with constantly over the head: "Rules and law will step in where self-restraint fails, kuz there is no such thing as absolute freedom."

Mark... "i voted for her ticket, and it wasn't because of mccain." LOL! "Let me guess Dad... You didn't vote for McCain. But you voted for Palin?" "Uh-huh."

[narciso]

Yes we voted for her, McCain just happened to end up on the ticket, due to a flawed primary process where Huckabee, kneecapped most of the opposition to McCain, She was right on the issues, right in her prognostication of what would come to pass. So tell me, if you come back east to give tribute to William Seward the founder of Alaska, to speak for the rights of special needs children, and to provide a little
perspective on this 'road to serfdom' we're embarking and this gap toothed weatherman starts insulting your family, what would you do.

[mark l.]

she was the only one running with executive experience. not a lot...but infinitely more than others.

given obama's 'successes' thus far, there isn't much that demonstrates that executive management was an innate quality. he really is just a figurehead, becuase he doesn't have any prior experinece in managing, and others are doing it for him.

[mark l.]

to be honest ran,

it is the lesser of two evils, everytime i vote. i really don't hold blind faith in the gop, but the intellectual vacuousness of both the democratic ticket and their cheerleaders in the media was painful to see.

i won't even begin to pretend that the ticket the gop put out could be described as their best and the brightest, but when you bring in joe biden for gravitas, it is desperation time.

[kasper]

I agree with several of the comments, Palin would have been better off barely responding to Letterman's sick "joke." He is just the typical lefty creep, and his comment was just another of many typical lefty creep comments. He is less than dirt, why waste public commentary on filthy dirt? Best to not even respond.

Or... she could have said something that doesn't address him personally, but the problem the entertainment world has in general .... and that is that like most of the entertainment forced on the American people they play next to no roll in her family's life; such as "I would expect no less from our liberal entertainment world" making sure liberals own who they are. I know she actually attempted to put her response on those terms, but she should not have made media appearances as she did. It only gives the media filth another opportunity to hack away at her. She should be, at this point be secure enough to walk away from their invitations when it comes to personal attacks.

Left the Letterman dregs of the world spew away. Says more about them than who the choose to disparage.

I like Palin, but I don't think she's there yet. She'd best pick and choose her battles, stay off the media wave, be the best conservative governor she can. Personally, I think the damage has been done. And even people like me, who think the world of her, feel she isn't going to overcome the crap image she has been forced to wear.

[Dan Riehl]

"the crap image"

It's a valid point and a challenge for her. But she's also very young. Forties? She could wait as long as 12 years. Purely for speculation, she has a lot of clout right now, draws crowds and money. What if she picks a horse early in 2012 - say a Romney and cuts a deal for Energy Sec. She comes to DC, the kids grow up and in 8 yrs., it's a whole new deal for her.

[David Scott]

Although, I personally am so far to the left that even the democrats appear to me to be "right-wing," I consider myself to be a strict constitutionalist. It is my opinion that since its inception there has been an organized and systematic assault by the conservatives in the United States on the civil liberties written into the US Constitution. The “War on Drugs”; “War on Terror”; “War on Communism” and a host of other wars waged by the right wing are really nothing more than a War on People--an excuse to erode civil rights to the point of non-existence. I invite you to my website devoted to raising awareness on this puritan attack on freedom: http://pltcldscsn.blogspot.com/

[kasper]

David, you are typical of the spoiled generations in America who have the luxury, after having been given so much opportunity by previous generations, to waste and whittle their silly brains on your own stupidity.

Next time you turn around, you may not recognize where you are. Prepare for a different world. A world that you will be ill equipped to cope with.

[will]

What is the image that Palin brings to the GOP. When she lets small things like Dave ruffle her father that tells me on large issues she'll cave. People we need leaders who can communicate themselves effectively and not have their feelings hurt over a bad joke. Palin is a nice lady who has done well for herself, but she is not leader. Sorry. The GOP has people to run in the future, but I think their staying out of the public eye currently. As a Dem I think the Gov, from Florida is a good choice. Keep in mind that many more young adults are making their own choices not following Dad and Moms political ideas. It would also help if the main speakers for the GOP would stop talking Regan it reminds people that there trying to skip Bush 1 & 2. Keep up the good fight and look forward to watching a good debate in future.