False Equivalence Award
by digby
Yesterday evening CNN showed footage of pro-reform steelworkers protesting outside Representative Altmire's office. They were just standing there with signs that said things like "Standing Together For Health." There were no reports of anything untoward at this protest.
Then they showed the far more uhm --- aggressive tea party rally in DC.
Don Lemon: So, apparently there were some things that went on that were not so savory, at least that the allegations when it comes to some Democratic representatives.
Mark Preston:(CNN political director): Sure and again Dana can probably speak more directly to it. But what we saw was protests here in Washington DC, and as you would have with any group, we heard some slurs directed at some members of congress, which clearly is inappropriate.
I think we have to be careful and note that not all the opponents of health care reform actually believe it or would act this way, or all the proponents of health care reform would act that way.
Except, you know, there's no evidence that any of the proponents of health care reform acted that way. Only the the tea partying bigots are slinging around racial epithets and gay bashing. But being fair and balanced apparently requires that journalists imply that both sides have people who are doing this.
The Republicans are losing their minds and their shock troops, the tea partiers, are facing the reality that they aren't likely to win this fight. The don't like that and they are acting very, very badly. This has nothing to do with "both sides do it." The facts have shown over many, many years that the left gets depressed when these things happen --- and the right has a screaming, spitting, head-banging tantrum. How the two sides handle defeat is a defining characteristic.
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