I AM INSANE?!

   In a recent blog by Brendan Nyhan about Giuliani's attack on free speech, due to Hillary's comments on moveon.org, I was referred to as "insane" by one of the commentators! Here is the blog and comment:

September 13, 2007

Giuliani suggests limits on free speech

During an appearance on Sean Hannity's radio show yesterday, Rudy Giuliani attacked Hillary Clinton and MoveOn.org for their criticism of General Petraeus and suggested that such criticism "should not be allowed" (MP3 audio).

For most of the interview, Giuliani characterized Clinton's mild statement to Petraeus that "the reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief" as some sort of vitriolic personal attack that is unacceptable during wartime. (Rudy, of course, never engages in vitriolic rhetoric.) He also agreed with Hannity that there has been "an orchestrated campaign of slander against a war hero."

But the interview took a more disturbing turn later, when Giuliani's rhetoric slid into an explicit attack on free speech (9:30 in the interview):

This is being done purely for political campaign strategy. It's a calculated political campaign strategy. You should not be allowed to malign someone's reputation unfairly just because you think it's good for your campaign.

Does Giuliani -- who has a troubling history on free speech issues -- really believe that Hillary Clinton and MoveOn.org "should not be allowed" to criticize Petraeus? Voters deserve to know.

Update 9/14 9:24 AM: Giuliani ran an ad attacking Clinton and MoveOn.org in today's New York Times.

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10:54 PM | Permalink

I'm starting to understand:

1) Rudy's words definitely mean he wants jack-booted government thugs to torture any Democrat who utters the phrase 'willing suspension of disbelief'.

2) We know this because Sean Hannity sided with the Swift Boat guys (and because any other interpretation is selective nonsense and/or hypocrisy).

Posted by: ERF | September 17, 2007 at 06:38 AM

Anything is possible in your world, I guess. Don't tell me, you're not a Republican, you're an "Independent", right? Coming here to fight the good fight, eh?

Posted by: Sean-B | September 17, 2007 at 06:48 AM

The scary thing about his statements is the fact that soon he might be able to act on them! Due to his close personal ties with the newly appointed Mr.Mukasey. As far as comments on FIX News, well is it such a shocker?! People need to stop playing the blame game with scapegoats and stand up for a solution to the tyranny! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE EMPIRE AMERICA!!! visit my wikizine AWAKENING for proof!!

Posted by: joenobody | September 17, 2007 at 08:29 PM

The line separating irony from insanity in this thread has disappeared.

Posted by: ERF | September 18, 2007 at 08:04 AM

    So now I am insane? For exercising my right to free speech? Insane is college kids being tased at government forums for "speaking to long"! Insane is "bathroom stall tourist traps"! Insane is needing millions of dollars just to run for an office! The irony is being called insane on a thread about free speech!! It's this very mentality that is letting our right to exist and speak be yanked out from under us. The ,"I don't like what your saying, so your wrong and insane", mentality is destroying our right to be individuals! So if insane is wanting the rights of individuals to be protected, no matter how "far left" or "far right" the opinions are, I AM INSANE!