Lying To Make Friends

Driving home from work, I foolishly thought I might be able to find hockey on the radio in LA. I did, however, stumble across some typically fantastic conservative talk radio. First, some clown named Lars had Ann Coulter on the show. I only caught the tail end of the interview, as they mocked Barack Obama for identifying himself as “African-American” rather than “American” in his speech today in the line: “Much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected President.” Now, it may just be me, but I think the line loses something the way they wanted it delivered, since there’s nothing all that exceptional about the American president being American.

After Coulter signed off, a caller asked Lars if he considered Coulter a “right-wing wacko.” Lars denied Coulter is a right-wing wacko, saying she’s just blunt and says the things that the rest of us think but don’t say. This may be true, but I don’t think that precludes her being a right-wing wacko. I’ll admit that occasionally I think the things that Ann Coulter says but don’t say them. Somewhere between thought and speech, some faculty intervenes and says “Don’t say that, it’s false/evil/ridiculous/racist/moronic.” I would contend that the lack of such a faculty is precisely what makes Ann Coulter a right-wing wacko.

The caller then challenged Lars to explain who is a right-wing wacko if Ann Coulter is not. Lars stuttered for a while, then named those who claimed Ramos and Compean, the border agents who gunned down a man at the border, should have their sentences commuted because the man they shot, unbeknownst to them, was a drug smuggler.. Personally, I reject any defintion of right-wing wacko that includes Dianne Feinstein but not George Bush. But even if you grant Lars’ standard, he may want to re-examine his opinion of Ann Coulter.

I then came upon Mark Levin. Levin explained that he was about to play Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” because, unlike our President, he know it’s America that makes America great. Or something like that. (I wonder whether Levin’s “America” includes the majority of Americans that voted for Obama and currently approve of his job performance). Either way, the playing of the song was the most pleasant four minutes in the history of conservative talk radio, even more so because it reminded me of one of my favorite speeches ever. (skip to 18:30).

-AR