sonnylarue
10-31-2008, 12:12 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/31/palin-criticism-threatens_n_139729.html
palin says that when the press questions her claims of obama's terrorist associations, her free speech rights are under attack.
"joe the plumber" intimated the same basic idea, when sheapard smith asked him to explain why "Joe" agreed with a man at a town hall appearance, who said "if Obama becomes president, it would mean the death of Israel, as a state."
"Joe" answered "well the guy who's asking this question is an american, and he has the right to believe this."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/foxs-shepard-smith-forced_n_138674.html
ok... but the press and frankly everyone has an equal 1st amendment right to ask these people to explain their claims with facts to back them up.
someone needs to give these boobs a refresher course in the us constitution.
Palin said. "If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."
Salon's Glenn Greenwald explains why this argument is frighteningly wrong:
If anything, Palin has this exactly backwards, since one thing that the First Amendment does actually guarantee is a free press. Thus, when the press criticizes a political candidate and a Governor such as Palin, that is a classic example of First Amendment rights being exercised, not abridged.
This isn't only about profound ignorance regarding our basic liberties, though it is obviously that. Palin here is also giving voice here to the standard right-wing grievance instinct: that it's inherently unfair when they're criticized. And now, apparently, it's even unconstitutional.
According to Palin, what the Founders intended with the First Amendment was that political candidates for the most powerful offices in the country and Governors of states would be free to say whatever they want without being criticized in the newspapers. The First Amendment was meant to ensure that powerful political officials would not be "attacked" in the papers. It is even possible to imagine more breathaking ignorance from someone holding high office and running for even higher office?
palin says that when the press questions her claims of obama's terrorist associations, her free speech rights are under attack.
"joe the plumber" intimated the same basic idea, when sheapard smith asked him to explain why "Joe" agreed with a man at a town hall appearance, who said "if Obama becomes president, it would mean the death of Israel, as a state."
"Joe" answered "well the guy who's asking this question is an american, and he has the right to believe this."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/foxs-shepard-smith-forced_n_138674.html
ok... but the press and frankly everyone has an equal 1st amendment right to ask these people to explain their claims with facts to back them up.
someone needs to give these boobs a refresher course in the us constitution.
Palin said. "If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."
Salon's Glenn Greenwald explains why this argument is frighteningly wrong:
If anything, Palin has this exactly backwards, since one thing that the First Amendment does actually guarantee is a free press. Thus, when the press criticizes a political candidate and a Governor such as Palin, that is a classic example of First Amendment rights being exercised, not abridged.
This isn't only about profound ignorance regarding our basic liberties, though it is obviously that. Palin here is also giving voice here to the standard right-wing grievance instinct: that it's inherently unfair when they're criticized. And now, apparently, it's even unconstitutional.
According to Palin, what the Founders intended with the First Amendment was that political candidates for the most powerful offices in the country and Governors of states would be free to say whatever they want without being criticized in the newspapers. The First Amendment was meant to ensure that powerful political officials would not be "attacked" in the papers. It is even possible to imagine more breathaking ignorance from someone holding high office and running for even higher office?