Every Man A Giant: Talking Trash

TALKING TRASH

This is a bit of old news, but after stewing over it for a few days I figured I might as well get this out of my system. Let's set the stage with comments made by Colin Powell:

I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts itself into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without.

Well. I guess that's putting it on the table. Needless to say, them was fighting words for the right wing talk show crazies. Let's tune in and see what they had to say when conservative talk host Mark Steyn made a guest appearance on the Sean Hannity show on May 6, 2009:

HANNITY: The base of their party doesn't think they've gotten too conservative. They've either gotten too liberal.

STEYN: Right. Right.

HANNITY: Too liberal on spending, too liberal on the size and scope of government influence in our lives, right?

STEYN: Yes. And they're saying — and they're told by the clever guys, by Colin Powell, well, go along with this, go along with this, and you'll win. And there's no point in just being in office. I mean that's great for Colin Powell, you get to sit there, you've got the limo, you've got the driver.

But if you're someone who voted for these people because you want them to advance conservative politics, then these guys are a waste of time. Karl Rove, I fell off my chair laughing when Karl said he would love to hear Colin Powell articulate his vision.

What sense of a vision do you get from Colin Powell? He's been in public life for 20 years. What particular philosophical strain of conservatism or even soft, weedy, watery Republicanism has he ever articulated?

HANNITY: That's a great point. How do you go from supporting Ronald Reagan, how do you go from supporting George W. Bush, to all the policies that are the antithesis of that?

STEYN: Yes. Yes.

I don't know, but something about this just struck me as totally wrong. We are talking about Colin effing Powell for God's sake. I'm not saying the guy walks on water, but to have Powell's 20 years in public service dismissed as "what has he ever done" by these two hacks is bizarre, especially given the subject at hand, Rush Limbaugh.

Tell you what, I'll be happy to put Powell’s resume up against Rush's any place, any time. Let's see. Combat veteran, winner of a Bronze Star and awarded a Purple Heart. Four star general. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Presidential candidate. Secretary of State.

Now let's look at Rush. College drop out. Radio show host.

'Nuff said. Oh yeah, Hannity: Shut up.

May 10, 2009