Today I read this article: "Secretary Slams Political 'Trash Talk'".
A Republican member of President Barack Obama's cabinet blistered conservative talk-radio hosts and cable-television news yesterday, saying they have eroded civility and impeded the nation's ability to solve big problems.. . . I believe the expression I'm looking for here is (clearing throat and assuming my best oratorical tone)--Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told The Dispatch that the level of "harsh discourse in Washington has probably reached an all-time high," and he partly blamed it on "all of this trash talk about the process and about politicians 24/7" on cable television and talk radio.
LaHood referred to criticism Obama received for appearing Sunday on five television news shows to promote his health-care overhaul. The secretary also indicated that even the president's bully pulpit is no match for the cacophony over the airwaves from the political right.
"He can't even compete with all this stuff that people are saying about him, so the idea that he did five interviews on Sunday, that's just minuscule compared to the kind of trash talk that goes on all week prior to that," LaHood said.
"All of this background, all of this trash talk in the background, it does not contribute to civil discourse, and it does not contribute to the government or the country's ability to solve big issues."
"Boo hoo. Cry me a river."
Oh, man! This guy should be a stand-up comedian!Yesterday, LaHood named them [Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck] and Fox News commentator Sean Hannity for diminishing civility. In the rural central-Illinois congressional district LaHood used to represent, he said, Beck, Limbaugh and Hannity dominate the daytime airwaves.
"Now, when you get farmers picking their corn and beans, driving around in their (tractor) cabs listening to, from 9 to 3, these guys all revved up against Obama, against everything that he's trying to accomplish, that gets people stirred up. They're making an enormous amount of money by trashing politicians and trashing the process."
Referring to cable TV news shows, LaHood said, "Look, you know as well as I do that there's not enough news for 24 hours, so what happens is that these channels keep repeating politicians yelling at one another or people that are all exercised, and that gets people all revved up.
"And it also gives the idea that maybe these politicians don't know what they're doing."
Asked whether he envisions any changes in the media that might reverse the trend of incivility, LaHood replied, "In a word, no. Unless the people decide that the way, you know, (is) to shut it off, turn it off."
"And it also gives the idea that maybe these politicians don't know what they're doing."
Wha..? How on earth could we get a crazy idea like that? Clearly all politicians are geniuses capable of solving the world's problems without any in-put from the rest of us. And they're all so noble, with only our best interests in mind! All any of them want is to help little old me and you. None of them are power-hungry. Not a single one of them is incompetent. And as for the ones who aren't power-hungry or blatantly incompetent, you know that they are incapable of making mistakes (like a mere mortal might be).
I particularly love the way he oh-so-subtly insinuates that those poor idiot farmers-- you know, the ones "picking their corn and beans, driving around in their (tractor) cabs listening to, from 9 to 3, these guys all revved up against Obama, against everything that he's trying to accomplish"-- are too weak in the head to make up their own minds about what they're listening to. (Well, you know what farmers are like. They believe every word they hear-- 'specially if it comes out of the Magic Talkin' Box. No critical thinking ability whatsoever.)
This savvy politician knows that it's bad news when the people get "stirred" or "revved" up-- or woken up.
Hush-a-bye, baby! Close your eyes. Go back to sleep.
Everything's alright. Just leave it to us. We know best.
