Consistency

As someone who makes fun of others, usually by name calling, it's hard for me to be "faux"raged by others speech.

Ann Coulter, shockingly, upset many when she said this at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)...

I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot - so… Kind of at an impasse. Can’t really talk about Edwards, so I think I’ll just conclude here and take your questions.

There was wide spread "faux"rage on many blogs, conservative and fiberal.

I have yet to see the same "rage" on fiberal blogs for leftists sadness over the failed assassination attempt on Vice President Cheney.

Most were put on the Huffington Post, but Bill Maher aired his on his HBO show "Real Time...

Maher: What about the people who got onto the Huffington Post – and these weren’t even the bloggers, these were just the comments section – who said they, they expressed regret that the attack on Dick Cheney failed.

Joe Scarborough: Right.

Maher: Now…

John Ridley: More than regret.

Maher: Well, what did they say?

Ridley: They said “We wish he would die.” I mean, it was (?) hate language.

Barney Frank: They said the bomb was wasted. (laughter and applause)

Maher: That’s a funny joke. But, seriously, if this isn’t China, shouldn’t you be able to say that?...

Ridley: It’s one thing to say you hate Dick Cheney, which applies to his politics. It’s another thing to say, “I’m sorry he didn’t die in an explosion." And I think, you know…

Maher: But you should be able to say it. And by the way...

Frank: Excuse me, Bill, but can I ask you a question? Do you decide what the topics are for this show?

Maher: Yeah, I decide the topics, they don’t go there.

Frank: But you exercise control over the show the way that she does over her blog.

Maher: But I have zero doubt that if Dick Cheney was not in power, people wouldn’t be dying needlessly tomorrow. (applause)

Scarborough: If someone on this panel said that they wished that Dick Cheney had been blown up, and you didn’t say…

Frank: I think he did.

Scarborough: Okay. Did you say…

Maher: No, no. I quoted that.

Frank: You don’t believe that?

Maher: I’m just saying if he did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact.

If you can generate "rage" over a slur that came out of a feeble attempt at humor, you can generate the same "rage" over wishing someone dead!

John Edwards had this to say about Coulter's comments...

"I think its important that we not reward hateful, selfish, childish behavior with attention. I also believe that is important for all of us to speak out against language of this kind; it is the place where hatred gets its foothold, and we can't stand silently by and allow this kind of language to be used."

I couldn't find any quotes from Edwards about those wishing death on Dick Cheney!

Personally, I think you lose the high ground, or any "faux" rage when you sully it with a fund raising attempt...

In a mass email sent to supporters today, Edwards Campaign Manager David Bonoir argued that "this is just a taste of the filth that the right-wing machine is gearing up to throw at us" and set a fundraising goal of $100,000 this week.

Bonoir also called the comments "one of the worst moments in American politics I've seen."

I also found amusing that Bonoir was so "faux" raged "I can't bring myself to even repeat her comments" but tells supporters "you actually have to see for yourself to believe it."

The mantra of the '90s continues, I'm offended by...(insert offense here).

The reality remains that they believe in freedom of speech, as long as you agree with what I'm saying.