wimping out
I often have complained about politicians wimping out on national TV so I am somewhat mortified to have wimped out myself recently when I was interviewed by former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough for his MSNBC Show “Scarborough Country.”
The week before I had moderated a panel discussion at the New School on the occasion of the paperback release of the anthology “It’s A Free Country” which is about civil liberties in the United States since 9/11. I edited it along with my father Victor Goldberg and film and TV producer/director Robert Greenwald. Anyone familiar with our views will not be surprised to know that the book is a strong critique of Ashcroft justice. The panel consisted of Princeton Professor Cornel West, Newsweek investigative editor Michael Isikoff, ACLU Executive Director and Jeanane Garafalo.
Scarborough has long been obsessed with Garafalo, frequently using ,out of context excerpts from her public remarks as a point of departure for assorted forms of bad-mouthing and condescension. His show has a crew shoot the event , which was accurately described in a recent piece in the Observer by Lizzy Ratner.
Sure enough, during my brief interview, Scarborough played an excerpt of something Jeanane said –the excerpt and the dialogue went as follows.
GAROFALO: Neo-know-nothings in the White House now, the neocons, believe they can absolutely operate outside of the law.
SCARBOROUGH: Now, Danny, we've had a lot of fun with Janeane Garofalo, but there is a serious underpinning to it. And that is, there are shrill attacks from the left. There are shrill attacks from the right. Everybody is calling everybody else a liar or saying they're breaking the law.
Do you think that sort of talk, that sort of rhetoric, attracts young voters to the process or repels them?
GOLDBERG: I think robust, passionate debate, people who believe in what they're saying, resonates with younger people. I think people who only talk like lawyers and politicians tends to bore young people and make them anesthetized.
Here what I SHOULD have said is: Joe---Janeane Garofalo is an American hero. She cares enough about what’s happening to our country that she has been willing to take mockery from the likes of you. I only wish that Democrats had as much idealism—and if they do they will surely resonate with young people.
The reason , frankly, that I wimped out is that I suddenly got nervous when I heard the world “shrill.” And I realize that this is one of the main tactics that Republicans and conservatives are using….to try to psych out Democrats and progressives and make us nervous about being “shrill” or “negative.” Of course it’s absurd for Republicans to be complaining about “shrillness.” Where was Scarborough when
People on the internet made up a “traitors” list that included both Jeanane and me simply because we questioned Bush administration policies? And—WHERE was all this call for civility during the Clinton years!!!!!!!!!??????
The week before I had moderated a panel discussion at the New School on the occasion of the paperback release of the anthology “It’s A Free Country” which is about civil liberties in the United States since 9/11. I edited it along with my father Victor Goldberg and film and TV producer/director Robert Greenwald. Anyone familiar with our views will not be surprised to know that the book is a strong critique of Ashcroft justice. The panel consisted of Princeton Professor Cornel West, Newsweek investigative editor Michael Isikoff, ACLU Executive Director and Jeanane Garafalo.
Scarborough has long been obsessed with Garafalo, frequently using ,out of context excerpts from her public remarks as a point of departure for assorted forms of bad-mouthing and condescension. His show has a crew shoot the event , which was accurately described in a recent piece in the Observer by Lizzy Ratner.
Sure enough, during my brief interview, Scarborough played an excerpt of something Jeanane said –the excerpt and the dialogue went as follows.
GAROFALO: Neo-know-nothings in the White House now, the neocons, believe they can absolutely operate outside of the law.
SCARBOROUGH: Now, Danny, we've had a lot of fun with Janeane Garofalo, but there is a serious underpinning to it. And that is, there are shrill attacks from the left. There are shrill attacks from the right. Everybody is calling everybody else a liar or saying they're breaking the law.
Do you think that sort of talk, that sort of rhetoric, attracts young voters to the process or repels them?
GOLDBERG: I think robust, passionate debate, people who believe in what they're saying, resonates with younger people. I think people who only talk like lawyers and politicians tends to bore young people and make them anesthetized.
Here what I SHOULD have said is: Joe---Janeane Garofalo is an American hero. She cares enough about what’s happening to our country that she has been willing to take mockery from the likes of you. I only wish that Democrats had as much idealism—and if they do they will surely resonate with young people.
The reason , frankly, that I wimped out is that I suddenly got nervous when I heard the world “shrill.” And I realize that this is one of the main tactics that Republicans and conservatives are using….to try to psych out Democrats and progressives and make us nervous about being “shrill” or “negative.” Of course it’s absurd for Republicans to be complaining about “shrillness.” Where was Scarborough when
People on the internet made up a “traitors” list that included both Jeanane and me simply because we questioned Bush administration policies? And—WHERE was all this call for civility during the Clinton years!!!!!!!!!??????
posted by Danny at
2:56 PM
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