The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT?!
Fox News Smears Geert Wilders?
UPDATE: A Completely Crazy Idea

Posted on | March 8, 2010 | 107 Comments

CubaChi at The Right Scoop:

A hero, a man who is risking life and limb to rescue the Netherlands and Europe from radical Islamization and communism taking grip of his country and continent. Everyday he has to wear a safety vest and hide his family and give them 24-hour security because he is willing to say the unpopular thing to protect and defend his nation.

First on “Special Report” with Brett Baier:

Then on Glenn Beck:

Now, there is perhaps some “fair and balanced” ambiguity here, and perhaps a good deal of unnecessary sensationalism — “Ooooh! The controversial far-right leader!” — but the overall tone of the portrayals, and the fact that these two reports were filed practically back-to-back suggests to me that somebody at Fox News (and somebody pretty important) is guilty of accepting liberal media reports of Dutch politics at face value. I’ve got a hunch about this, but it might take a while to investigate, so look for updates.

(Hat tip: Dan Riehl.)

UPDATE: I’m still trying to figure out where this anti-Wilders theme is coming from, and just got a call from a friend who suggests that Fox News is under pressure from Saudi interests — suggestions I’ve heard before, but prefer to discount. I think it far more likely that some senior producer or executive at NewsCorp has been listening to BBC or NPR or reading the New York Times and accepting those liberal characterizations as gospel.

It’s like what happened with the Sparkman “murder” in Kentucky. All it took was for one anonymous source at the Justice Department to tell an Associated Press reporter that they were looking at “anti-government sentiment” as a motive and next thing you know, it’s “Send the Body to Glenn Beck” time.

You can’t judge people you’ve never met, in places you’ve never been, based on what you get from the media. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Kentucky or Kampala, there is simply no substitute for direct knowledge. And based on personal experience, I’m profoundly suspicious any time I see this “dangerous right-winger” theme in the media. Here is Roger Simon of Pajamas Media:

Regarding Wilders, I had the pleasure of meeting the man at a party in Los Angeles last year and spent thirty minutes or so talking with him, often one-on-one. He is extremely well-spoken and personable.

Pamela Geller, who knows Wilders, is outraged by the Beck segment. Whereas there is this from Charles Johnson:

Geert Wilders is a far right ideologue, and the European far right does often equal fascism. How the heck did Beck ever get this one right?

Frankly, now I’m tempted to start rattling the tip jar for a trip to Amsterdam, just to check out the situation on the ground. A quick check on Travelocity shows I could get a round-trip flight for about $800. If I could find somebody over there who speaks English, and has a sofa I could crash on . . .

It’s a completely crazy idea, but I’ve done crazier things.

UPDATE Tuesday 10:30 a.m.:  Now a Memeorandum thread. David Horowitz, Robert Spencer and Diana West (a veritable Murderer’s Row of LGF enemies) have commented on the situation. Paul Mirengoff wisely notes: “A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.” Noticing an Associated Press report of an “anti-fascist” protest against Wilders in England, I observed at the Hot Air Green Room:

If the protesters against Wilders are “anti-fascist,” then what does that make Wilders? He’s a “fascist” in the same sense that Mark Steyn is a fascist — which is to say, someone the Left hates.
A couple years ago I covered a David Horowitz speech at George Washington University where the left-wing protest pests chanted, “Racist! Sexist! Anti-Gay! David Horowitz go away!”
Horowitz is none of those things, but the protesters chant that stuff because they know that the accusations have propaganda value, stigmatizing Horowitz in the eyes of people who don’t know anything about him but who don’t want to be associated with racism, sexism or homophobia. A group calls itself “Unite Against Facism” and anyone they target for protests is immediately on the defensive: If you’re not a fascist, why are “anti-fascists” protesting against you? It’s like “peace” groups and “environmental” groups — who is against peace? Who wants to be labeled “anti-environment”?
The effectiveness of the Left’s propaganda against Wilders, I think, explains why he got such hostile treatment Monday from Fox News.

The influx of tip-jar contributions for a Holland trip hasn’t materialized yet. Maybe y’all don’t trust me over amongst all those foreigners. Anyway, I’ve got to run to D.C. today on business, so blogging will be light until this evening.

Category: Foreigners, Fox News, Netherlands, Religion

Comments

107 Responses to “WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT?!
Fox News Smears Geert Wilders?
UPDATE: A Completely Crazy Idea”

  1. chuck cross
    March 9th, 2010 @ 10:00 am

    Wilders, his meteoric rise to fame, his love/hate with the right, is an interesting story.

    I don’t think Dutch politics, let alone European politics, match up well with American politics. Team Jihad-Hunter are always banging the drums that Europe’s problems are also America’s problems, but I still don’t see it (yes I’ve read all the reports because it is something to which we should be aware as Americans).

    The Dutch should do what the Dutch need to do to preserve their society — perhaps that is a Prime Minister Wilders? I don’t know, not enough facts. Any society should be wary of ethnic groups pushing their way of life on the general public as a whole when they commit public acts of violence (as seen in France) or lobby government officials (as seen in the U.S.).

  2. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

    Denouce McCain or denounce Beck? This does not compute! This does not compute!

  3. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

    Denouce McCain or denounce Beck? This does not compute! This does not compute!

  4. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

    So Beck denounces Wilders and McCain backs Wilders…so I have to support Beck?

  5. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 10:03 am

    Denouce McCain or denounce Beck? This does not compute! This does not compute!

  6. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 10:03 am

    So Beck denounces Wilders and McCain backs Wilders…so I have to support Beck?

  7. Grimcargo
    March 9th, 2010 @ 5:45 pm

    Don’t kick that football if you not wearing hip boots. you might get s**** up to your eyeballs.

  8. Grimcargo
    March 9th, 2010 @ 12:45 pm

    Don’t kick that football if you not wearing hip boots. you might get s**** up to your eyeballs.

  9. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 5:46 pm

    Lay off Wilders Beck. I kind of like the guy. He’s honest and I respect that. Of course, I may have to cut off his head. I may have to cut off your head too. But insh’allah! We have to do what we have to do. Nothing personal, just business.

    These cartoons made me laugh.

  10. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 5:46 pm

    Lay off Wilders Beck. I kind of like the guy. He’s honest and I respect that. Of course, I may have to cut off his head. I may have to cut off your head too. But insh’allah! We have to do what we have to do. Nothing personal, just business.

    These cartoons made me laugh.

  11. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 12:46 pm

    Lay off Wilders Beck. I kind of like the guy. He’s honest and I respect that. Of course, I may have to cut off his head. I may have to cut off your head too. But insh’allah! We have to do what we have to do. Nothing personal, just business.

    These cartoons made me laugh.

  12. Glenn Beck Lost Me – Updated and Bumped | The Lonely Conservative
    March 9th, 2010 @ 1:23 pm

    […] The Other McCain had video of Brett Baier, apparently making similar statements about Wilders being a far right extremist, but the video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Fox News. Neither is the Beck video. This is the first time I’ve seen them do that. Oh, look, my video’s not working either. […]

  13. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 7:33 pm

    Don’t you dare judge me. You allow little naked angry midgets to run around your capitol and go after members of Congress. How gay is that? This video of Rahm is sort of sad. Now you know why I banned alcohol.

  14. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 7:33 pm

    Don’t you dare judge me. You allow little naked angry midgets to run around your capitol and go after members of Congress. How gay is that? This video of Rahm is sort of sad. Now you know why I banned alcohol.

  15. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

    Don’t you dare judge me. You allow little naked angry midgets to run around your capitol and go after members of Congress. How gay is that? This video of Rahm is sort of sad. Now you know why I banned alcohol.

  16. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 7:39 pm

    I may have to cut off Rahm Emanuel’s head too. But I will have to get down on my hands and knees to do so. Good thing I have practice from praying five times a day.

  17. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 7:39 pm

    I may have to cut off Rahm Emanuel’s head too. But I will have to get down on my hands and knees to do so. Good thing I have practice from praying five times a day.

  18. Prophet Mohammed
    March 9th, 2010 @ 2:39 pm

    I may have to cut off Rahm Emanuel’s head too. But I will have to get down on my hands and knees to do so. Good thing I have practice from praying five times a day.

  19. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 8:56 pm

    Beck defends a man grouper. I mean groper.

    That means Michelle Malkin is right.

    Hell just froze over.

  20. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 8:56 pm

    Beck defends a man grouper. I mean groper.

    That means Michelle Malkin is right.

    Hell just froze over.

  21. Charles Johnson
    March 9th, 2010 @ 3:56 pm

    Beck defends a man grouper. I mean groper.

    That means Michelle Malkin is right.

    Hell just froze over.

  22. Ron Lewenberg
    March 9th, 2010 @ 9:21 pm

    I see three explanations
    1) Ignorance. These people don’t know the facts and rely on MSM reports.
    2) Ideology. Beck is all over the place. He loves immigration. Kristol and Krauthammer are Neoconservatives wed to the idea of democratization and assimilation. If the problem is not a few crazy Islamists and enablers but one of Orthodox Islam as Dawa (mensheviks) to the Jihadists playing Bolsheviks to mainstream Islam being the equivalent of Democratic Socialists, then the liberal and neoconservative visions collapse.
    When Wilders calls the Koran fascism, he stabs neoconservatism in its heart.

  23. Ron Lewenberg
    March 9th, 2010 @ 9:21 pm

    I see three explanations
    1) Ignorance. These people don’t know the facts and rely on MSM reports.
    2) Ideology. Beck is all over the place. He loves immigration. Kristol and Krauthammer are Neoconservatives wed to the idea of democratization and assimilation. If the problem is not a few crazy Islamists and enablers but one of Orthodox Islam as Dawa (mensheviks) to the Jihadists playing Bolsheviks to mainstream Islam being the equivalent of Democratic Socialists, then the liberal and neoconservative visions collapse.
    When Wilders calls the Koran fascism, he stabs neoconservatism in its heart.

  24. Ron Lewenberg
    March 9th, 2010 @ 4:21 pm

    I see three explanations
    1) Ignorance. These people don’t know the facts and rely on MSM reports.
    2) Ideology. Beck is all over the place. He loves immigration. Kristol and Krauthammer are Neoconservatives wed to the idea of democratization and assimilation. If the problem is not a few crazy Islamists and enablers but one of Orthodox Islam as Dawa (mensheviks) to the Jihadists playing Bolsheviks to mainstream Islam being the equivalent of Democratic Socialists, then the liberal and neoconservative visions collapse.
    When Wilders calls the Koran fascism, he stabs neoconservatism in its heart.

  25. Ron Lewenberg
    March 9th, 2010 @ 9:22 pm

    The third reason is Saudi money.

  26. Ron Lewenberg
    March 9th, 2010 @ 9:22 pm

    The third reason is Saudi money.

  27. Ron Lewenberg
    March 9th, 2010 @ 4:22 pm

    The third reason is Saudi money.

  28. I’ve never met Geert Wilders… « DaTechguy's Blog
    March 9th, 2010 @ 4:46 pm

    […] Stacy bottom lines it best: If the protesters against Wilders are “anti-fascist,” then what does that […]

  29. Denise
    March 9th, 2010 @ 9:54 pm

    Hello – I’m a newbie here and very interested in the subject matter you are discussing.

    At last my city (Seattle ) newspaper had an article on Wilders , and maybe , hopefully ,that is a sign of things to come. As you probably know the media usualy act like Wilders and his trial don’t exist. They, like most of todays simpering ultra-liberals , are so worried about hurting Muslim feelings they don’t care how many feelings get hurt by Muislims. They see them as underdogs.

    Why do you say Wilders is gay ? I have read that before and wonder what info . anyone has to back up that claim ? I mean, just because he bleaches his hair doesn’t mean he’s gay.

    I like his hair, btw, it gives him a kind of cherub look . Can someone answer : is he gay ?

  30. Denise
    March 9th, 2010 @ 9:54 pm

    Hello – I’m a newbie here and very interested in the subject matter you are discussing.

    At last my city (Seattle ) newspaper had an article on Wilders , and maybe , hopefully ,that is a sign of things to come. As you probably know the media usualy act like Wilders and his trial don’t exist. They, like most of todays simpering ultra-liberals , are so worried about hurting Muslim feelings they don’t care how many feelings get hurt by Muislims. They see them as underdogs.

    Why do you say Wilders is gay ? I have read that before and wonder what info . anyone has to back up that claim ? I mean, just because he bleaches his hair doesn’t mean he’s gay.

    I like his hair, btw, it gives him a kind of cherub look . Can someone answer : is he gay ?

  31. Denise
    March 9th, 2010 @ 4:54 pm

    Hello – I’m a newbie here and very interested in the subject matter you are discussing.

    At last my city (Seattle ) newspaper had an article on Wilders , and maybe , hopefully ,that is a sign of things to come. As you probably know the media usualy act like Wilders and his trial don’t exist. They, like most of todays simpering ultra-liberals , are so worried about hurting Muslim feelings they don’t care how many feelings get hurt by Muislims. They see them as underdogs.

    Why do you say Wilders is gay ? I have read that before and wonder what info . anyone has to back up that claim ? I mean, just because he bleaches his hair doesn’t mean he’s gay.

    I like his hair, btw, it gives him a kind of cherub look . Can someone answer : is he gay ?

  32. cobra
    March 9th, 2010 @ 10:39 pm

    Hey, Lizard!
    Get the hell out of here, as we try to have an intelligent conversation about the next disappointment to the conservative movement.
    You pollute the blogs you touch…

  33. cobra
    March 9th, 2010 @ 10:39 pm

    Hey, Lizard!
    Get the hell out of here, as we try to have an intelligent conversation about the next disappointment to the conservative movement.
    You pollute the blogs you touch…

  34. cobra
    March 9th, 2010 @ 5:39 pm

    Hey, Lizard!
    Get the hell out of here, as we try to have an intelligent conversation about the next disappointment to the conservative movement.
    You pollute the blogs you touch…

  35. skzion
    March 10th, 2010 @ 4:31 am

    The Beck segment is here:

    http://www.trilulilu.ro/patrupedbun/d39d786dd8f03e

  36. skzion
    March 10th, 2010 @ 4:31 am

    The Beck segment is here:

    http://www.trilulilu.ro/patrupedbun/d39d786dd8f03e

  37. skzion
    March 9th, 2010 @ 11:31 pm

    The Beck segment is here:

    http://www.trilulilu.ro/patrupedbun/d39d786dd8f03e

  38. skzion
    March 10th, 2010 @ 4:33 am

    Boy, too bad McCain moderates his site (I’ve been here once before). The link I posted won’t last forever.

  39. skzion
    March 10th, 2010 @ 4:33 am

    Boy, too bad McCain moderates his site (I’ve been here once before). The link I posted won’t last forever.

  40. skzion
    March 9th, 2010 @ 11:33 pm

    Boy, too bad McCain moderates his site (I’ve been here once before). The link I posted won’t last forever.

  41. Denise
    March 10th, 2010 @ 8:42 am

    Is anybody going to answer me ? Is Geert Wilders homo. ?

    Morton Doodslag uses the words “openly gay ” in his comments about Wilders. Come on now–anybody know about this ?

    I didn’t think gay men married. Wilders is married to a “hungarian woman ” so I read.

  42. Denise
    March 10th, 2010 @ 3:42 am

    Is anybody going to answer me ? Is Geert Wilders homo. ?

    Morton Doodslag uses the words “openly gay ” in his comments about Wilders. Come on now–anybody know about this ?

    I didn’t think gay men married. Wilders is married to a “hungarian woman ” so I read.

  43. Charles Johnson
    March 10th, 2010 @ 2:03 pm

    Wilders is a fascist. Like RSM and Pam Geller and Robert Spencer and the rest of my critics and enemies. Fascists, one and all.

  44. Charles Johnson
    March 10th, 2010 @ 9:03 am

    Wilders is a fascist. Like RSM and Pam Geller and Robert Spencer and the rest of my critics and enemies. Fascists, one and all.

  45. FatBaldnSassy
    March 10th, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

    There has been a resurgence of far right parties in Europe, mostly in eastern Europe. I don’t think Beck knows anything about that, however. He never talks about that, from what I can see.

    I think that Beck is now spending so much time around Bill O’Reilly that he’s pulling a triangulation move on the listeners. If he occasionally beats up on a few right wingers, he gets to say “See, I’m really not ideological- I’m just sticking up for the folks.”

  46. FatBaldnSassy
    March 10th, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

    There has been a resurgence of far right parties in Europe, mostly in eastern Europe. I don’t think Beck knows anything about that, however. He never talks about that, from what I can see.

    I think that Beck is now spending so much time around Bill O’Reilly that he’s pulling a triangulation move on the listeners. If he occasionally beats up on a few right wingers, he gets to say “See, I’m really not ideological- I’m just sticking up for the folks.”

  47. FatBaldnSassy
    March 10th, 2010 @ 3:24 pm

    There has been a resurgence of far right parties in Europe, mostly in eastern Europe. I don’t think Beck knows anything about that, however. He never talks about that, from what I can see.

    I think that Beck is now spending so much time around Bill O’Reilly that he’s pulling a triangulation move on the listeners. If he occasionally beats up on a few right wingers, he gets to say “See, I’m really not ideological- I’m just sticking up for the folks.”

  48. cobra
    March 10th, 2010 @ 8:39 pm

    CJ/Lizard,

    You are just a slimy moron.

    But I think you are a masochist too, since you continue to post on blogs that despise you and let you know unambiguously about it.

  49. cobra
    March 10th, 2010 @ 8:39 pm

    CJ/Lizard,

    You are just a slimy moron.

    But I think you are a masochist too, since you continue to post on blogs that despise you and let you know unambiguously about it.

  50. cobra
    March 10th, 2010 @ 3:39 pm

    CJ/Lizard,

    You are just a slimy moron.

    But I think you are a masochist too, since you continue to post on blogs that despise you and let you know unambiguously about it.