Congressman Paul Hodes: Weak Knees

[cal04]

by Congressman Paul Hodes
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/7/21/886301/-Weak-Knees


As I was reading about the Shirley Sherrod issue today, there was one thing that really struck me.

I’m sick and tired of Democrats getting weak knees every time the right-wing media flexes their muscles.

The firing of Sherrod over what turned out to be a heavily (and deceptively) edited video of her remarks is the latest example. When the far right bulldozes, too many of us buckle.

Democrats need to stop panicking every time we find the right-wing media in our face. The only way to beat back the misinformation they spread is by calling them out and holding them accountable – not caving to pressure from their echo chambers.

We have no excuse for not fully understanding what the far-right is capable of in terms of hateful and deceitful rhetoric. From Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh to Andrew Breitbart – they’ve shown us time and again exactly how willing they are to distort the truth.

During the health care debate they brought us “death panels,” a “socialist state” and “pulling the plug on grandma.” We watched as they singlehandedly destroyed the honest conversation we were trying to have with the American public about how to fix a system rigged for the special interests and against the American people.

The bottom line is that the longer we let the right-wing media control our political rhetoric by spreading misinformation, the more we fail to deliver the change we promised and fight for our progressive ideals.

And every time we respond to their attacks with weak knees and cowering in the corner, we give them credibility. Even worse – we encourage them to keep it up.

When faced with a bully, we progressives should stand and fight - not run and hide.

[MisterP]

1. 'coz centrism is a brother under the skin to conservatism

few Dems now count as "we progressives" facing some external bully of corporatism, warmongering, hardheartedness