After Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) likened Republicans to Nazis for their opposition to Obamacare, then gave an in-your-face pseudo-apology, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly sanctimoniously slammed Cohen and tut-tutted that nobody on the right would ever compare their opponents to Nazis.
Jon Stewart skewered Kelly and Fox with this segment, titled “24 Hour Nazi Party People,” showing Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Karl Rove, and others calling liberals Nazis, including Bernie Goldberg who did it on her own show last March.
If “they did it first” excused such ugliness we’d have to let Cohen off the hook for his spectacular incivility. But it’s no excuse. Spewing “Nazi” is way beyond the limits, whether done once by a Democrat or over and over by the Fair and Balanced folks at Fox News.
Tags: Bill O’Reilly, ethics, Fair and balanced, Fox News, Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, Karl Rove, Megyn Kelly, Nazis, Obamacare, Steve Cohen
Ethics Bob 
January 26, 2011 at 7:28 am |
I don’t think that John stewart was saying we should excuse Steve Chen, he was saying that the republicans are incredible hypoctrites and so is Fox News their front man.
I appreciate that you want to turn down the bickering, but there is an elephant in the room regarding communication strategies and cultural affinities between the parties. The republicans are dispraportianately (sp?) invested in fear mongering and hate and violance and bigotry. I will not forgive them until they start policing their own and being accountable for the immense negativity that is at the core of their spirit. This is not to say there aren’t wonderful patriotic Republicans who have a right to their views, there are, but until they stand up to the right wing of their party they don’t have my respect. Obama has come to the center so can they!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 26, 2011 at 1:40 pm |
You’re right: almost all elected Republicans are scared to stand up to Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, and the other hate-mongers. The Dems seem to be afraid to criticize Cohen. Which side is worse? Right now it’s the R’s. During the Bush years it was more or less even.
Ethically my obligation is to reserve my harshest criticism to the haters on my side of the spectrum. I don’t let Cohen off the hook–or those Dems who fail to call him out–just because the other guys are worse.