Non-existent in the Sherrod matter.
I don't think the president understands that most victims of Fox/Breitbart/Tea Party attacks are -- when the attacks are not aimed directly at Obama -- proxies for Obama. Certainly that was true of Shirley Sherrod who, of all people (given her track record), was attacked for being a racist and lost her job. This hasty and unnecessary slap in the face was based on an edited and distorted video manufactured by a known producer of distorted videos and broadly distributed by irresponsible media.
Like it or not, Barack Obama is the cause of much of this. It's absolutely not his fault that he's the cause but he needs to recognize it and rise to the occasion. This is not about whether he likes to punch back or whether it's politically smart to punch back (though I think it would be), it's about his respect for Ms. Sherrod and his self-respect. "Do it for Shirley," I wanted to say when I read that the best he could manage was a phone conversation with her. His patronizing whiteness was in evidence.
So c'mon Barry. Don't be an arrogant squirt. Just get the job done. You do that and we'll do our best to help. We can start by discrediting Breitbart -- he's practically finished the job himself. Then we really should try to get more responsible members of the press to quit defining Breitbart as "a blogger." Remember, NYTimes, there are more than a few bloggers out there who are just as effective, open-minded and hard-working investigative reporters as any you have on your team, and sometimes considerably more honest and even-handed.
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I see Laura Flanders is ticked off, too.
Imagine, as David Corn noted, any Bush official badgered to quit because of something threatening to be on Rachel Maddow's show. Or on GRITtv, perhaps. As Corn said, "You don't allow ideological enemies -- who want you to fail -- to define the terms."
But that's been Obama's M.O. The lesson needs learning and needs learning fast. The party of No and its loud-mouthed cable and blog counterparts are not going to work with you. They are going to try to destroy you.
As Yosi Sargent, another victim of Glenn Beck's red-and-race-baiting, tweeted this morning: "Grow a pair. Stand up for Shirley Sherrod." We'd add -- a pair of eyes and ears. Fast.
David Corn wrote yesterday:
That Beck figured into Vilsack's and Cook's calculations for a nanosecond is a tremendous defeat for the administration -- and an undeserved victory for Beck and his Tea Party followers. It ought to make supporters of the Obama administration sick.
It does, pal. Plenty sick.
