NRA Declares War on Liberals.

I've been writing about the Republican authoritarian movement for some time now along with their sheepishly devoted voters. They've been vilifying liberals, progressives and Democrats for years. Not coincidentally, I've also noticed my conservative friend in Milwaukee has made the attacks more personal, with an arrogance rooted from one party rule. After all, they "won" and will never lose power again. And according to my friend, with the appointment of conservative judges, liberals will lose in the courts as well.  

NRA Ad Warning: What I've seen from tweets and blog commentary is perfectly summed up in the recent NRA ad. It is literally all there, with the added call to arms of course. Trump's blatant attack on the First Amendments very clear protections of the press, the rise of right wing media, and the many years of vilifying  "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances," the NRA ad may be the marker right wing authoritarians have been waiting for. Especially after the way this ad hit the fan:

"They use their media to assassinate real news. They use their schools to teach children that their president is another Hitler. They use their movie stars and singers and comedy shows and award shows to repeat their narrative over and over again. And then they use their ex-president to endorse “the resistance.”

All to make them march. Make them protest. Make them scream racism and sexism and xenophobia and homophobia. To smash windows, burn cars, shut down interstates and airports, bully and terrorize the law-abiding — until the only option left is for the police to do their jobs and stop the madness.

And when that happens, they’ll use it as an excuse for their outrage. The only way we stop this, the only way we save our country and our freedom, is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth.

I’m the National Rifle Association of America. And I’m freedom’s safest place."

As Vox's Zack Beauchamp put it:

This chilling NRA ad calls on its members to save America by fighting liberals: A liberal insurgency is destroying American society. The “only way” to protect yourself from this surge in left-wing violence (a made-up threat, to be clear) is to donate to the NRA.

In a 2013 op-ed, for example, NRA Vice President Wayne LaPierre argued that a lawless America was inevitable if the liberals succeeded in their nefarious plan to take your guns … it functions as a kind of anti-politics — casting the NRA’s political opponents as devious enemies who can’t be opposed through normal politics. Republicans control all three branches of government and a large majority of statehouses nationwide. There is literally zero chance that any kind of major gun control passes in America in the foreseeable future.

The threat, instead, is from a kind of liberal-cultural fifth column: People who are acting outside of legitimate political channels to upend American freedoms, through protest and violence. It’s a paranoid vision of American life that encourages the NRA’s fans to see liberals not as political opponents, but as monsters.

The ad features right-wing pundit Dana Loesch, who seems determined to turn everything in our country beet red:

The NRA made the mistake of using "blue" as their background, making it ripe for parody, like this...

WISN News Director Herrera: "I will never...set foot in Dane County...liberal bastion...avoid giving money to the libs who have businesses there."

With never an original thought in their Borg-like heads, the Republican talk radio machine now wants to copy the growing business boycott of bigoted North Caroline, by boycotting Dane County. 

After right-to-work was struck down by an enemy of the state, a “liberal” judge, WISN Radio's news director Ken Herrera hatched the idea. Of course it goes without saying that conservative judges are almost always right. And if their not, they're purged from the system (see Kansas Supreme Court).

What's most appalling is that a radio station’s NEWS DIRECTOR is pushing this by making it public. Which begs the question; what else is Herrera choosing to spin, ignore or censor in the station’s coverage of news?

What is he directing WISN News to ignore or spin?

Outdoing his own authoritarian right wing talk show bloviators, Herrera just opened a whole new can of worms; are the talkers just a distraction from the more silent subversive nationwide movement toward an extensive network that's dedicated to right wing propaganda…via our public airwaves?

It’s interesting to note the hypocrisy; Republicans have always opposed boycotts, going so far as to protect campaign donor names and employee contributors to ward off a possible public backlash effecting their businesses bottom line. Another “principled” flip flop?  

Personally, it's hard to imagine a more outlandish statement coming from someone the public assumes is unbiased and fair. Nice catch by the Devil’s Advocates, who wrote:

Dom: "I wonder if his opinions on 'libs' and Dane County impact decisions on what 'news and information' he is employed to direct."

Here's Herrera's Facebook comment, where he even hates businesses owned by liberal job creators:

Ken Herrera: "No surprise here...it's a Dane county judge...I am happy to say that in the 12 years I have lived in Wisconsin...I have never...and will never, set foot in Dane county. I don't want to spend even one penny in that liberal bastion. It's sort of a personal thing…but my wife and I agree we will never enter Dane county as long as we live. We have actually taken routes WAY around the county to avoid giving money to the libs who have businesses there...this has been my personal boycott for as long as I've lived in WIsconsin...and I'm quite sure I will never, ever spend a penny in Dane county...because I will never, ever visit... I wish every conservative in the state would adopt the same pledge... avoid this county... when you spend money there you are only helping the liberal cause..."

Herrera went on to highlight his stations influence on public perception, especially when it came to the raw pro-Ted Cruz propaganda, like it was a bragging point:

Herrera's Facebook supporters like Andy Smith are proving the slide into right wing authoritarianism is on the fast track:

Andy Smith Slap! Frap! Zowie! Oooof! Bam! GOOD JOB, KEN. I listened to you on WBBM, I had the pleasure and honor of working with you at both WTMJ and then-Clear Channel. You label what's news and what's comment . . . they merely resent that everyone doesn't listen to CLEARLY Left Wing "public" (translate: government radio), which NEVER distinguishes "news" from Leftist agenda setting and active Leftist agenda advancement.

After that twisted rant, the liberal enemies of the state reacted with humor and criticism:

Andy Smith's response made it clear humor, speech and dissent will not tolerated, in another bad case of projection:

“Amazing (well, actually not a surprise) to read the red-hot hatred firing from the typing fingers of all those, tolerant, accepting, kind, thoughtful Leftists in Dane County who CANNOT STAND anyone whose attitudes, opinions and behavior are not in LOCK STEP with their own. It's disgraceful, but as we've learned in so many ways, it is also predictable and consistent. So filled with vile hatred!”

UPDATE: WISN News Director Ken Herrera is now officially a victim, thanks to his own right wing commentary. Herrera's attempted to save his credibility ranks right up there with "former" bigot and political partisan Justice Rebecca Bradley, insisting his personal beliefs don't influence his job:

Ken Herrera No... it's a personal boycott...to answer your question about whether my personal beliefs interfere with my news judgment.. The left is always holding boycotts that are highly publicized.. mine has been, until now, a quiet, personal one that has nothing to do with my selection of news stories to run...or the "slant" of any story. I think any listener to WISN will know I run stories that are pro-left.. and anti-left just as much as those that are pro-right or anti-right. I just personally don't agree with much of what the left holds out, so I choose, as an individual, not to contribute my money to the left. That's just a personal decision and has nothing to do with my profession... one I have followed for almost 40 years now and I believe you won't find anyone in the country who would question my ethics as a journalist. Except, of course, you... based on a simple Facebook post. But I'm not surprised because that's usually the way folks on the left operate... 

Republicans Outraged: College Commencement Speakers mostly Liberal!!!

Anonymous conservative tweeters and commentators on my blog often jab me about my failed liberal talk radio career, blaming the constant whining and boring progressive topics. Their point is, liberal talk failed because no one was interested in it.

I was reminded of that point today when I came across this headline of phony outrage:

“Liberal speakers dominate college commencements, conservative group says”

Well the same rule applies guys: maybe no one is interested in the tired old whiny and boring conservative topics. You can almost hear Fox News viewers and low information voters mumbling something about freedom, liberty, the constitution and American Exceptionalism now.  

Liberal speakers will outnumber conservatives by at least 6-to-1 at the nation's top 100 schools as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Ron Robinson, president of Young America's Foundation, said in a statement to FoxNews.com said, “The data shows schools and the general public are going in different directions. This trend will be detrimental to the development of our country’s future leaders. Students are not getting the full picture about government policy or learning about the Constitution, American exceptionalism, or free market economics.”

No wonder republicans are defunding education. Who would have guessed that content free, divisive, homophobic, bigoted, racist, nanny-state conservatives, guided by nothing more than their ideologically driven policies, just doesn't fit in to a schools learning environment. I'm shocked.

GOP quietly conditions right wingers to kill Liberals?

This isn't a new revelation by any stretch. The whole concealed carry movement wasn't just based on an imagined right guaranteed in the constitution, it was also push back against those repressive big government socialist passing gun control laws. The most blatant was the tea party candidate threatening "2nd Amendment remedies" if lefties didn't give up their agenda.

Close to Home Liberal Vilification: Governor Scott Walker is openly using the his recall petitions to black list anyone who tried to remove him from power. Liberals are the enemy. Add to that those unqualified "liberal activist" judges (they actually say they want conservative judges) and socialist propagandist teachers in our public schools. Vilification is now standard issue group think for Republicans. And that means anything can happen, like this from Raw Story:

Just another isolated incident? Not a chance, and the numbers are no doubt growing.

Police in Clarkstown, New York have confiscated a cache of high-powered weapons and body armor from a man who was arrested for posting death threats against against many Democratic politicians and every liberal supporter of President Barack Obama.

According to WCBS, 49-year-old Larry Mulqueen was arraigned on Thursday. Mulqueen’s landlady had tipped off police after she found a “hit list” posted on Facebook that threatened Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and all members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The Facebook posting said that all of the president’s follower were “traitor scum” and promised “death to them all.” 

Radio "Rightist" Vicki McKenna's legal opinion on "leftists...SHOOT THEM."

A license to shoot liberals? Yes.

Not recognizing the inherent and dangerous unintended consequences of the Stand Your Ground/Castle Laws, Vicki McKenna continues to fan the racially motivated open season on black teenagers. She knows her culpability in gun violence would be impossible to prove in court, so what's the harm to her.

With jaw dropping Tweets like the one below, and her Clear Channel enablers who've done nothing to protect their own public image, will McKenna continue to enjoy her bi-weekly paycheck drenched in the blood of others.

And would Clear Channel be able to defend themselves at license renewal time? According to FCC regulation:

Each radio and television licensee is required by law to operate its station in the “public interest, convenience and necessity.” This means that it must air programming that is responsive to the needs and problems of its local community of license … each station must provide the public with information about how it has met this obligation by means of quarterly reports, which contain a listing of the programming that it has aired that the licensee believes provided significant treatment of issues facing the community. 

So is shooting liberals responsive enough to deal with the problems they pose to local communities of license? 

Programming Inciting “Imminent Lawless Action.” The Supreme Court has held that the government may curtail speech if it is both: (1) intended to incite or produce “imminent lawless action;” and (2) likely to “incite or produce such action.” 

Anyone want to make a case that Clear Channel’s employment of Vicki McKenna violates FCC requirements? 

Walker takes fight to imagined "they want to control your lives" Liberal Enemy

Republicans have nothing left to defend their failed ideology except to create false premises and imagined enemies. Welcome to the alternate universe, the conservative bubble, an echo chamber of nonsense issues, platforms and liberal villains.

Below, Scott Walker not only doubles down on the false premise that liberals want to control everyone's life (no more incandescent light bulbs folks), but he's suffering from a bad case of projection (Walker's wants dictatorial one party rule):

jsonline: In an interview with Right Wing News ... Poverty: 

"the Left, they want you under their thumb. They want to control you. They want to control your lives. They want you to be dependent on the government. We should say we’re the ones, not only for the poor, but for young people coming out of college, for working class families, for immigrants, for others out there. We should say we are the ones who empower the American Dream. We’re the ones who say you can do and be anything you want, but it’s because we empower you with the ability and the platform to do that. The other side tells you they want to help you, but in the end they want to keep you limited in how far you can grow."

Walker's right, they are the party that likes to "say" things. Thanks for the speech Scott, but empty pep talks don't accomplish anything in the real world, and condescends to adults living out the nightmare of long term unemployment and poverty created by business interests.

So Republicans "are the ones who empower" us? Anyone feel empowered working for lower wages, longer hours, fewer benefits, unaffordable health care, growing job insecurity, and a growing wealth gap that keeps us all from the American dream?