And you thought vitriol-spewing, context-twisting, utterly dishonest demonization of "librrals" as America Haters was principally a tactic of national GOP types.



This is an image from a flyer which was created for the campaign of Ohio state senator Joy Padgett (R - Coshocton) - in fact, she's copped to helping make it. Her opponent is Terry Anderson (D - Athens) If Anderson's name sounds familiar, perhaps it's because you've been in his fine blues bar in Uptown Athens, or you're familiar with him from his time spent at Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism.

More likely though, you remember the seven years Anderson (then the AP's Beirut bureau chief) spent as one of Hezbollah's most infamous hostages. Most would think that spending over half a decade in captivity and in fear for your life is hardly the thing to make you a terrorist sympathizer and America Hater.

What's a small-time ideological hood like Padgett to do? You start by taking a picture of Anderson doing his job - interviewing the Hezbollah members who were his captors to better illuminate, for himself and for us, the thinking of terrorists - and position it alongside a quote he made in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 - a question as sensibly reflective and important to ask as it is antithetical to the blinkered, crook-backed ideology of neoconservatism:

"Are we willing to accept that they hate us, not because they're crazy, but because we've done something wrong?"

Then you just have to have the base temerity to condemn the man - a man who I daresay is better positioned to speak on terrorism than most, having been a direct victim of it - as a terrorist sympathizer. And worse than that, a liberal!!

This is exactly what Padgett's campaign has done.

This isn't just dishonest. It is disrespectful, disgusting and unconscionable.

In response, Terry Anderson showed up to their debate in Marietta on Tuesday, read a prepared statement condemning Padgett's attack, and left. Withdrawing from debates is usually not an advisable thing to do, but I wholeheartedly applaud the censure of an opponent who's struck way below the belt.

I'm a liberal, and I don't hate America. I'm sorely tempted, though, to hate weaselly, fucknut Americans like Padgett.

Read Terry's far more articulate response here.