Comments on: On Van Jones: An RBC Dissent http://www.samefacts.com/2009/09/watching-conservatives/on-van-jones-an-rbc-dissent/ Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:54:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Barry http://www.samefacts.com/2009/09/watching-conservatives/on-van-jones-an-rbc-dissent/comment-page-1/#comment-32695 Barry Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:40:17 +0000 http://samefacts.dreamhosters.com/2009/09/uncategorized/on-van-jones-an-rbc-dissent/#comment-32695 As you pointed out, Mark, there's both moral and practical things at work: 1) The ethical standards are different, by a factor of 100:1, at least; the sports metaphor would be that our player gets the boot for looking harshly at the ref, while the other team kills refs with impunity. 2) On a practical basis, this is a losing matter - they find a midemeanor for one of our guys, who's out of the game. Meanwhile, they commit felonies with impunity. Then, they'll find another trifle in the record of another guy, and repeat. And note that they have had no hesitation whatsoever in simply making sh*t up, both now and back in the 1990's. And it's defensive; if Obama wishes to be a one-term president, he's on the right track. As you pointed out, Mark, there’s both moral and practical things at work:

1) The ethical standards are different, by a factor of 100:1, at least; the sports metaphor would be that our player gets the boot for looking harshly at the ref, while the other team kills refs with impunity.

2) On a practical basis, this is a losing matter – they find a midemeanor for one of our guys, who’s out of the game. Meanwhile, they commit felonies with impunity. Then, they’ll find another trifle in the record of another guy, and repeat. And note that they have had no hesitation whatsoever in simply making sh*t up, both now and back in the 1990′s.

And it’s defensive; if Obama wishes to be a one-term president, he’s on the right track.

]]> By: Kenneth Almquist http://www.samefacts.com/2009/09/watching-conservatives/on-van-jones-an-rbc-dissent/comment-page-1/#comment-32682 Kenneth Almquist Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:26:47 +0000 http://samefacts.dreamhosters.com/2009/09/uncategorized/on-van-jones-an-rbc-dissent/#comment-32682 The inspiration for the petition was probably the right-wing attacks on Bill Clinton during the 1990's. The lesson some Democrats took from that is that baseless accusations work. As far as I know, the people who called for an investigation of the Clintons' involvement in Whitewater didn't pay any price for being wrong, and they got an investigation that seriously hurt Bill Clinton. I don't like to see the political left copy the tactics of the political right, but what we need is some sort of mutual cease-fire going forward. I don't think that signing the petition disqualifies Jones from public service. I also don't think that signing it was "really stupid." It's just reminder of the level of political discourse five years ago. The inspiration for the petition was probably the right-wing attacks on Bill Clinton during the 1990′s. The lesson some Democrats took from that is that baseless accusations work. As far as I know, the people who called for an investigation of the Clintons’ involvement in Whitewater didn’t pay any price for being wrong, and they got an investigation that seriously hurt Bill Clinton.

I don’t like to see the political left copy the tactics of the political right, but what we need is some sort of mutual cease-fire going forward. I don’t think that signing the petition disqualifies Jones from public service. I also don’t think that signing it was “really stupid.” It’s just reminder of the level of political discourse five years ago.

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