Richard Viguerie pisses on Ted Kennedy’s grave

Our wingnuts are a class act, all the way.

It’s not my purpose or intent to list his sins and weaknesses or those of his brothers, John and Robert. But while these are mostly covered up or overlooked by the national media, all conservatives know the mistakes of a conservative become the focal point of much of their obituary.

This is the double standard that the national media apply to liberals and conservatives.

I wonder how many well-read readers or the general public know that Joseph Kennedy, the father of John, Robert, and Ted, in the 1930’s was a well-known anti-Semite and was an admirer of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis (which, of course, is shorthand for National Socialism). It’s alleged he made millions in prohibition days as a rum runner. If that were the profile of the father of John McCain or any other Republican, wouldn’t that be a major part of the narrative of their lives?

“A major part of the narrative of their lives.” Well, let’s see. A commenter points out that Prescott Bush helped finance the Nazi war machine, a fact I doubt we’ll see mentioned in GHWG’s obits. In any case, it’s pretty rough to hold someone liable for his father’s sins.

But John McCain’s father-in-law, who gave him the only private-sector job he ever had and financed his political career – a man McCain called his “role model” – was a convicted felon and a Mob associate. The media didn’t say “boo” about it. And McCain wasn’t being buried; he was running for President.

Update If Viguerie wants to denounce a Hitler apologist who is still alive, he could meet one at the next CPAC convention: Pat Buchanan. The difference is that Buchanan is still saying nice things about Hitler after the Holocaust, and still doing TV appearances.

Author: Mark Kleiman

Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out. Books: Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken) When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993) Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989) UCLA Homepage Curriculum Vitae Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com