Happy to be a resource for a colleague

I see that one of my episodes of “The Brad Show” (a feature I really must get around to reviving one of these days) provided some grist for Kevin Fisher’s mill, in a piece headlined, “Harpo, Homophobia and Hypocrisy:”

Harpo characterized McConnell as “prancing” in Civil War reenactments rather than “marching” or “participating” or “performing” in those events for a reason, the same reason for similar comments he made in a video interview with local blogger Brad Warthen in April 2011.

In a discussion of McConnell’s high-profile involvement in Civil War history, Warthen noted that the then-senator reportedly owns “17 Confederate costumes,” to which Harpo replied, “And one of them has hoops.” To make his point crystal clear, Harpootlian gestured around his waist to indicate a hoop skirt…

Finally, what about you, Cindi Ross Scoppe and Warren Bolton, editorial writers for The State — does Harpo get a free pass that you wouldn’t give anyone else of his prominence who was making such remarks?

Speaking of which, Harpootlian also told Warthen that “the girly boy thing didn’t work” for Democrats. For Harpo, it’s all macho, no homo, no doubt.

If you’d like to go back and view the full episode, here it is.

Oh, and as for Kevin’s challenge to my former teammates…  well, I suggest he’d be hard-pressed to find when Cindi or Warren ever took anyone to task for their perceived “homophobia.” So, no, they’re not giving him a “pass” that they wouldn’t give anyone else. I think Kevin is falling into a trap here, one I see folks fall into a lot: Cindi and Warren work for the MSM. That means they must be doctrinaire liberals. Therefore they’re probably always going on about “homophobia.” So they must be hyprocrites for not castigating their fellow “liberal.”

Fine theory for the ideologically inclined, except that it can’t be supported.

As for my own part — I showed you what Dick had to say. You decide what you think about it. I’m just glad I was able to provide Kevin with some original material. Makes me feel authoritative…

6 thoughts on “Happy to be a resource for a colleague

  1. tired old man

    Well, if you ain’t got talent, if you are short on original ideas, if people reject you at the polls, and if you cannot express yourself with with thoughtful literary imagery, then kick the crap out of somebody.

    Always am reminded of the purist who was frustrated at trying to teach teen-agers the finer points of football — and finally was swept away by a youngster who stepped forward and said, “Rules? The hell with rules! Throw the ball in and let’s kick somebody!”

  2. `Kathryn Fenner

    Cindi and Warren are not liberal. I am a liberal and I know liberals, and they are no liberals.

    A lot people around here seem define anyone to the left of them as liberals (or socialists, fascists(!), etc.).

    I don’t believe that anyone to the right of me is a conservative–some are libertarians and some are wishy-washy “moderates.” For the record, there are people to the left of me–communists…..

  3. Doug Ross

    “You decide what you think about it. ”

    No, I’d like to know what YOU think about it. Seems like you had a perfect opportunity to address it when it happened. Or do you just save your moral indignation over partisanship for when you can just write about it from afar?

    I watched the interview. Every time Harpootlian said something inflammatory, you just laughed along. The “back hoe” comment was just as rude. As was implying Sanford had gonorrhea. He called Republicans crooks and scum and you didn’t challenge him. And then he made the McConnell comment and you just snickered and said “Here we go again…”

    I loved Harpootlian’s strategy: We don’t have to win, the Republicans have to lose. We have to tell the people how much they “suck”. That was the Sheheen strategy. He said the strategy is a one point plan: Remind the people every day how bad the Republicans are. And your response: “Uh huh”.

    If you swim in the sewer, it’s tough to come out smelling like a rose. And you seem to enjoy swimming in both the Republican and Democrat cesspools. You think they’ll take your Unparty schtick seriously when you sit there laughing at their jokes and drinking their beers?

  4. Brad

    What do I think? I think that’s Dick. That’s exactly the way he’s been as long as I’ve known him. If he’s what you want as your chairman, then you get what you asked for.

    And yep, I find his outrageousness entertaining. That doesn’t mean I approve. It’s like watching “Family Guy,” which I occasionally do. I laugh my head off, at the same time that I’m thinking, “That’s AWFUL!”

    I’m that way about a lot of comedy. A lot of the funniest stuff is stuff we shouldn’t laugh at.

    Back to Dick — I’m not going to lecture him about it. He knows what he’s doing, and chooses to do it anyway. If I were to play the schoolmarm and tsk-tsk and tell him I think he’s terrible, he would just be delighted. It’s the way he is. Peck’s Bad Boy, and loving every minute of it.

    Is it wrong to speak of other people that way? Yes, it is. I have a lot of respect for Glenn McConnell and Lindsey Graham, and I don’t think anyone should speak of them the way Dick has. But I know nothing I say is going to change him. He is what he is.

  5. Doug Ross

    So you want the system to change but aren’t brave enough to challenge one of the key people responsible for that system when sitting directly across from him. Because it’s really all entertainment. Pub Politics and Dick Harpootlian spew the same garbage. But as long as you treat them like an episode of Family Guy, it’s okay.

    Your Unparty theme is a joke if you’re willing to give partisan losers an uncontested opportunity to spew garbage. Your credibility took a hit every time you let Harpootlian get away with his comments. I think the gonorrhea comment was worse than the hoop skirt one.

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