Now Is Not The Time For The Fear Mongering Of McCarthyism

I just watched this clip:

That was Republican Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota. She did a good deal of attacking Obama’s character, but that was to be expected and is not what has gotten me so irate. What angered me was her insinuation that Liberal equals anti-American. She even asked Chris Mathews to start investigating our Congress in order to weed out anti-American Senators and Congressmen. This type of talk is scary. I don’t think anyone in Congress is anti-American and I don’t think Conservatives are more patriotic than Liberals or vice-versa. What this Congresswoman has said is a disgrace and it is outright McCarthyism. The far Right needs to stop making this election into pro-American vs. anti-American. And yes, the same goes for the far Left’s divisive rhetoric.

Palin said today that she was glad to be in a “Pro American” area of America. Excuse me? Did certain areas of the United States just get invaded and overrun by rebels? Are only the small towns of America pro-American? What good comes from a remark like this?

Now, for the most part, I am vehemently liberal and I feel that having a powerful view, be it liberal or conservative, of what American policies should be is patriotic. Both sides ought to respect the views of their opposition. The two parties firmly believe that their policies will put this country back on track. It’s these ideas that they should be fighting over. Not petty divisiveness.

This country was founded on dissent. When you stand up against the track in which America is heading that isn’t unpatriotic, that isn’t terrorism, that is patriotism. You stand up for what you believe your country should be, whether its Conservatives fighting against liberal policies or Liberals fighting against conservative policies. The people in power don’t have a monopoly on Patriotism and they don’t have the right to call the opposite side anti-American. To spew McCarthyism type rhetoric meant to scare the American people against the policies of the opposing party is beneath the dignity of this Congresswoman’s office. It inspires fear and an unwarranted hatred of Barack Obama that can ultimately threaten his life. Fifty years ago this type of talk spun Americans into a dark time of paranoia and absolute fear. This is a time for neither.

We are living in a remarkable period. The next President will have a tremendous opportunity to rise to the occasion and pull this nation back to being that shining city upon a hill. But it can’t be done by dividing this country against the candidates and it certainly cannot be done with the type of despicable rhetoric that Congresswoman Bachmann is coyly throwing around.

Let’s get something straight, both Barack Obama and John McCain are patriots. They are distinguished members of the United States Senate and they are fighting for what they, their supporters and their parties believe will be most beneficial for all Americans. This isn’t a time for innuendo and fear mongering. The nation will need to get behind one of these men come January 20th and these types of remarks are only damaging the good that can come from an undivided country rallying their President to fight for them in these trying times.

UPDATE - In the time since Congresswoman Bachmann made her ridiculous comments, her opponent, El Tinklenberg, has raised over $500,000.  Also, the DCCC has added his race into their top-tier of most competitive House races of the election.  Tinklenberg is behind, but Bachmann’s poll numbers have not broken 50%, which leaves hope that Tinklenberg can overtake her on November 4th.

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