It is proving difficult to write about the Juan Williams affair, because it is difficult to contemplate Juan Williams for very long without wishing for something more interesting to contemplate, such as a freshly painted wall slowly becoming dry, or else a slice of unbuttered toast, or an unmowed lawn, or an unread David Broder column.
Not much more Fun is the right-wing freakout over the Williams firing, as we've seen this circus before.
It's quite the spectacle the first time you witness the conservative hordes spreading their knobby, pasty wings and taking to the savage skies of the Internets to the accompaniment of a million kazoos blaring Ride of the Valkyies amid billowing clouds of Cheeto dust. But then you realize they put on this show every five minutes or so, or oftener, over pretty much everything. ("Obama blows nose, uses a Kleenex -- or was it the American flag!!!!!") And it gets old.
Because you always know where it's going.
The comedy of wingnuts complaining over a media figure getting fired for Wrongthink is pretty great, as this is, uh, all they do. "Free speech" means "acceptable on Fox."
Freedom of Screech.*
Unsurprising as well is the "oh yeah, well then Nina Totenberg" guff, which is, surprisingly for someone of Stephen Hayes's caliber, surprisingly weak.
There was a joke there. Surprise!
Over the past month, in her regular appearances on “Inside Washington,” she has: criticized a ruling of the Roberts Court as scandalous; claimed that Michelle Obama gives people “warm and fuzzy” feelings; called Bill Clinton “the most gifted politician I’ve ever seen;” and lamented that the Democratic Party is diverse enough to include moderates that want to extend all Bush tax cuts.
As for the first, about the Roberts Court, it's nice to see a wingnut admitting that the Roberts Court is essentially an outpost of the Republican Party, and that not liking the Citizens United decision means not liking the GOP.
As for the second, apparently, saying people liking Michelle Obama = fireable, saying she is Stokely Carmichael in a dress = free speech. And the third, admitting that Bill Clinton has political skills is partisan? And the fourth, you know who else wants the Bush tax cuts to expire? Osama bin Laden. Besides that, being a Supreme Court reporter really should have a direct impact on your opinions about tax policy, because that just makes sense.
As does the idea that Inside Washington and The O'Reilly Factor are the same thing.
And that Jon Stewart never criticizes the Obama administration.
These assholes were content for years with working the refs. But they always wanted the whole ballgame.
Totenberg is going to get axed within the week, and won't have nearly Williams' multimillion parachute. Also on the block are Terry Gross and the Car Talk Guys, to be replaced by Sean Hannity reruns. And the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will get defunded anyway.
That is just how it works in our Republic.
*"Freedom of Screech" is a trademark of WhiskeyFire LLC, Inc., all rights reserved. KMRIA.