On rare occasions, I see rank and file people on the left calling for violence as a political solution. Whenever I do, I criticize it sharply. However, I have never seen such vile behavior from a leader in the Democratic party, or from someone publicly promoted by a Democratic candidate. That is a Republican tactic, one that we have seen over and over again, from a broad assortment of Republican politicians and pundits. But Ted Nugent has Switch Hit Mitt, who bats from both sides of every plate, in a quandary. He does not like the criticism he is getting as a result, but he does not want to offend the many hate-centered people to whom the Republican Party has pandered to cultivate their support.
Hate-laced remarks against President Barack Obama and his administration by aging rocker Ted Nugent have become the latest caustic comments to fuel outrage on the US campaign trail.
The US Secret Service was reportedly investigating Nugent on Wednesday after he said he would be "dead or in jail" if Obama is reelected in November.
Democrats have also used the tirade to attack Republican candidate Mitt Romney by highlighting his association with the musician-turned-gun-enthusiast.
Nugent was stumping for Romney at the National Rifle Association convention last weekend in Missouri when he unleashed a radio rant against Obama and what he described as "criminals" of a "vile, evil, America-hating administration."
"If you don’t know that our government is wiping its a(expletive) with the constitution, you’re living under a rock," Nugent, 63, said in videotaped comments that have since gone viral on the Internet.
"I’ll tell you this right now: if Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year," he said.
"We are patriots, we are bravehearts. We need to ride into that battlefield, and chop their heads off in November. Any questions?"
The Secret Service might have a few… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <AFP/Google>
Ed Schultz and Eugene Robinson discuss Nugent and how Romney actively sought his endorsement.
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Romney’s claims that he is not connected to Nugent is a lie.
Lawrence O’Donnell joins David Corn and Goldie Taylor to document how Nugent and Romney are alike.
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Romney has refused to disavow Nugent or his statements. In truth, I think Romney is about greed, not hate. And that makes his willingness to pander to it even more despicable.
19 Responses to “Romney’s Hand-picked Hatemonger Plugs Violence”
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Violence is never the answer.
I fully agree.
I wonder if Nugent has ever read the Constitution. It’s short without a lot of big words. However, it doesn’t have pictures, so it may be beyond him.
That’s a good question, Marva. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s read the 2nd Amendment only.
Ted Nugent is an ass. All of his rhetoric is false and yes, they scary pod people agree with him.
Are you saying, then, that he’s no different than the rest of the Republican leadership?
I have to admit that I had never heard of Ted Nugent — the only Nugent I can remember was the one that married Luci B Johnson, daughter to President Johnson. Although I had no idea what he was up to, I doubted that he and Ted could be one in the same.
So he is a rocker, anti-drugs and anti alcohol (according to Wikipedia). His rant seems like a drug and/or alcohol fueled tirade, but unfortunately we can’t blame them for his behaviour. He is just plain vile.
Maybe Nugent isn’t dangerous himself as some have said, but did you see the audience nodding ascent and then applauding as he continued his rant? What is he inspiring? Is his tirade, which by the way I do take as a direct death threat against President Obama, inciting others in the way that Sarah Palin’s cross-hairs is thought to have inspired Jared Loughner’s attempted assassination of Gabby Giffords, the wounding of 13 others and the murder of 6, thereby making him equally guilty?
From NJ.com — The assassination attempt [of Giffords] left Americans questioning whether divisive politics had pushed the suspect over the edge. … “He was definitely on a mission,” according to event volunteer Alex Villec, former Giffords intern.
For Rmoney to openly court this vile idiot for his endorsement and not renounce him is just further evidence of the lack of morals, or at the very least the questionable morals of Rmoney.
Excellent presentation by Ed Shultz and Lawrence O’Donnell.
Lynn, for one thing, Nugent is on the Board of Directors of the NRA. For someone with that kind of standing with gun nuts saying such things to gun nuts is scary as hell.
Remember this: Nugent is a serial pedophile, in addition to all these other things.
And Willard pals around with him.
Need I say more?
That would not surprise me.
TC…
Yes I often say that the only way to save our Constitution and Country is too quit turning the other cheek and you do call me out for it. However, it has been well documented by the very words that have come out against the President since he won the Primary and Election that they want him not only out of the White House, but dead as well.
From Sarah Palin’s cross hairs on Democratic members to the vile language of both House and Senate members on the Republican Fascist Nazi side of the aisle to the RFN Party leaves no doubt in my mind that they have been doing everything they possibly can to incite their base to assassinate him and even harm his family.
So while I have never in my life been violent I see the very possibility of blood being spilled on our streets and we all should be worried that this is going to be the outcome if one of their base does the unthinkable and does attempt to kill President Obama, whether successful or not..
If that does happen then the Republican Fascist Nazi Party will be just as guilty as the actual person who pulls the trigger and we will once again have a revolt by the people against them and their base.
What then would you tell everyone? We should not resort to violence or stand up against corrupt government and those who wish to enslave us all after they kill another good man for their evil benefits.
With the voter disenfranchisement of millions of voters and their rigged election machines, police state tactics against protestors now being called Detainee’s are we not now a third world country that rules by the bullet box instead of the ballot box.
This is 1930’s Germany all over again and we better wake up or America will become The Fourth Reich and our streets will be no different than the streets in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Have a great day.
AP, there may come a time when people have to take up arms in self defense, but that is way different than politically motivated violence.
For now, Republicans are the party of violence. If we adopt their tactics, how can anyone tell the difference between us in them?
If memory serves, John Foster Dulles proposed the idea that tpo preserve our freedom against the USSR, we had to play just as dirty as they were. We did, and now, there is little difference between USSR freedoms and US freedoms. Many of the practices we take for granted today are practices that we we used then to define the USSR as evil. We must learn from history. If we copy Republican tactics, we will become no better than they are.
Nugent is a perfect example of the loathsome type of people we have become as a result of this current conservative-dominated era we are in. We have fallen from a benevolent land of plenty and equal opportunity to a country that is rash, brash. militaristic, aggressive, VERY self centered, and downright ignorant. Thanks, conservatives, for thoroughly screwing up the country. You have left us very lirrle to be proud of.
Well said, Pope Jack!
Excellent links and an excellent strategy to get them in!
I think the RepublicanTs were salivating over Nugent’s remarks at the NRA.
So do I.