QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 7:44 A.M. ET:  There appears to be no limit to the vulgarity of the left, as it tries to exploit the tragic shootings in Tucscon.  No comment is too wild, no charge too extreme.   The New York Times, displaying for all to see its deterioration as a newspaper, runs an editorial that should embarrass anyone who recalls The Times when it still had some standards.  Consider this quote:

It is facile and mistaken to attribute this particular madman’s act directly to Republicans or Tea Party members. But it is legitimate to hold Republicans and particularly their most virulent supporters in the media responsible for the gale of anger that has produced the vast majority of these threats, setting the nation on edge.

This of course is a thinly veiled attack on Fox News.  But notice that no names are used, no evidence presented.  ON the left, evidence is not considered necessary, as the truth is obvious.

Many on the right have exploited the arguments of division, reaping political power by demonizing immigrants, or welfare recipients, or bureaucrats.

Note the absence of the word "illegal" before immigrants.  And when was the last time "the right" demonized welfare recipients?  And bureaucrats?  Apparently, it's no longer legitimate, in the eyes of The Times, to criticize the actions of governments, or to point out that government workers often received higher salaries than their equivalents in the private sector.  The Times rant seems to suggest that government should be the master of the people, and not the other way around.

They seem to have persuaded many Americans that the government is not just misguided, but the enemy of the people.

No examples provided.  Not one.  Many conservatives, Ronald Reagan included, have said that government is often part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.  That is a far cry from charging that government is the enemy.

That whirlwind has touched down most forcefully in Arizona, which Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik described after the shooting as the capital of “the anger, the hatred and the bigotry that goes on in this country.”

This disgusting individual is an old Democratic Party hack.  But his political affiliation and history can be found almost nowhere.  His behavior at the now-famous press conference where he delivered his broadside was grossly unprofessional, for a supposed law-enforcement officer.  He couldn't even remember the name of the FBI official whom he was about to introduce but he had no hesitation about delivering a political speech.

Anti-immigrant sentiment in the state, firmly opposed by Ms. Giffords, has reached the point where Latino studies programs that advocate ethnic solidarity have actually been made illegal.

An awful and deceptive statement.  No description of the programs is given.  The programs involved are extreme, and have no place in public schools.  This is really a cheap shot.

Its gun laws are among the most lenient, allowing even a disturbed man like Mr. Loughner to buy a pistol and carry it concealed without a special permit. That was before the Tucson rampage. Now, having seen first hand the horror of political violence, Arizona should lead the nation in quieting the voices of intolerance, demanding an end to the temptations of bloodshed, and imposing sensible controls on its instruments.

The usual, standard leftist demand for new gun laws, without making any specific suggestions that might actually work.  It is certainly true that the Arizona shooter should not have been allowed to buy a pistol, given his mental history.  But the problem lies in the fact that no part of that mental history was entered into the database that the FBI uses in its instant background check.  A thoughtful discussion on this is perfectly appropriate.  The Times gives us a rant.

By the way, Chicago has among the strictest gun-control laws in the country, and Chicago is a shooting gallery.  I do not join those who rigidly oppose all gun-management laws.  It would be nice, though, if someone checked to see what works in expanding public safety, and what doesn't.  But on today's feel-good left, where the highest priority is feeling good about onesself, facts have little use. 

The Times embarrasses its name.  But it has done so many, many times in recent years.  The Times editorial adds nothing to the public discussion.  The editorial writers are, no doubt, content.

January 10, 2011