Now Critics Of Obama Are Labeled "Traitors" And "Un-American"

Oh, and giving "aid and comfort to the enemy," to boot, according to Joan Walsh of Salon.com on Hardball With Chris Matthews. Yep, some of the same people (like me) who constantly criticized Bush, claiming it was our duty as American citizens, are now claiming that in fact, the president canNOT be criticized, especially if his name happens to be Barack Obama. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, that is.

Once again, this would be laughable if it weren't so disturbing. Here's the video, see for yourself:



This is rich, isn't it? I wonder if Walsh is actually on Obama's payroll. because it sure seems like it!

Here is the transcript of this exchange, just so you can see it in black and white. It really is striking:

MATTHEWS: ... to the double dealing charge against you personally, sir, that you have a different attitude about President Bush and President Obama. President Bush took six days, according to the record, to respond to the shoe bomber. The president we have now, our president, took three days or 72 hours, I believe it was.

What‘s the difference in the way you score this? You seem to score it differently—is there is bell curve for Republicans...

WALSH: Really!

MATTHEWS: ... where they‘re given more time? Is this the Katrina rule, where if it‘s anything faster than a week, it‘s somehow Speedy Gonzalez here?

(LAUGHTER)

CHRISTIE: Chris...

MATTHEWS: I mean, why do you give credit to Bush for six days you don‘t give to this president for three days? What‘s your scorecard, sir?

CHRISTIE: I‘m not looking at a scorecard, Chris.

MATTHEWS: Well, what are you looking at?

CHRISTIE: I‘m looking at connecting the dots. If you go back to Major Hasan Nidal (SIC) this past summer...

MATTHEWS: You‘re changing the subject.

CHRISTIE: ... the shooting at Ft. Hood...

MATTHEWS: Why does Bush get six days?

CHRISTIE: No, no, Chris! No! I‘m going to actually answer this question. Again, we had a very tepid response from the Obama administration initially. First they said everything was under control. Then they said it was an isolated incident. Then we come forward to the Christmas incident. Chris, the difference is one thing and one thing only, Christmas Day is one of the most holiest day in the Christian religious faith.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

CHRISTIE: This was a radicalized Muslim who tried to kill 300 Americans on Christmas Day. I wanted my president to come out and say, We recognize this is an act of terror by a radicalized Muslim on Christmas Day...

WALSH: That‘s ridiculous.

CHRISTIE: ... and we have the situation under control.

MATTHEWS: Why did he have to say “radicalized Muslim”? Why is that lingo so important to you?

WALSH: Richard Reid was a radicalized Muslim three days before Christmas. I had relatives flying in. It was 2001. I was actually scared to death at that point. So were a lot of Americans. But nobody thought to bray about President Bush staying on his vacation because that wasn‘t the climate at the time.

The climate right now is that Republicans use everything they can to undermine and delegitimize this president. And it‘s actually un-American. It‘s traitorous, in my opinion. Do you want to give aid and comfort to our enemies? Continue to treat this president like he wasn‘t elected and he doesn‘t know what he‘s doing! He knows what he did. He knows what he‘s doing. I‘m proud of him. I believe that he has the stalwart, resolute nature to get this done. In my opinion, sometimes he goes too far, but to talk about him like he‘s some socialist out-to-lunch...

MATTHEWS: OK...

WALSH: ... is just outrageous!

Gosh, was it just in December of last year that Ms. Walsh CRITICIZED George Bush on the very same show? I guess SHE'S a traitor and Un-American, too, by her own standards. Huh. I guess she, too, forgets that we actually have video available, and can check these things.

One thing is for sure - I don't think anyone will ever see her as an unbiased, neutral reporter again in terms of politics, because she most definitely is not. And for her to claim we cannot criticize our president - presumably only Obama - without being charged with treason, aiding our enemies, and being downright un-American, is absurd. I said it with Bush, and I'll say it about Obama: it is our DUTY as American citizens to be vigilant of what our leaders are doing in our name, a concept heralded by a number of our early leaders, including the following quotes from a couple of them:

"But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government." -- Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address, March 4, 1837

"If men (sic) were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men (sic), neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary." -- James Madison, Federalist no. 51.

How sad that Ms. Walsh, a journalist, someone who writes for a living, does not seem to understand the Constitutional right of FREE SPEECH. Nor does she seem to understand that free speech extends to whomever is in office, whether she supports them or not. She cannot criticize George W. Bush, then turn around and go on a tirade when people react the same way to Barack Obama. Well, she can, but it is hypocritical at the very least, and most definitely un-American at its worst. Ahem.

So get off your (Kool Aide) high horse, Ms. Walsh. It's called Free Speech. Look into it.