Ok I am Calling Out Rod Dreher AKA Crunchy Con

I was coming home from Shreveport this afternoon. It was around three p.m and so when I leave the big port I start trying to get ESPN 97.7 sports radio out of Ruston. When I can't receive it , against my better judgment , I listen to that hack liberal show TO THE POINT on NPR via my local public radio station. When I do this I usually end up screaming at the radio. Today was no exception. See Healthcare Reform: Angry Crowds and the 'Public Option' (Listen around I think twenty minutes in)

Today they were talking about the horrible town halls and all those mean republicans. On the segment was some guy from Media matters, a guy from the American Specator, some college Prof Dude, and ROD DREHER from the Dallas Morning News AKA from his blog CRUNCHY CON.

The very always liberal host was of course labeling Rod as the conservative. Rod's point was the Town Halls were basically a sign of a horrible civic discourse. Now Rod should know better. In fact most of the American people know better. The National media might be showing the same three or four wackos in repeated clips but most Americans watch local news. More to the point if they have not been to town hall meeting they have a friend or non wacko neighbor that has been. What has been happening at the occasional Senator Specter Town hall is not what is occurring at the other 400 ones.

I love Rod and I link him about every other day. But good gosh this was the pot calling the kettle back. I can recall during the immigration debate( he opposed immigration reform) I was pleading with him in his comment section to try lower the anger and tone on the immigration debates. I was dealing with him in the comment section about Catholic Parish Secretaries that were crying because of calls( THE ONLY REASON THE CHURCH WANTS IMMIGRATION REFORM IS TO GET BUTTS INTO THE PEWS). What did Rod do.? Kept pouring gasoline on the fire about all these MEXICANS. Where was Rod when Senator Graham was getting booed in South Carolina? Where was Rod arguing constraint and civic discourse as many of us Republicans that supported it were called quislings and traitors and other unmentionable things?Pretty much AWOL.

So cry me a river

We have seen this on other issue. Rod was against the Iraq war. That is fine. But it appeared for over a year he could not be balanced about it and "poured gasoline on the fire". In other words in intra Conservative conflicts he acts like the people he is pontificating against. This is getting old. The fact that is his MSM columns is more moderated helps a tad(In that way he is like the the political version of the Catholic Mark Shea)

I like Rod and I know that he uses his blog to get ideas out and grapple with them. But he needs to realize that his blog might have more influence than his Dallas Morning News Column and his occasion USA Today Column.

If Rod truly believes that Town Halls and conservatives are practicing a poison politics time for him to think before he hits his own submit button.