American Morning
Commentary: Wingnuts of the week
Editor's note: John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast. Previously, he served as Chief Speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/07/bachman.mckinney.art.jpg caption= "Former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (L) and current Rep. Michele Bachmann (R)."]
I'm trying out a new segment on "American Morning" called “Wingnuts of the Week.” It builds on a simple premise – the far-right and the far-left are equally insane.
What’s a Wingnut? It’s someone on the far-right wing or far-left wing of American politics – the professional partisans and the unhinged activists – the folks who always try to divide rather than unite. In our polarized two party system, they have disproportionate influence and too often define the terms of debate. With this segment, I'm going to try and take that power back.
In this first week, I'm naming two charter members of the Wingnut Hall of Fame who recently reared their heads in the news once again. I want to be an equal opportunity offender, punching both left and right, so both are members of Congress – one current and one former – and both are defended in their respective echo chambers on the far-right and far-left.
So drum roll, please: The Wingnuts of the Week for our inaugural edition are Michele Bachmann and Cynthia McKinney.
Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann first became nationally known in the late innings of campaign ’08, when she told Chris Matthews, “I am very concerned he [Barack Obama] may have anti-American views.” Undeterred by common sense or common decency, she followed that with a call to investigate all members of Congress for anti-American views. The media fallout made her, if anything, more beloved by conservatives. She was subsequently selected to be the master of ceremonies at the Conservative Political Action Committee’s Presidential Banquet. But the howlers have kept coming – recently put in a handy compendium by my colleagues at the Daily Beast.
This past week, in an interview with PJTV.com she took another leap too far, saying, “I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter.”
Two things: First, the bemused reach for causality between pandemics and Democratic presidents is a great illustration of the Wingnut’s impulse to blame everything bad in the world on the opposite party. Second, she got her facts wrong. It was under the administration of Republican President Gerald Ford that swine flu last reared its porcine head.
What’s on Tap – Friday May 8th, 2009
Here are the big stories on the agenda today.
A major turning point in a case that dominated the headlines for months. Drew Peterson has been indicted for the death of his third wife. It's a murder that was uncovered after his fourth wife Stacy vanished 18 months ago.
A key test of whether we've really turned that corner. The monthly jobs report for April is due out this morning. Some reports suggest we could hit a 25-year high – but there are sings the pace could be slowing. The CNN Money Team has the good and bad and what it all means for you.
Dozens of Marines setting foot in Afghanistan, the first of President Obama's surge of 21,000. Much larger waves are expected in the coming weeks, but troops on the ground say supply lines are running too slow. They weren't afraid to tell the defense secretary that on his trip to the war zone. Chris Lawrence has the latest from Afghanistan.
More than 30,000 residents in Santa Barbara told to get out – as a California wildfire burns out of control. The fire was only ten-percent contained as the winds picked up again last night. Emergency officials say at least 75 homes have been destroyed, but more than 12,000 could be in danger.
Discharged for being gay. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and officer in the Army National Guard, who is fluent in Arabic and who returned recently from Iraq, received word Thursday that the military is discharging him because he admitted he was gay. That’s been the law in this land since 1993 – and is still today under the Obama administration.
Who should be this week's "wingnuts"?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/13/john.avlon.art.jpg caption="John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast."]
What’s a wingnut?
Someone on the far-right wing or far-left wing of American politics. In a polarized two-party system, they have disproportionate influence and too often define the terms of debate.
With “Wingnuts of the Week,” commentator John Avlon tries to take that power back. Each Friday he joins us on "American Morning" with his wingnut picks – one from the right and one from the left.
Who should be this week's "Wingnuts of the Week"? Tell us in the comments below.
We Listen!
Thursday's American Morning viewers debated CNN’s decision to air Michael Savage’s rebuttal to his ban in Britain. Some were very appreciative of CNN’s “impartial” interview, while others were outraged that CNN would “publicize [Savage’s] raving hate talk.”
- Bernadette: Thank you for the impartial interview with Michael Savage. Mr. Savage, to clarify your words, once they are out on the airwaves you cannot take them back. Clarifying the use of terminology after the fact does not excuse foul, noxious, vicious, malicious and ferocious pronouncements on your part.
- Michael: I'm sure Michael Savage is happy to live in a country that gives you the freedom to be an ignorant hate spewing bigot. As they say in England, Cheers!
- Manetav: I agree with the British. Listen to his show sometime. It’s time we need Fairness Doctrine.
- Michael R: Why on earth would you give ANY time to publicize the raving hate talk of Michael (Weiner) Savage? He claims that his is a free speech issue, but if you've ever listened to him, he never allows callers who disagree to actually speak freely. He does have the right to say WHATEVER he wishes, but must you help him spread his venom?
- Ed: Your clueless interview with this slime ball was in the same level as a "Hannity" type softball interview. Have you listened to the Michael Savage radio show? Pure hateful ugliness and racist comments. Shame on your naiveté on this sorry excuse for a human being.
How do you feel about the controversial radio host, Michael Savage? Would you, as a viewer, have preferred NOT to hear Mr. Savage’s side of the argument? Was CNN wrong in airing his opinion?
Does hand sanitizer kill bacteria and viruses?
From CNN.com blogger, Dick:
“Hand sanitizer has been recommended but the bottles say, “Effective against bacteria,” with no mention of viruses. What gives?”
Answer:
That is a good question. There are not a lot of data actually on how effective those sanitizers are against viruses. There have been some studies done over the years and the conclusion is washing your hands with soap and water is still probably the best idea. If you are having a busy day and it is hard to get to a sink, then carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer would be a good idea.
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