Saturday, May 08, 2010

Pot Calling Kettle Black

Olbermann endlessly criticizes the right wing for using inflammatory language, for stretching the truth, and for preaching divisiveness, and then
in his segment last night on the Arizona law he referred to the state as “America’s hateland.” He should reflect that it was the legislature of that state which passed the law in question, not the people. He should also consider that, while some people in that state support the law, others do not, and his use of that term is vile and inaccurate.

He goes on to say in that segment that McCain, “supports the new state law that requires police to stop anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant and demand to see their papers.” This is hyperbole and untruth that is fully worthy of Limbaugh.

The law not only does not “require” police to stop anyone; it specifically prohibits police from stopping anyone for the specific purpose of checking the legitimacy of their presence in this country. Such checks may be made only in the process of a stop made for other legitimate reasons, and they are permitted by the new law, not required.

If Olbermann wants to sanctimoniously demand that the right wing stop preaching the “politics of hate,” he needs to stop doing so himself.

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