Finally, finally, finally! For two years the Republican slime machine: Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, and their crew has mercilessly slammed Obama with Guilt-by-Association ridiculous nonsense and rarely, if ever have they been called out on it. Guilt-by-Association is the most despicable line of attack that there is and only works when a person devoid of any personal ethics pounds a ridiculous point over and over again until something sticks. Basically, the line of attack is: if you have ever known, appeared in the same place, worked for the same employer, etc, with somebody that has questionable ethics, then you must share those questionable ethics.
In the case of Barack Obama, the guilt-by-association game has been taken by the sleezeballs on the Right to unheard of levels - questioning his patriotism and even saying he "pals around with terrorists". This is especially horrific considering what Obama was doing when he was on the same board with the person that they have used to smear him: he was on a Charity board! So, in other words, if you ever want to work at a charity or any organization, you are responsible to check on the background of everyone that works at that organization, or for that matter, ever did.
So, this morning, when I saw Robert Gibbs turn the guilt-by-association game back around on Sean Hannity, I have to say, I felt a great deal of relief - finally, finally, he had to feel what it was like to be a victim of the same type of smears that he has filled his show with for the past two years.
Here is the video where Robert Gibbs smacks down Hannity in a way that I have never seen someone do before. Thank you Gibbs! Thank You!
Basically, the video begins with Hannity saying that the debate was just "rehash" (you know, who cares about the economy, when there is Ayers?) and that the real juicy stuff is the William Ayers stuff. He asks Gibbs "How can you fight terrorism when you give speeches with, sit on a board with, give speeches with, Axelrod says your friendly with, and never speak out against William Ayers?" Then, as per usual Hannity will not let Gibbs get in a word edgewise...
Gibbs spends the next minute trying to explain in a nice way the truth - that Obama was eight years old when it happened, it was a charitable board founded by a Reagan conservative, that Obama tries to focus on major issues, Obama has called the acts deplorable, etc.
Then, Gibbs had enough and says "Let me ask you one question: Are you anti-Semitic?" And explains that Hannity devoted an entire show to Andy Martin who called a judge "crooked slimy Jew who has a history of lying and thieving common to members of his race" and that "understood better why the holocaust took place given that Jew survivors are acting as a wolf-pack and sitting on property." Gibbs goes on to ask why is he not to believe that Hannity is anti-Semitic given that he gives a platform to anti-Semites. So, why if he gave the whole show to this anti-Semite does that mean that Hannity and Faux News are anti-Semites?
Meanwhile Hannity began throwing a fit - spitting out Wright, Farakhan, etc. etc. He looked like a little kid throwing a tantrum.
Personally, I find this especially gratifying because I listen to a lot of Conservative radio. It was a decision that I made a long time ago because of my parents. I knew that my parents watched Faux News, listened to conservative radio, etc., so I thought it was important that I knew what they were listening to. I also figured that if I understood what my friends, church members, and family members were watching and listening to, then i may be able to relate to them better.
So, for two years now I have listened to Obama, a very good and honest man, by nearly any standard (not perfect, but for a politician extremely good) get slimed over and over and usually by this game. As we have seen with the Six degrees of Kevin Bacon party game nearly anyone, no matter how upstanding can be smeared in this way. For instance, i am sure that I have worked with a charity, been in a club, went to church with, went to school with, etc, someone that has done something very awful - so by Hannity's standards that would make me guilty of everything they have ever done - even if it was before I was born.
This game is ridiculous and it is time that someone, anyone stands up to the perpetrators of this technique as Gibbs did here and say that we will not stand for it anymore! The American people are better than that!
Update: Please Digg if so inclined.
Update 2: Just as a complete aside - I live in a very Republican part of PA (Indiana County) and because of the hard work of many volunteers for the first time in modern history we have more registered Dems in our county than Republicans!
Anyways, on the way to work every day I walk past a John McCain office. I then walk past it to and from lunch, on my way home, and often at night as well. I have done this 6-7 days a week for months. During that entire time I have seen no more than 10 people go in and out of the office - it is a veritable ghost town - in what was an extremely red district!
So, this morning as I went past I noticed a new sign on the door that Palin and the "Road to Victory" team would be coming to the county next to us (about 30 minutes away). I was there for no more than 30 seconds and a lady came bolting out of the back room, out the door and asked "do you want tickets? we have a lot of tickets!" I turned halfway around, so that she would not see the big Barack Obama logo on my black hooded sweatshirt, was tempted for a moment to say yes and either protest or not show up to mess up their numbers, but the better angel in my took over and said "no thanks" with a smile I walked past the ghost town and on to work and thought to myself - things are looking up, still a ways to go, but things are definitely looking up!