October 12, 2009

A classic Sharkian backtracking

Marquette professor of law Rick Esenberg, musing once again on the topic "Obama is a joke," was apparently troubled by my suggestion that that windy aficionado of Puerto Plata fauna Rush Limbaugh, by throwing in his lot with the views of America's enemies, might in former times and in reversed partisan context have been accused of something less than complete allegiance to his country:
We have to [celebrate Obama's Nobel Peace Prize] — at the risk of suggestions of treason — because ... why?
The embedded link is to this item. The italics are Prof. Esenberg's.

Not only had I not said a single word about celebrating anything, but as commenter AnotherTosaVoter perceptively observes:
Your party has no credibility when it comes to outrage over being called traitorous for disagreeing with the President. You know it — though for partisan reasons you may not admit it on this blog — to be true that your party used patriotism as a political cudgel without giving a second thought from 2001 to, well, now.
To which Prof. Esenberg responds:
I acknowledge that people on my side of the political divide have unfairly criticized opponents as unpatriotic ...
Just not as often as ATV thinks, or something. So what was the point of all that, who knows. But the complete retraction is appreciated.

Now perhaps when President Obama is conclusively demonstrated* to have adjusted U.S. foreign or military policy to the specific pleasures of the Norwegian parliament, that might be somewhat interesting.

* A nut-right blogger shrieking at a tea party doesn't count.

eta: Liz Cheney — America must 'dominate the world.'

Talk about a chip off the ol' Marvel supervillain block.

4 comments:

Ordinary Jill said...

The Nobel prizes are a Swedish institution, not Norwegian. The writers of Saturday Night Live apparently don't know the difference.

illusory tenant said...

True, but the Peace Prize selection committee is appointed by the Parliament of Norway.

Display Name said...

"Sharkian backtracking". I like it. Shriek the absolute, then tack on the backtrack.

And to think it only took twelve hours for him to remember the way the war supporters acted for seven years. What sort of mental block was in place in the morning that wasn't there at night? Should Marquette shift him to night classes? I'll end as the Shark does: Think of the children!

illusory tenant said...

They of the would-be "steel traps."