#6 - I'm Appalled...

First of all, I apologize to my millions (six, actually) of readers for not blogging for almost three months. Well, I'm back!

This post goes perfectly with the title of my blog. I read an article today and said out loud, "Seriously?!" Maybe some of you have heard about this already; but if not, here is the story. Recently, Rush Limbaugh criticized congressional Republicans for not putting up enough of a fight against President Obama's stimulus plan (I make no statement as to the plan's merits; not important). First let me say that while I have no respect for Rush Limbaugh, it is his right to say what he wants on his show. He is, after all, paid to do just that. Representative Phil Gingrey (a Republican) of Georgia made a statement in response to that pointing out that "...it's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don't have to try to do what's best for your people and your party."

These statements prompted many conservatives to contact Rep. Gingrey's office to complain about what he said. When I say 'many', I mean that it was enough for the congressman to issue another statement apologizing for the statements, and that he felt the need to defend his conservatism. Does anyone else see the problem here?

Had the story ended after the congressman's first statement, I would have applauded him. I believe he is right. It is easy for media personalities to criticize from their positions. They don't have to take the calls from the constituents who are suffering right now, asking their elected representatives to make tough decisions.

Unfortunately, it did not end there. When did a politicians alignment with the opinions of a morally-questionable shock-jock become a litmus test for his conservative qualifications? I myself (and many of the conservative people I call friends) have complained often about the power of the liberal (by "liberal" we mean evil, let's be honest) media, and its influence on the people of this nation. Here we have an example of the power of the conservative media. The folks who called the congressman's office called to complain about his criticism of three media personalities, not his policies in regards to the Democrat-supported stimulus package. Are we really that enamored with these media idols?

Sadly, it gets worse. Representative Gingrey gave in. He tucked his tail between his legs and submitted to the almighty power of loudmouth-influenced public opinion. I imagine Limbaugh, Hannity, and Gingrich making disparaging comments about how weak it was that Gingrey let them push him around. I can see it now...the three of them sitting around a table with cigars and tumblers of whiskey, laughing at how easy it is to lead the conservative sheep of this nation...