“Objective” Vengeance
by Sen. H. L. Richardson, rtd. (Founder and Chairman, Gun Owners of America)

In case you hadn’t noticed, the major mainstream media and left wing liberal democrats have two things in common: they all have a seething hatred of conservatives and they believe in revenge.

Under the guise of “objective” reporting, their bias seeps through like acid through a paper sieve. I have observed this bias first hand for more than forty years. At no time has it been as visible as now.

Years ago, I asked Norm Moore (a detective sergeant of the Los Angeles Police Force) a question: “Why are most rank and file law enforcement personnel conservative?”

His answer was unforgettable. “Senator, it’s because we see the thin veneer of civilization rubbed off the people too often.”

“The thin veneer of civilization.”

The veneer is gossamer thin on those who adhere to port-side politics. The mainstream media is tied to the hip with their secular counterparts in the legislature, like Siamese twins… the same agnostic blood flows through their veins.

Underneath those smiling continuances and sweet-talking hypocrisy, they seethe with anger at anyone who effectively opposes them. Revenge is an integral part of their nature and character assassination is a rapier they willingly use. They don’t believe in absolutes, nor as Patrick Henry who stated, “The eternal difference between right and wrong does not fluctuate, it is immutable.” For liberals, God’s law of “do to others as you would have them do unto you,” is not in their equation.

Morals, therefore, are what the situation dictates — especially if it helps them attain or retain political power. So, evil or good become relative terms. Half-truths (the most dangerous of lies) roll delicately from their lips. Their only real fear is not in getting caught, because they sometimes do, but not being able to weasel out of it.

Being armed with situational ethics, anything goes when attacking an enemy. The most recent example of subtle character assassinations are the attacks the leftwingers have launched on the reputations of two Congressman, California’s John Doolittle and Richard Pombo. These two men are literally despised by those who control the leadership of the Democrat party. Their sin? They have effectively raised funds to depose liberal incumbents from office, and they’ve been highly successful in doing so — both are presently in leadership positions.

It matters little to the left that both are God-fearing, happily married family men with unimpeachable reputations. All of us who know them both politically and personally, understand their “crime” is being effective in fighting port-side liberals.

They strongly believe in supporting the right of the citizens to own firearms. The Second Amendment as well as the rest of the Constitution couldn’t have better supporters in public office.

I personally have known John Doolittle for decades. As a young lawyer, he worked on my senate staff, specializing in criminal law. He helped me shepherd the toughest rape and child molestation bill through the legislature and saw it signed into law. The liberal democrats and the ACLU heavily opposed it.

Later, in the 1980’s, he took on the monumental task of running against the left-wing dean of the California senate, Senator Al Rodda of Sacramento. Rodda was anti-gun, anti-death penalty, a bleeding heart and a big-spending liberal. Everyone believed he was unbeatable. To top it off, his brother Richard Rodda was the political editor of the Sacramento Bee, the left wing rag that covers the Central Valley of California.

Al Rodda got all the good press and John Doolittle received the accusations of being a right wing extremist and a nobody. No one in the media thought John had a chance; the pundits scoffed at his candidacy, they even made fun of him.

Then to the shock and dismay of the entire leftist community… HE WON! Ever since, the Bee has been hard on his case, picking at imaginary gnats, sneaking subtle digs into “objective” news stories and bashing him in every election cycle while praising his opponents as men of Herculean proportions.

In spite of it all, John kept winning and has risen to top leadership in the Congress. Because of his talent, ability and the good judgment of his constituents, he has won elections over and over again. Still the Bee smarts— progressively livid over his continued success.

Most recently, the Bee and the liberal media are trying to sully his reputation with guilt by association, insinuating that he has had “possible” connections with a questionable lobbyist.

Every legislator sees lobbyists every day. There are ten times more of them than legislators. They go with the job. Occasionally a bad one rises to the surface and the media has a feast trying to implicate legislators along with them.

However, there are many good lobbyists who are reliable sources of important information. We at Gun Owners have lobbyists testifying before the legislatures from Washington to California. Most legislators don’t know beans about guns or the difference between a rimfire or a muzzleloading firearm. We are there to factually inform them on legislation affecting firearms. For some, the first gun they ever saw was in a John Wayne movie.

Now the Democrat leadership and the Bee have sunk to worm-belly low. They are attacking John Doolittle’s wife, Julie.

Julie is an extremely bright lady with a good business head on her shoulders. For years, she has had the difficult job of raising political donations for her husband and for others as well. Anyone who has tried to raise funds knows how difficult the job can be. Because she’s so capable, Julie has successfully raised big bucks. She is paid a 15% commission, one of the lowest going rates in the fundraising business. Julie has raised funds for her husband. So what?! She has broken no laws and adheres to all laws on reporting. She is hardly the only legislative wife who has worked for her husband. Many a democrat frau has been on the governmental payroll, sucking up taxpayers dollars. Julie is not; she’s in the free enterprise business, providing a service on which others are happy to pay a 15% commission. No money raised, no pay.

With the water now precipitously rising in the American and Sacramento Rivers (and evidence that Sacramento is a New Orleans Katrina waiting to happen with vast areas of homes under twenty feet of water), the Bee finally had a series of articles on the grave danger of flooding. Little or no mention was made of the Bee’s strong opposition to John and his attempts to see the completion of the Auburn Dam. A dam that would provide much greater safety to Sacramento homes.

If the Sacramento Bee were a real objective newspaper, they would get off of John’s back and give him the praise and support that he deserves. It’s a nice thought but I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen. I too have seen the thin veneer of civility rubbed off liberals all too often.