July 8th, 2009 | 
Author: First Paul Krugman calls anyone who opposes climate change legislation “traitors against the planet”. We then have Al Gore claiming fighting those who oppose such legislation akin to fighting Nazis. The latest to resort to ad hominem is Henry Waxman, who claims the GOP, and by implication, anyone who is against the nonsense he just pushed through the House is an unpatriotic so-and-so:
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has had an eventful couple of weeks to say the least, believes House Republican opposition to climate change legislation and the stimulus indicates they’re cheering against the good ol’ US of A.
“It appears that the Republican Party leadership in the Congress has made a decision that they want to deny President Obama success, which means, in my mind, they are rooting against the country, as well,” the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman told WAMU radio host Diane Rehm on Tuesday morning, promoting his new book, “The Waxman Report.”
Yeah, see it couldn’t at all be that they’re concerned with the crippling effect it will have on the economy or that it is based in bad science that is daily being successfully challenged. Or that the stimulus was a bad idea that put us into much worse shape fiscally while doing very little to help the economy.
Nope, it’s all about wanting to “deny President Obama success”, and that, of course means it is OK to question their patriotism.
Because, as we’ve all learned, since the election of Obama and the rise of the Democrat left, dissent is no longer the highest form of patriotism, is it?
UPDATE: Oops – looks like Michael and I came to the same conclusion at about the same time. Ah well, such is blogging – read ‘em both. They’re just different enough (and short enough) to warrant it. And btw, Michael, it doesn’t surprise me that Steve Benen, hack that he is, doesn’t find the rhetoric to be “over the top” when a Democrat says it, but would be devoting a full week of outraged blogging if it had been the other way around.
~McQ
Posted in Bruce McQuain, Democrats, Environment, Nanny State, Obama Administration, The Left | 
Tags: Al Gore, dissent, GOP, Henry Waxman, patriotism, Paul Krugman
8 Responses to “Waxman Questions GOP’s Patriotism”
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Dude!
Oh quit whining.
I think this makes us even
Yeah, see if I call you when traffic is bad again!
And, I’m not shocked by Benen’s reaction either. In fact, it’s almost expected.
Well if you do, make sure it isn’t during a Brave’s game, will ya?
shorter waxman/gore/pelosi: “will no one rid us of these troublesome proles?” coincidentally, there’s a new census upcoming: it’ll be administered *and interpreted* by those same good freedom-loving democrats. nothing to worry about THERE! move along, proles. move along.
Strictly speaking, Krugman, Gore, and Waxman are engaging in demonization, not ad-hominem.
An ad-hominem is of the form “You are a Y, therefore you must be wrong about X.” (Example: “You are in the oil industry, therefore your environmental study must be tainted.”)
Demonization is is of the form “You are wrong about X, therefore you must be a Y.” (Example: “You are wrong to deny global warming, therefore you are a Nazi.”
Actually they are guilty of the logical fallacy “Argumentum Ad Obnoxium” Arguing while being a Democrat.
I wonder how Fat Nose and Moustache (the phoniest getup I have ever seen) Waxman will like it when even Dems in the Senate help to bring down his monstrosity of a bill. It sounds like Old KKK Man Byrd is going to be the first, to be followed by a slew of midwestern Dems who see their chances of winning back their seats next year starting to not look so good.