"Disinhibition"

On FOX Pseudonews, Sean Hannity tried to argue that Arianna Huffington approved of remarks left by some commenters who expressed regret that the assassination attempt was not successful. In fact, Huffington removed those comments -- which, for all we know, might have been left by someone in Hannity's office to provide grist for the propaganda mills.

At any rate, it is impossible to police all comments on so large a site as Huffington Post. The job is tough enough on Cannonfire. Hannity knows damn well that Arianna Huffington can't read in real time all of the hundreds of comments placed on that site at all hours of the day and night.

According to News Hounds:

Nevertheless the other guest, James Taranto, used the occasion to attack liberals anyway. Apropos of nothing related to HuffPo or Cheney, Taranto claimed that conservatives are "circumspect" with their prejudices but that there’s a “disinhibition on a certain part of the left-wing fringe.” Obviously, he has not read some of the more horrific comments on our blog, nor some of our hate-mail, or he would know that there’s plenty of hate-filled “disinhibition” on the right.

Taranto further said he couldn’t remember a conservative saying a liberal politician should be assassinated. Oh no? How about Ann Coulter “joking” about poisoning Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens? Taranto also might want to take a look at this post on Media Matters in which several right wing pundits, including FOX News’ own Bill O’Reilly, talk about killing Bill Clinton, Michael Moore and Michael Kinsley.

What about Ann Coulter's infamous call to assassinate Bill Clinton?

One routinely finds numerous examples of "disinhibition" on Free Republic and other lefty blogs. In 2001, a Freeper wrote (vis-a-vis the prospect of a Hillary run): "There is only one solution to the Klintons, two 45 rounds and a nice little spot in Marcy Park." More recently, Freeper Chad Castagana -- the twerp who used to use the computers in the smae library I often frequent -- sent threats and fake anthrax letters to Keith Olbermann, Nancy Pelosi, David Letterman and Jon Stewart.

Right-wingers have sent death threats to the Dixie Chicks, to 15 year-old peace activist Ava Lowery, to Susan Sarandon, to Cindy Sheehan, to Michael Moore and to Jamie Gorelick. Glenn Beck actually made a very serious death threat against Moore -- Beck's own words prove that his comments were no joke. Most liberal bloggers with significant traffic receive death threats -- I certainly have.

Did left-wingers blow up the Federal building in Oklahoma City? Did lefties derail an Amtrack train in 1995? Were Mohammed Atta and company progressive-minded folk? Did lefties commit any notable acts of domestic terror in the past thirty years?

Yes, some people infuriated by Bushco have allowed themselves to utter foolish and even criminal language. "Trannies" threatened Danny Bonaduce after he denounced CD theories of 911. On the whole, though, the record is clear: Violent language and (especially) violent actions occur more often on the right side of America's political stage.