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The Liberal Sense of Humor?
02/01/2003

Instapundit points to a post over at Disgusted Liberal called "The right-wing answer to A.N.S.W.E.R.." What's the "answer" in question? Neo-nazis organizing major protests against the President's plan for AIDS relief funds to Africa? No? Well, then, it must surely be hundreds of conservatives marching around Washington, D.C., with pictures of top Democrats and slogans calling them evil. No? Huh. What is it then (bolding by the Washington Post; italics by me)?

At the Conservative Political Action Conference, which featured Vice President Cheney as its opening luncheon speaker yesterday, one of the various exhibition booths hawking paraphernalia had some virulently anti-Muslim vinyl bumper stickers, for $3.95, including one that said: "No Muslims -- No Terrorism."

Before anything else is said, it is important to note that the vendor — whichever it was — ought to be disallowed from participating in future CPACs. I did a little poking around but couldn't find out who ran the booth. Yes, the broad conservative movement has kooks who ought to be shunned. What group doesn't? The question is how the broader movement handles them:

Sources said an attendee at the group's 30th annual conference, at the Crystal City Marriott, called Cheney's office to complain and a Cheney aide called CPAC organizers to express "strong displeasure."

So, an attendee — presumably a conservative — called Cheney, who issued a statement of "displeasure." Any "displeasure" expressed by top Democrats over A.N.S.W.E.R.'s domination of the "peace" rally? Compare the "right-wing's answer to A.N.S.W.E.R." (left) to the original (right).

Beyond differences of the specificity of the attack, consider that the first image is a bumper sticker for sale in one booth of many at a private convention and raised internal objections, while the second image was a (roughly) 3 x 5 foot poster held aloft and paraded around the nation's capital, apparently to no objection from other attendees. Moreover, the Cheney Nazi poster was not a lone affront. Only one vendor was involved in this "incident," despite Disgusted Liberal's implying differently ("The convention is also a great place for the hard-right to accessorize, with vendors hawking lovely stuff like this.") and stating:

Let's see if the conservatives are willing to take on religious bigotry in their own camp. Since that would mean facing down a big chunk of their constituency, we're not optimistic.

Frankly, I don't think liberals would want to go tit for tat with images of religious bigotry:

Posted by Justin Katz @ 12:08 AM EST