The stress of political implosion must be getting to movement Republicans, because some of their recent behavior is truly bizarre. In their zeal to deflect criticism from the president’s veto of the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program, conservatives have launched a smear campaign against 12-year-old Graeme Frost and his family. Graeme earned the ire of Michelle Malkin and others on the right when he appeared on a Democratic radio address to talk about how SCHIP helped him and his family. Malkin and her associates quickly accused the family of being welfare cheats who exaggerated or lied about their finances and medical conditions. Malkin visited the parents’ home and business to snoop around for information on the family’s finances. A poster on the FreeRepublic website posted the family’s address.
Over the last few years, movement Republicans have resorted to character assassination with increasing alacrity when confronted with opposing viewpoints. They no longer seem interested in debating issues and defending their viewpoints; it’s easier to simply shut the debate down. And let’s not forget that these tactics worked, at least in the first few shellshocked years after 9/11. They successfully waged an ideological war that browbeat much of the country into political submission for the better part of four years. But the fight has made them twitchy and paranoid. In their unceasing vigil against dissent, they have lost their perspective, so much so that they feel justified in targeting a kid as “fair game“.
Conservatives like Malkin are continuing to play a game they’ve already lost, sacrificing their own decency in the process.
