That's the question that we hear constantly from anti-ACLU types. Whenever they perceive an injustice, particularly against a conservative, they cry, "Where's the ACLU? Why aren't they defending this person?" The point of the accusation, of course, is to give the impression of inconsistency on the part of the ACLU. Here's a perfect example recently, from Tucker Carlson. On May 1st, he was ranting about Rush Limbaugh being railroaded by prosecutors in Florida and here's what he had to say:
CARLSON: Where's all the -- I'm dead serious. Where is the ACLU? Where is all the -- the chorus of the anti-drug people, and I'm on their side, the anti-drug-law people, because I actually don't like drug laws that much.
MADDOW: Fair enough.
CARLSON: But why aren't they standing up for Rush Limbaugh? They're not standing up for him because they think he's a right-wing creep. That's why.
Well Tucker, this one is easy to answer. The ACLU was filing briefs on behalf of Rush in the Florida court. Yes, they were on his side. It reminds me of Jerry Falwell's ridiculous lie about the Massachusetts students who were wrongly punished for handing out candy canes with religious messages attached to them. He proclaimed that the students had a right to do so "no matter what the ACLU might propagate". The only problem? Not only was the ACLU on the same side in the case, it was the ACLU who contacted the school on the students' behalf, told the administration that they were violating the law and got the punishment dropped.
- Log in to post comments
Damn the ACLU! If they're not missing out on an important case, they're making people that complain about them missing out on important cases look like hypocrites.
The bastards. I've got half a mind to complain that they're not defending the Westboro Baptists Church's right to "protest" military funerals...
Actually, some ACLU chapters are complaining about their state's new ban on protests at military funerals. It depends on the state and the exact wording, of course, but I've seen quotes from various ACLU spokespeople saying that the new law in their state was too vague and such. It'll be interesting to see if any suits get filed.
I always ask this, but has anyone tried or demanded that Tucker Carlson actually aknowledge this? It's not that hard to contact some of these pundit folks, and sometimes they'll at least say more stupid things, if not even retract and correct themselves on air. Carlson is something of a snotty jerk, but I'd rank him as one of the more decent conservative pundits when it comes to admitting error.
He also had the best description of Bush's Karen Hughes lying to his face: that perverse moment when she's lying, he knows she's lying, SHE knows that he knows he's lying (since they both saw the same things together) and yet she lies anyway.
Carlson admitted his mistake after Media Matters documented his misstatement on their website.
While Carlson can't resist a bit of snark about how he will undoubtedly need to keep fighting the evil ACLU in the future, on this occasion he dined on crow.
I particularly enjoy the "Where's the ACLU?" line when it's applied to criminal cases, as in, "The ACLU represented NAMBLA, but where are they when a child gets molested?!"
OH!
SNAP!