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Colmes is upset because through endless repetition, conservatives have made "liberal" a dirty word. He feels the sting all the time. As a co-host of the Hannity and Colmes program on Fox News Channel, he gets emails filled with hate and degrading accusations. The book is filled with many of these horrible emails. Colmes' big crime, according to these email writers, is that he is a liberal. It seems that they feel that nothing could be worse than that.
After reading these missives, I can understand how Colmes feels. And I give him credit for the nice, almost friendly way, he answers some of his hate mail.
However, the book is not all "Mr.-nice-guy." He attacks conservatives for being hypocritical, secretive and not compassionate. He says they spread falsehoods about the "liberal media." He also claims conservatives are warmongers so concerned about security that they are willing to reduce civil liberties to make the country safer.
Here are a few quotes to give you the flavor of his attacks:
HYPOCRISY:
"It's much more difficult for a liberal to be hypocritical than it is for a conservative. Conservatives are more likely to take absolutist positions because they see the world in stark, good versus evil terms. Because the world isn't just black and white, conservatives back themselves into ideological corners from which they cannot be easily extracted."
SECRECY:
"In the twelve months ending on September 30, 2001.... 18 percent more documents were classified than in the previous year, and three new agencies - the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health and Human Services - were given permission to classify documents as 'secret.'"
COMPASSION:
"...Democrats don't need to add the word 'compassionate' to further define what they are: the notion is already built in to the philosophy."
"LIBERAL MEDIA":
"The media is conservative. Not liberal. Conservatives have said the phrase 'liberal media' so often, they've convinced people that media has a liberal bent. They're wrong, although it's a useful technique to repeat something so often that it becomes part of the zeitgeist."
THE "WAR" ON TERROR:
"...I object to the use of 'The "War" on Terror' as a be-all and end-all catchphrase that has been used to justify everything from changes in our criminal justice system and national energy policy, to a war with Iraq."
CIVIL LIBERTIES:
Colmes slams the Patriot Act and quotes Benjamin Franklin:
"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Colmes depends on Bill Clinton and Jesus to point out the virtues of liberals. He has long paragraphs detailing the many accomplishments of President Bill Clinton, who he considers to be the best president in the second half of the twentieth century. He also shows that Jesus, who said "Love they neighbor as thyself," was a liberal. Jesus was not in favor of the mean things conservatives do, but wanted to help the little fellow - as do liberals.
Being a liberal, I enjoyed this book. But I have reservations. Primarily, I am concerned about the tit-for-tat approach between conservatives and liberals. Sure, the conservatives started it with their constant bashing of liberals. However, we will never reach the sane point of discussing the political issues of the day in a reasonable way - and without contempt, sarcasm and cynicism - if we maintain this perennial liberal/conservative confrontation.
Colmes tries to be understanding of conservatives and writes more mildly than other liberals have. But he does not go far enough. Conservatives are not enemies of liberals. Liberals are not enemies of conservatives. They have different points of view. We must all learn to talk to each other as though we are citizens of the same wonderful country - that we are.
I heartily recommend this book to both liberals and conservatives. Believe it or not, the book is endorsed by both Ralph Nader and Newt Gingrich!
