fred barnes, genius

* fred barnes, genius:

"Liberals have also pulled a switch on what they call themselves. They've figured out that "liberal" is a pejorative word. In the minds of millions of Americans, it means woolly-headed thinking on every sort of issue. So liberals have morphed into "progressives." And many of their sympathizers in the media have embraced the name change. Would they do the same if conservatives wanted to call themselves, say, "traditionalists"? I suspect not.

At the local level, liberals often go by a different name. They are "activists." Again, the media have helped popularize that word. So the folks who protest plans to build a Wal-Mart in their town or suburb are "activists." The people who oppose a zoning change to allow a church to be built are "activists." What about those who don't want an abortion clinic in their town? They're still conservatives.
[]
There's also a special set of words that apply to Israel, and they all suggest the same thing: the need for pressure by the United States to force Israel to make concessions to Palestinians or other Middle Eastern foes. Newsweek recently urged the United States to get "involved" in the Middle East. Others call for the president to be "engaged" there. An "evenhanded" policy toward the Middle East? That, too, means leaning on Israel.

One liberal word hasn't taken off yet. It's "lies," as in supposed untruths told by President Bush. One Bush "lie" was his saying that weapons of mass destruction would be found in Iraq. Bush thought it was true, but it turned out not to be. Does that make it a lie? Another Bush statement labeled a "lie" was his claim in his 2000 campaign to be "a uniter, not a divider." He believed that, too. So was it a lie? Liberals have failed to persuade very many of that.

The liberal transformation of political language won't be complete until a substitute is found for a word that drives liberals crazy. That word is "patriotism." On national security, liberals imagine they're being accused of being unpatriotic (in truth, they aren't). They have come up with an
answer anyway. Dissent, they say, is the highest form of patriotism. Not quite. Dissent may not be unpatriotic, but it certainly isn't patriotism. Nice try, though."

* i've been remiss in pointing to this story on Wilkes in the NYT where he describes the shakedown. all the Approps guys should be scared outta their minds.