Tom Daschle’s Real Enemy

December 1, 2002

by Christopher G. Adamo

When the Christian Coalition’s voter guides gained prominence during the early 1990’s, they were greatly vilified by virtually every major institution of the political left. But it was the specific accusation of the voter guides as “partisan” which ultimately said far more about the sinister agenda of their detractors than about the guides themselves. For all the furor they generated, the voter guides merely consisted of a handful of simple statements pertaining to moral and social issues such as abortion, “hate crimes” legislation, and same sex “marriage” to name a few. Next to each statement was printed a candidate’s sentiments regarding the issue, expressed in terms of supporting, opposing, or declining to respond.

One might assume that any sincere candidate would consider such a device an asset, since it aids their ability to honestly communicate a campaign platform. The only contenders for public office who had cause to feel threatened by the Christian Coalition voter guides were those who sought to hide their true stances on pertinent issues. Therefore, when liberals emphatically defined the guides as a “partisan” tool for the sole benefit of Republicans, they were suggesting that all of the honest contenders for public office resided in one party (the GOP), while the dishonest ones to whom the guides were a detriment, conglomerated amongst the Democrats.

Last week’s subdued hysterics by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D.- South Dakota) proved that such a mindset still exists, or more accurately predominates, within the back rooms of Democratic strategizing. The stated focus of Daschle’s ranting was none other than radio talk show giant Rush Limbaugh along with his listeners, whom Daschle essentially compared to Al Qaeda operatives. Interestingly though, Daschle followed his attack by conceding that he believes the Democrats need personalities like Limbaugh on their team, in order to effect the same influence on public thought.

Since no one honestly presumes that even Tom Daschle would advance the cause of terrorist organizations, it can only be construed that his vicious comparison amounted to little more than the standard liberal operating procedure of denigrating the opposition. Ditto (to invoke a popular expression...) for Daschle’s description of Limbaugh as “an entertainer.” Or so it might seem upon casual observance. However, some uncannily similar remarks made shortly in the wake of Daschle’s diatribe by ultra-liberal Senator John McCain (R.- Arizona), suggest the possibility of a more sinister plot to muzzle the irrepressible Limbaugh and others among the growing cadre of conservative talk-radio personalities.

Only a few months back, the Federal Elections Commission had the audacity to sanctimoniously “grant permission” for late night comedians to continue their humorous discussions of politics despite certain provisions of recently enacted campaign finance “reform” legislation that might be construed to prohibit such speech. Since that time, no one within official circles has come forward to either endorse or contest the FEC’s authority to desecrate the First Amendment in this manner. Both Daschle and McCain repeatedly stressed Limbaugh’s program as a form of “entertainment”, though any regular listener can attest to the fact that it is obviously much more than that. Yet, if it can be established within the minds of liberals throughout the nation that the FEC does indeed have the authority to determine when “entertainment” crosses the lines of political advocacy, and furthermore if such advocacy amounts to a terrorist threat, calls for the FEC to reverse its previous decision may be expected to quickly follow. And regardless of whether or not the liberal campaign against Rush and the rest of talk radio pans out precisely as postulated here, it is patently obvious that some sort of concerted effort is in the works, its ultimate goal being to stifle conservative political discussion.

As with the Christian Coalition voter guides, it is clear that the real enemy that Tom Daschle and his liberal cohorts fear, and seek to suppress, is not limited just to talk radio. It is truth itself, and the dissemination of that truth to the American people. Every heavy-handed dictatorship in history has understood that it can only control the masses through a monopolistic combination of brute force and universal misinformation. The authors of the first two amendments in the Bill of Rights certainly knew this, which is why they sought, as their highest priority, to secure those rights. For Daschle and his minions, reestablishing an information monopoly is absolutely essential to their reacquisition of political power.

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Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer who lives in southeastern Wyoming with his wife and sons. He has been involved in grassroots political activity for many years. Chris was the editor of the Wyoming Christian from 1994 to 1996, and his columns can also been seen at CheyenneNetwork.com.

Send the author an E mail at Adamo@ConservativeTruth.org.

For more of Christopher's articles, visit his archives.