Red, White and Liberal Read online

  RED* WHITE

  & LIBERAL

  HOW LEFT IS RIGHT & RIGHT IS WRONG

  ALAN COLMES

  ReganBooks

  An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

  The author has included e-mail correspondence from some viewers. All names, e-mail addresses, and cities from which the e-mails were sent have been changed to protect the individuals' privacy.

  "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood on page 297. Copyright © 1984—Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  For Fay and Louis,

  who gave me life,

  and

  For Jocelyn

  the love of my life

  CONTENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Why You Need This Book

  Red, White & Liberal

  "The 'War' on Terror"

  Uncivil Liberties: America's War on Americans

  The Myth of the Liberal Media

  Straw Men, Hypocrisy, and Conservative Lies

  Bill Clinton, Our Greatest President

  OJ Is Innocent

  Jesus Was a Liberal

  Conservatives Say the Darndest Things

  Conservatives Are Downright Mean

  Where Right Is Right

  Liberal Liberal Liberal Liberal

  NOTES

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  There is no way I would able to go through my daily paces without the love, help, and dedication of wonderful friends, family, and colleagues. Writing this book was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I've always talked into a microphone for a living, my words evaporating into the air; now seeing the tangible fruits of my labors in book form is a genuine thrill.

  Were it not for the vision Roger Ailes had for the Fox News Channel and the confidence he's shown in me, I might never have achieved the level of success I now enjoy, and this book would likely never have been written. Roger sees things mere mortals overlook. Not only does he surround himself with the best and brightest people in the business, he also trusts them to do their jobs. The result is a superior product created by a focused, motivated group that each day reaches a little higher than the day before. If Chet Collier, one of television's great and legendary programmers, had not believed in me at the inception of Fox News, I have no idea where my career might have gone. Producers Fred Farrar and Roberta Dougherty were also responsible for encouraging a union between Fox News and me, and I will never forget their kindness. Kathy Ardleigh, our first senior producer of prime time, was also an early believer in my ability to do television. And many thanks to Sean Hannity—he was hired first and suggested me as a co-host. I hope this answers, once and for all, why his name comes first in the title of our show. Kevin Magee, who oversees programming at the channel, helps make Fox a wonderful place to be. He is always willing to listen, a rare commodity in the hustle-bustle world of broadcasting. And forget every joke you ever heard about lawyers. None of them apply to Dianne Brandi, Fox's legal counsel, and the nicest attorney with whom you'll ever negotiate. Bill Shine, executive producer of Fox News, was the first producer of Hannity and Colmes, a fortuitous twist of fate that allowed me to learn how to do television from a master of the form. Bill's friendship and guidance has helped me maintain a much greater level of sanity than I ever could without him.

  Monica Crowley brought my ideas to Judith Regan and helped me make them into a book. Monica is a true renaissance woman whose growing radio and television careers, along with her writing talents, make her a triple threat. Monica also gave me one of the greatest gifts anyone can give: she introduced me to my wife. In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that Monica isn't only a fabulous editor, she's also a wonderful sister-in-law. Were it not for the confidence Judith Regan showed in me, I'm not sure I would have believed myself capable of doing this in the first place. Thank you, Judith, for your support. Aliza Fogelson at Regan Books was amazing in her dedication to this project, helping me whip this book into shape. Aliza, you've made this book many times better than it would have been without your valued assistance. Lauren Clabby and John Finley, two members of the Hannity and Colmes staff, approached me early on and asked if they could participate, and I'm so glad I agreed. Their help with research and sourcing was invaluable.

  There is no better personal manager than Rory Rosegarten. He has been both my friend and my professional support system through thick and thin, and the list of thin days is thicker than you might imagine. Thank you, Rory, for always being there for me, for always doing the right thing, and for always encouraging me to do the same.

  Hannity and Colmes is the most successful debate show on television because of an incredible staff. Our senior producer, Meade Cooper, has been with the show since its inception, starting as a production assistant. Now she runs the show and has shepherded it to the top of the ratings. I'm very proud of her. The rest of our staff is similarly superb: Maureen Murphy, Erin McKenna, Jack DeMarco, Matt Linder, Tara Nicaj, John Finley, and Lauren Clabby. Our director, Chet Lishwa, has been with us since day one. If you've ever been in a television control room during a live broadcast, you know that anything can happen. I've never seen anyone able to stay so calm in the midst of such chaos. The unsung stars of Hannity and Colmes are the behind-the-scenes technical staffers who deserve far more acknowledgment than they ever receive: Helena Hernandez, Ray McKinney, Barbara Bazarnicki, Omar Coley, Erin Killman, Melissa Zomack, James T. Whelan, Kim Walker, Chuck Cuneo, Matt Harrington, Gabrielle Lavalle, Ed Schetting, Todd Maycher, and Kevin Pinckney. Karem Alsina's make-up skills make it possible for me to go on television without scaring people too much, and Mary Cicero and Linda Giambrone do a wonderful job making sense of my hair.

  My nightly radio show, Fox News Live with Alan Colmes, has a brain trust unequaled in radio today. I'm grateful for Jack Abernethy's encouragement, support, and vision. Mark Masters, a proud conservative, always believed that I was one liberal who might survive on talk radio. He arranged to get my program heard on an impressive group of incubator stations before there was even a show, an almost unheard of feat in the world of radio syndication. Robert Finnerty, Jennifer Lingua, Doug Murphy, and Dave Manning have been instrumental in the growth of the program and in Fox News Radio. My day-to-day production staff is unparalleled, beginning with my executive producer, Joel Kaufman, who has been a key presence through the entire growth of the channel on both the radio and television sides, and whose expertise and enthusiasm are appreciated by all who work with him. Jon Costantino, who has been with me in a few radio incarnations, is a terrific producer, as is Joel Morton. Lisa Magalnick Jacknow and Mark Walsh round out an exceptional radio team.

  Inspiration has come from diverse corners of the universe. I am fortunate to have grown up listening to radio greats Long John Nebel and Barry Gray, and blessed to have known Barry, whom I miss terribly. Chuck Zlatkin, a lifelong activist and passionate liberal, has a website called rightiswrong.com, a domain name that helped inspire the subtitle of this book. Michael Harrison has been a source of wisdom and guidance during my entire career. P.S. You Are Ugly Too! was his concept, and is incorporated into this book. For almost twenty years, my great friend Sanford Teller has been chiding me, with uncontainable glee, about all the things I lacked in my life: from a computer, to a fax machine, to a kitchen equipped with actual forks, to a wife and, finally, to a book I could call my own. Sandy, this must be killing you. Paul Guercio was always there to assure me that, no matter how dark it was, light would eventually appear. I am lucky to have not only a wonderful nuclear family: my sister, Susan Braitman, and her husband, Steve, but also a terrific extended personal and professional one. Among those who have made a difference along the way are Carl Grande, who
gave me my first full-time radio job, Dale Parsons, John Hayes, Peg Kelly, and the late Bob Mounty, who brought me to WNBC, Tom Bird of WEVD, Nick Verbitsky and Andy Denemark of United Stations, Ed Salamon, Mark Mason, Jay Clark, Barry Farber, Michael Castello, Miguel Laboy, Julia Heath-Gil, Natalie Vacca, Charles Alzamora, Patricia Greenwald, Jon Moonves, and the G.B. Thank you for believing in me.

  Finally, but most significantly, I wish to extend my deep gratitude to my wife, Jocelyn. She endured dozens of my lost weekends while I was buried in the preparation of this book, during both our engagement and the first couple of months of our marriage. Her support for my work and belief in me is a great source of strength always.

  —ALAN COLMES

  New York City

  August 2003

  Why You Need This Book

  Thank you for buying this book. If you're borrowing it from a friend or, even better, the public library, you're more than welcome to pony up what you would have otherwise spent to the ACLU, one of my favorite groups. If the ACLU rubs you the wrong way (although it shouldn't; even Bob Barr is with them now), how about People for the American Way

  , The Southern Poverty Law Center, or the NAACP? If you're of modest means, or you're a conservative who is already nauseous at the mention of these groups, I'll be happy just that you read the darned thing. In fact, I'm especially grateful if you're a nonliberal reading this. It shows a willingness to hear another point of view, even if you gnash your teeth while doing so.

  For years, many on the left have ducked the "L" word. While characterized by the right as pink, the letter, unfortunately, has become tainted as scarlet. The right wing in America has been trying for years to claim ownership of God, family, and country. With the horror of September 11, 2001, came their attempt to seal that deal. The very first, knee-jerk reaction came from the far right wing in America, which blamed gays, the ACLU, and those who are pro-choice for making America vulnerable to attack. Ironically, just as

  Reverend Jerry Falwell was claiming this to Reverend Pat Robertson, many of Falwell's defenders were pointing fingers at those on the left who expressed concern about our foreign policies and angrily labeling them "the Blame America First crowd." The first blame for September 11 was put squarely on liberals. When some liberals questioned the confluence of events that resulted in our vulnerability to terrorism, certain Americans who should know better have branded us as some kind of anti-American treason lobby. Those of us who have spoken out against the status quo have been told to keep our mouths shut and do our patriotic duty to support our country. Well, keeping our mouths shut is the opposite of our patriotic duty to our beloved country. As Thomas Jefferson said, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

  Conservatives love to quote our forefathers to argue that they are the natural progenitors of the founders of this nation. But did our forefathers keep their mouths shut and not speak out against what they saw as egregious wrongs? Were they compliant followers of regimes? Or were they, indeed, radicals, who could not and would not bear life as it was? In fact, it was their outrage at the no longer acceptable status quo that inspired them to found their own government. Our founding fathers held dear individual liberty and the empowerment of the state to protect those liberties. Sounds a lot like liberal thought to me. It's hard to find a landmass on which to found a new government these days, but our experiment in democracy is working quite well. Our system doesn't require the founding of a new one, but it does need strong, courageous voices who aren't cowed by a very loud and angry right wing, smug in its new assumption of power, and unwilling to give its fellow Americans on the left much credit for what we've achieved, together, as a nation.

  One of the seminal liberal philosophers, John Rawls, described some of the fundamentals of liberalism in A Theory of Justice. Rawls's "veil of ignorance" theory was that if you didn't know your own circumstances and had the ability to make public policy, you'd make policy that benefited the greatest number of people. The poor, the weak, the infirm, and the needy have few advocates, few who will fight for them, but many who try to make political hay from their plight.

  Red, White & Liberal: A User's Guide

  My comments here about other pundits, congressmen and congress-women, senators, and President Bush are never personal. My differences are on policy and vision, on how we interpret where we are and how to get to where we should be. President Bush, for example, to whom I refer throughout this book as 43 (to distinguish him from the forty-first POTUS, President George H. W. Bush), is one of the most charming politicians (and people, not that they're mutually exclusive) I've ever met. I've liked him better the few times I've spent a couple of minutes with him than I've liked many on my own side politically, regardless of the amount of time I've spent in their company. I don't even know where many of my friends stand politically. My friendships are based on mutual caring and trust, and those qualities are not confined to one side of the political spectrum (although, if we kept score, liberals would win; but we're not keeping score; but we'd win if we did; but we're not).

  You'll see passionate e-mails in Red, White & Liberal from some very angry conservatives who have automatic distrust of liberals, along with occasional antipathy for grammar, spelling, and the English language. As the cohost of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, I'm constantly under the looking glass. It's surreal to be in a profession in which people watch you do your job, and then feel no compunction about telling you off any time they don't like the job you're doing. Can you imagine having a job where the general public gets to respond to you like this?

  From: ethinker

  Sent: Wednesday, January 29,2003 9:55 PM

  To: [email protected]

  Subject: Ground teeth

  Mr. Colmes,

  On any given night, I cannot watch this broadcast past your second comment. If I could reach through the screen, I'd crush your throat.You are a walking example of why spewing leftist BS ought to be a capital crime. Fortunately for you, you live in a society where stupidity is tolerated and that I don't act on impulse. But if I saw you dying in agonizing pain and by lifting a finger I could save you, after spitting in your face I'd rush to find a video camera so I could relive the pleasure of those treasured moments again and again. Go join your pal in Baghdad; I hope you both catch the first bomb.

  Most sincerely yours,

  ethinker

  Sometimes these responses provide a good laugh; other times, some frightening insights. Although most Americans don't look at life through the prism of left versus right, there are enough who do, and that subculture, on both sides of the political spectrum, represents a soft bigotry that rarely gets addressed in our culture. Thankfully, in life, we don't know how most of the people around us vote. There are, however, some rabid ideologues on each side who will be introduced to you at a luncheon and then right after "Hello" comes, "Where do you stand on Roe versus Wade?" Thanks for asking, but I'd rather just enjoy my salad.

  When I attended a Christmas party at the White House in 2001, I thanked President Bush for inviting me, especially in light of my ardent criticisms of his policies. My exact words were, "Thank you for inviting a liberal to the White House." Without missing a beat, he looked me in the eye and said, "We're all Americans." He couldn't have said it more succinctly or more profoundly. There are so many in this country who are just as moral, just as ethical, and just as American as those who believe that they alone own these characteristics. I hope and pray (and I can say "pray" because I am not writing this on public property) that conservatives who read this will understand the commitment, the passion, and the Americanism of the other side.

  All the noise the conservative camp is making tends to obscure the truth about how Americans see themselves politically. A Harris poll conducted during the entire year of 2002, involving more than thirteen thousand phone interviews, showed that 34 percent of those polled considered themselves Democrats; 31 percent, Republicans; and 24 percent, Independents. Forty percent said their political philosophy
was "moderate," 35 percent said "conservative," and 18 percent said "liberal." This means that half don't consider themselves firmly in either camp; it also means that 65 percent don't consider themselves conservative.

  I hope conservatives who read this book do so with a desire for a better understanding of the other side. Conservatives: I'd feel much better if you loathe liberals after reading this. Then, at least, you'll have a good reason to loathe us. I'm especially grateful to you for taking a chance, as you probably feel you should have this book covered in a brown paper bag. I hope you find in its pages valuable insight into how someone can think differently than you and not qualify for an insane asylum.

  If you're politically independent or moderate, I value your ability to look objectively at all sides, and thank you for considering my side. If your political leanings are undefined, I ask that you read with an open mind and a desire to understand how and why a fellow American may feel so strongly about life in these United States in the early part of the twenty-first century.

  For liberals who are reading this book, it's my wish that it gives you a sense of hope that you are not alone, that many Americans agree with you, and that not only is it healthy to speak out and stand up for what you believe—regardless of the political climate—it's also your patriotic duty to do so. There is no lack of conservatives out there loudly and sometimes belligerently voicing opinions, but I wouldn't mind a few more liberals jumping into the fire.

  I hope some of what you read here offends you; not enough to propel you to take a match to these pages and engage in book-burning, but enough so that you'll really question me, and yourself. Writing this greatly helped me refine my own views, and I'm sure rereading it will make me wish they were even more refined in some cases. I hope some of what's written here irks you, too. That's good. That means I'm doing my job.