Sunday’s column: The ‘liberal media’ claims a victim in Bedford
Electric chair | Wikimedia Commons
Clifford Russell is a conservative and a Republican who lives in Forest and who has been maligned in the big, bad, national liberal media.
As a small-town newspaper peon, I’m not a part of that cabal. And because we newsfolk are about as territorial as house cats, I’m bringing you the truth about the hatchet job done on a local guy.
It was in an article published Sept. 26 on The Progressive magazine’s website.
That month, freelancer Christopher D. Cook wandered into Romney campaign headquarters in Bedford. That’s where he met Russell, a Romney volunteer.
The title of the piece was “Meet a Romney Extremist in Virginia.”
Some additional text on the website’s front page, which is no longer there, was the chief journalistic offense. In this business it’s known as “a blurb,” and it read: “A staffer in a Romney campaign office wants to execute parents on welfare and give their kids up for adoption.”
That was incorrect. Clifford Russell did not say he wants that. But before we get into what he does want, let’s explore the article and its aftermath.
READ THE REST OF THIS COLUMN HERE.
October 14, 2012 - 6:00 AM
Russell is obviously joking while the leftwing’s “solution” to addressing the problem impoverished families is kill the children before they’re born then make the parents wards of the state.
So Russell’s parody is still less outrageous than the liberals’ actual plan.
Wow,what a crazy world it would be if it was legal to kill innocent human beings such as those in a inconvenient family way!
What’s astounding isd that this guy might think his clarification makes him look less extreme. Probably a good friends of suzie’s.
Bwhahahaha…..
I sure Cliff is a nice enough guy when he’s not thinking about welfare recipients.
But you have to wonder why such an extreme view to the problem of welfare recipients with illegitimate children? I mean, he could back off his death policy and endorse torture, perhaps water boarding, for the same group.
That sounds so much more reasonable.
So, abortion is wrong, but killing those who chose to have their child rather than abort it is good. Got it.
Whats to see here? Mr. Russell appears to espouse typical modern-day right-wing thoughts and feelings concerning government here in America: execute welfare assistance citizens, only provide healthcare services to those that can afford them through an oligopoly of private for-profit insurance companies, invade with troops all countries that seem somewhat hostile to America, and charge the trillion dollar bills to the public debt, force women to give birth to babies conceived through rape and incest, allow big business and Wall Street to completely make-up their own rules for operation, etc. Whats different about this guy in Bedford???
Gdad, that was my thought. As though his clarification makes him sound less deranged. To quote a family member…”The Romney campaign needs to do a better screening job.”
When the left continually attacks rather than to pronounce accomplishments(of which there are none), it shows desperation… and this pathetic attempt to garner support, reeks of just that….complete and utter desperation.
I exchanged a bunch of emails with Christopher Cook, the writer of the story, and Matt Rothschild, the editor of The Progressive.
The blurb, since removed, was written by Rothschild. Here’s what Cook added in one of his emails:
“I entered the campaign office out of genuine curiosity about how Romney supporters are promoting their case. What I found upon conversing at length with Mr. Russell astounded me, and I felt moved to write about it. We never said he is a staffer, he is an active volunteer. In his response Mr. Russell claims I “intentionally lied” about what he said — offering the bizarre (and false) distinction between executing parents of “illegitimate children,” and parents on welfare who have “illegitimate children.” I want to be clear that I checked the quotes I used with Mr. Russell, and he affirmed them. I found Mr. Russell to be a perfectly nice gentleman–what’s profoundly disturbing to me is the complete denial of factual realities faced by poor people, and by the planet in terms of well-documented climate change.”
I’ll ask again. Let’s assume this man was serious:
Is his plan any more deranged than the leftwing solution for poor famililes to kill the children before they can be born and put the parents on public assistance?
Don’t you clowns see the irony? You’re saying about the same thing, except at least Mr. Rutherford isn’t suggesting sucking off the government.
“I’ll ask again. Let’s assume this man was serious:
Is his plan any more deranged than the leftwing solution for poor famililes to kill the children before they can be born and put the parents on public assistance?”
Let’s address the practicalities, Suzie. What’s the most efficient way for the government to carry out the executions of welfare-receiving fornicators who become moms and dads?
How should the government do that, other than gas chambers?
hey dano,
wow, you out-danoed yourself on this one. The lib press has done well toward it’s own end, first by the progressive magazine’s hit piece on Russell, then, again, by your own. I guess you guys in the biz call this a “2-for”, eh? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were just trying to give the guy a fair shake.
You know, I just wonder…do ya think that Russell’s extremist views will get him a job in Romney’s White House…just like lib/self-avowed communist van jones made it to obama’s white house? Is that why you put this hit piece out there, again? Are you actually thinking this guy might end up like van jones?
Are you serious?
Mr. Russell was honest about his sentiments. Such clarity in public tends to be rare among savvy competitors for power and their supporters. In view of the countless similar remarks I’ve heard in my decades of work in public service, I suspect Mr. Russell has lots of company on that disturbing theme. A well-placed euphemism or several might disarm the issue while achieving similar effects. How about public lapidation for parental fornicators?
Let’s address the practicalities, Suzie. What’s the most efficient way for the government to carry out the executions of welfare-receiving fornicators who become moms and dads?
Maybe the government could dismember them, then suck their remains into a giant vacuum cleaner. Oh wait….
US Tax revenue $2,170,000,000,000.00 FED BUDGET $3,820,000,000,000.00 New Debt $1,650,000,000,000.00 National Debt $14,271,000,000,000.00 Recent Budget cuts $ 38,500,000,000.00 Now, lets remove 8 zeros and pretend its a household budget…… Annual family income $21,700 Money the family spent $38,200 New debt on the credit card $16,500 oustanding balance on the credit card *** $142,710.00*** Total budget cuts so far $3.85….Got it ? What, other than a moron, couldn`t pick out a problematic scenario in the above ?
Russell’s middle name is Troglodyte… or Hitler… we’re double checking…
Of course Mr. Russell is no extremist. What’s extreme about executing people who have children out of wedlock. Sounds very old testament like to me. And maybe for good measure we could throw in a few Arabs, most of the Muslims, a couple of hundred thousand Jews, and all those people that are the “others” who really aren’t American like Barack Obama. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world? Hang in there Mr. Russell. A new shipment of tinfoil is on its way to you for making hats. I just hope the black UN helicopters don’t intercept it before it can get to you.
Great post, Jeff Doto.
Why is everyone so up in arms about this Russell story ? It was fabricated by the left…Russell is a figment of the lefts vast imagination. The liberal media has dug its own grave and is not to be trusted on ANYTHING…Their world is fabrication, fantasy, and deceit. Russell in the Romney office ???? He,He, He…This is why these morons sit at their computers all night long…dreamin` up BS.
Jeff Doto-I assume you will be voting for Gary Johnson since he is the only candidate who has a plan to tackle government spending, the debt, and the deficit. I find it laughable that anyone would think a guy who is promising to cut taxes and raise military spending while also promising to cut some spending (he’ll tell you later) is going to be any different than what we have now when it comes to spending.
Suzie-Is it possible that a Republican can say stupid crap and have bad ideas? It ISN’t parody. You can’t claim that the GOP is the party of freedom while defending ideas that are the polar opposite.
Well wilbert…let me clue you in…Have you noticed the out-of-control spending we have with this joker or are you another head-in-the-sand liberal ? I would vote for Charlie Manson/Tex Watson before I would vote for these clowns. Firstly, we cut heh Dept. of Energy….IRS….EPA…Damn, son…do a little research and look at the MASSIVE waste of your/my $$$$,,,There is $$$ to be cut at every corner…Unless you think it necessary to study the mating habits of the shrimp.
You’re nuts, Doto.
Jeff-The massive spending is from BOTH parties. The first trillion dollar deficit was under George W. Bush. Remember him? Romney’s talking points on spending are darn near identical to those of candidate Bush. What makes you think he would govern in a more fiscally conservative way than Bush? I will be voting for the true fiscal conservative in the race-Gary Johnson. The GOP has ZERO credibility on government spending. They are against deficit spending only when it is the other party doing the spending.
It’s uplifting that the sole defense offered this guy from the right is “He doesn’t exist”. I bet that will warm whatever nappy little blob of tissue he calls his heart.
I see in #1 that Suzie claims Mr. Russell is joking. Unfortunately, he’s not. I’ve been reading his letters to the editor in the Bedford Bulletin for years now…he gets his crayon box out monthly and writes diatribes about Godless Atheists (is there another kind), Democrats (AKA Godless Atheistic Communists), the anti-Christ, Christianity from his point of view,,laden with bile and hate fort anyone who disagrees with him.
I don’t believe he has a joking bone in his body.
He claims to be a retired nuclear engineer if the article was correct. Incredible.
Jeff Doto: You are incredibly out of touch. The left does not have to fabricate such stories. They build over time from the hate with which far too many right wingers seem to be imbued. Mr. Russell has been spouting similar mean-minded tripe for years, and, as I noted above, the Bedford Bulletin publishes his blather at least once a month, and has for years.
Given the content of the character of almost all of the right wingers on this blog, the media is not the villain in this piece. It virtually never is. I used to believe the rap on the media, until I started blogging. Suzie alone disabused me of any notion that the media was misrepresenting the right wingers and not one right winger who has ever posted here has changed that truth. It is glaring and sickening. Clifford Russell is just another symptom of how far this nation has come from what Jesus taught, common decency demands and a civil nation can stand.
US Tax revenue $2,170,000,000,000.00 FED BUDGET $3,820,000,000,000.00 New Debt $1,650,000,000,000.00 National Debt $14,271,000,000,000.00 Recent Budget cuts $ 38,500,000,000.00 Now, lets remove 8 zeros and pretend its a household budget…… Annual family income $21,700 Money the family spent $38,200 New debt on the credit card $16,500 oustanding balance on the credit card *** $142,710.00*** Total budget cuts so far $3.85….Got it ? What, other than a moron, couldn`t pick out a problematic scenario in the above ?
Comment by Jeff Doto — October 14, 2012 @ 10:35 am
Jeff,
Your comments make clear that you are not often confused by facts. Nonetheless, you should read the article linked below to get more up to speed on them. I’m not crazy about the rising federal debt, but it is improving.
http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/13/14411031-federal-deficit-cut-but-tops-1-trillion-for-fourth-year?lite
Some RWers claim Clifford Russell “does not exist!” Those same people are the ones who agree with him on many issues.
That reflection must be a little frightening. It’s then only thing that can explain their reaction.
I’m not crazy about the rising federal debt…
Why? It never mattered before.
“He claims to be a retired nuclear engineer if the article was correct.”
Sounds like he forgot to check his dosimeter.
Extremist defends the killing of his 5-month old son by citing a passage from the Bible.
Notice that the only defense we get is suzie pretending the guy is joking (he’s not5) and Dolto pretending he doesn’t exist (he does). What idiots.
#9 “In his response Mr. Russell claims I “intentionally lied” about what he said — offering the bizarre (and false) distinction between executing parents of “illegitimate children,” and parents on welfare who have “illegitimate children.”
Dan, I was going to say this earlier and resisted but now I just can’t help myself. Mr. Russell’s “logic” and nitpicking sounds a WHOLE lot one of MMM’s arguments.
i thought the guy could have been mocking ol’ dano’s play with pollsters’ routine.
#35 Nope. He was obviously quite serious.
#32 Dan, don’t you know that Christians have NEVER used the Bible to justify any sort of killing? Only Muslims use their holy book for that.
nope, i think he was/is using the same mocking technique ol’ dano employees.
1 first of all, i don’t understand this format. I am required to use my name when others have handles? I would prefer reindeer to richard tho i don’t mind my home address being used as i would like these nuts to step 1 foot on my property. Why is this html stuff under here? Who uses it besides html programmers? I don’ t even like html. I learned fortran from the guy that wrote it now its obsolete and stuff like c++ is ridiculous. At least lisp made intuitive sense, but only ai researchers use that. And its hard to write in this little box on my smart phone which is all i use as i will not pay for net access and i’m not going dntn for wifi at least at 5am. But i digress.
2 i find it difficult to argue with people who seem to be actually insane which seems to be most rw’rs. I have thinking a long time why that is, i guess parenting, culture, poor education and the like but if people like bush and romney try to govern me i’m out of here.
3 back to format, if i can’t see what comment i am commenting on i can’t. Maybe its different on a pc, a lot is.
4 in the interest of time and tiredness, i’ll just say a couple of silly things. If someone calls me son, we’re off on the wrong foot. If someone thinks research on shrimp mating is stupid then i think they have shrimp brains and their mating should definitely be studied. If someone thinks anyone should be executed for things beyond their control then the 2 sides should engage in mortal combat in a stadium. If evenly matched (ha) i’ll wager on the welfare fornicators, in fact, i’ll join them.
5? On sunday at the latino festival a large prominent group of romney/allen supporters were there and i said to one of them it must be a tough sell to people who know whose screwing them (macacas?) and left before the expected idiot reply.
I’ll stop now before this thing deletes everything which it already tried. Use what you want and good luck with your fight for freedom, decency, intelligence and all that good stuff. Wish i could save this, ah well. Your friend, Richard
#38 “nope, i think he was/is using the same mocking technique ol’ dano employees.”
You probably shouldn’t try thinking any more, Frank. It’s not working.