Crooks & Liars relives the Golden Days of Palin's previous run-ins with the 1st Amendment

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://crooksandliars.com/node/39131

Sarah Palin's first unfortunate run-in with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution came during the home stretch of the 2008 presidential campaign. During an interview with conservative WMAL radio, she regurgitated her usual talking points against the "elitism" and "filter" of the "mainstream media" before coughing up this nugget:

"If the media convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Then in May 2009, Palin extended her ersatz constitutional protections to Carrie Prejean, portraying her fellow beauty pageant contestant and marriage equality opponent as a victim of a "liberal onslaught of malicious attacks." Going one step further, Palin asserted:

"I can relate as a liberal target myself...I respect Carrie for standing strong and staying true to herself, and for not letting those who disagree with her deny her protection under the nation's First Amendment Rights. Our Constitution protects us all -- not just those who agree with the far left."

Two months later, Palin's First Amendment dullardry raised its ugly head again. In the wake of his apology for an unfortunate joke at the expense of Palin's 14-year old daughter, the soon-to-be ex-Governor said of David Letterman:

"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction. This is all thanks to our U.S. Military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's Right to Free Speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect."

Alas, the same Right to Free Speech did not extend to her critics. When various bloggers and media outlets published reports that the Alaska Governor might be the subject of a criminal investigation, Sarah Palin threatened to sue.

[Caliman73]

1. Palin and her ilk have no understanding of the first amendment.

Her and Laura Schlessinger talk about the first amendment as if it is some magical protection from criticism of their views. They either fail to understand because they are so stupid, or they purposely ignore, because they are twisted liars (I am partial to a combination of both), that the first amendment is about what the GOVERNMENT can and cannot do to the speech and expression of private citizens. It has nothing to do with the consequences for stupid speech and the reaction of the public and private employers. The FCC did not come down on either Palin or Shclessinger, it was their choice to quit or perhaps Schlessinger got asked to leave by her employer. It wasn't like how the authorities went after Lenny Bruce.

That was a First Amendment struggle. Palin and Schlessinger are just whiny idiots.