Subverting Democracy

The Wall Street Journal did a good job this week of exposing the vicious tactics of the far-left outfit MoveOn. The story centers on Democratic Rep. Brian Baird, an ardent opponent of the Iraq War, who recently traveled to that hellish country and, surprisingly, came back saying that the "surge" is improving things there.

Well, MoveOn and its Internet hit men immediately began damning Baird and even funded a TV commercial airing in his Washington state district, aimed at getting him out of office.

As the Journal put it: "(MoveOn) doesn't aim to engage in debate, but to punish and silence Democrats who dare think for themselves."

And MoveOn has largely succeeded. Few Democrats want to be defamed and attacked by an organization that has millions of dollars and no standards of honesty. MoveOn and its character assassins have infiltrated a variety of political websites, and there are no rules.

The funding behind MoveOn comes from radical-left billionaires George Soros and Peter Lewis, from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, which has assets of nearly $400 million, and from the ultra-liberal Tides Foundation. MoveOn members also donate.

So, the operation is awash in dollars and can buy attack advertisements all day long. Last year, Sen. Joseph Lieberman lost the Democratic primary in Connecticut largely because of MoveOn's blistering campaign against him.

The two-party system in America has always been delicate, and, I believe, we need a vibrant third party to prevent just what is happening right now: The Democratic Party is being pulverized by far-left loons who are intimidating moderate Democrats and, in turn, imposing a radical agenda on the party.

It is hard to picture John F.

Kennedy embracing extremism like this, but senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards all seem to be fine with MoveOn and its tactics, which is frightening to say the least.

Baird is the rare exception in today's political arena. You may disagree with his assessment of Iraq and his liberal voting record, but the guy has guts. He made an independent assessment of Iraq after he traveled there. He then came home and stated said assessment to his constituents. He did what elected officials are supposed to do: examine situations honestly. He does not deserve to be attacked by anyone.

There is nothing on the right that compares with the tactics used by MoveOn and the reach it has purchased. These people have co-opted fanatical-left mainstream-media people at The New York Times and NBC News, among others, and can get their propaganda spread quickly. The far right has little, if any, access to the mainstream media.

So only a fool would dismiss the MoveOn outfit. Armed with tons of money and zero scruples, it is subverting democracy by creating fear in the political marketplace. When good men like Lieberman and Baird become targets of hate and defamation — and their own party doesn't stick up for them — you know something is very wrong.

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Culture Warrior." To find out more about Bill O'Reilly, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. This column originates on the Web site www.billoreilly.com.

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