Good thing I checked the local blogs before sitting down to quell my frustration and anger by writing about Phil Valentine’s latest pack of lies and obfuscations in Sunday’s Tennessean. Bruce Barry, writing for the Nashville Scene’s Pith in the Wind beat me to it. Thanks, Bruce, for saying exactly what I wanted to say with much more eloquence. I’m reprinting Bruce’s post in its entirety. And stealing the picture, too. With a slight modification.
I realize that calling out Phil Valentine for his rhetorical hallucinations is old hat, but he outdid himself in his latest Sunday assault on reality. Yesterday Phil used his Tennessean column to showcase his abject ignorance about constitutional law, rehashing a simplistic and misinformed argument that no legal basis for disentangling government and religion exists since the phrase “separation of church and state” doesn’t appear in the U.S. Constitution. Wrapping his rant around the latest religious misadventure in Wilson County Schools, Phil goes the extra mile by reinventing some recent history:
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Wilson County schools a couple of years ago over the annual See You at the Pole event and the National Day of Prayer….A federal judge threw the case out. Even though they lost, it was apparently enough to spook school administrators.
“Threw the case out” is, to say the least, a creative reinterpretation of U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Echols’ 59-page finding that:
The [plaintiffs] have proved by a preponderance of the evidence that they suffered a constitutional violation and they will suffer a continuing irreparable injury if they are not able to enroll their children in Lakeview because Lakeview is not complying with First Amendment religious freedoms…The Court will grant the [plaintiffs] limited permanent injunctive relief.
We all realize that facts are a fleeting and optional commodity in conservative talk radio, but isn’t it high time that The Tennessean stopping giving prime Sunday op-ed real estate to a lowbrow hack who just makes shit up? (Disclosure: I sit on the ACLU of Tennessee board.)
I would like to add, however, in response to Valentine’s’ assertion that you never hear of the ACLU “rushing to the aid of someone who’s had their religious rights violated unless that religion happens to be anything but Christianity,” that yes, the ACLU does that all the freakin’ time, jackass.
Phil believes Al Gore said he created the Internet? What a maroon.
Either PV is the most gullible man in talk radio or just being intellectually dishonest. Either way, he lost a major amount of credibility with me after that statement.
Of course, isn’t he also the guy who believes Obama has a plan for “population control” — makes you wonder whether that’s his gray hair or his tin-foil hat. Also makes you wonder why he’s wearing the shades. Could the eyes be a little bloodshot? … Hmmm.
Hey folks,
Since most of you here in the comments seem to love Phil so much, how about checking out the trailer to our film, “An Inconsistent Truth” right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXA-KDNiOOs
Shayne Edwards
My original comment was that I’ve seen PV write three different times he believes in racial profiling. Racial profiling, in my mind, is kind of the same category as torturing terror suspects — it’s not about making people feel uncomfortable; it’s about not allowing our fears to debase our society.
I haven’t really formed an opinion on manadating the purchase of HC. I can see both sides,
Cheers.
That comment is from me… Sorry for the confusion.
I have seen three different columns by PV where he says racial profiling will save the country. I think he does believe it. To me, it’s the same category as the torture debate — it’s not about making somebody “uncomfortable,” but about not wanting to debase ourselves in order to keep ourselves safe. When we racially profile, we hurt ourselves as a society.
I’ll discuss mandated health insurance, but can’t debate it b/c I really can see both sides of it and haven’t solidified an opinion one way or another. I’ve read that most experts think it will pass muster in the SCOTUS. But who knows? It’s one of the few things I worry about with the HC plan — that, and the fact the public option needs tightening.
Cheers,
Dean, I agree.. I think racial profiling is wrong. I don’t believe Phil really thinks profiling is the way to go, but neither is being politically correct to keep from making a terrorist uncomfortable.
The constitutionality of mandating the purchase of something isn’t up for debate, is it? That power (over purchase or denial) isn’t specifically granted by the constitution (law of the land), and therefore it is not constitutional.
Ryan:
The constitutionality of mandatory health insurance is up for debate, but it’s pretty clear racial profiling is unconstitutional.
Look at the 14th Amendment: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
Racial profiling is the 21st-century version of Jim Crow.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all.
Dean, racial profiling is unconstitutional, but congress telling us we HAVE to buy something (or be fined or imprisoned) is constitutional?
I’m glad I get at least one laugh per day from this place.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m glad we live in a country that lets even you looney people express your views.
I actually think we do a decent job with airport security. Some long lines, but what the hey…
Define Jihadist-looking. Shirttail in or out? Tie or no tie? Tennis shoes? Jeans or khakis? Shaven or unshaven? Hell, if I do enough air travel, I might look Jihadist. Or if your plane gets delayed two hours and you miss your connection, you might look Jihadist.
Actually, it sounds like you just want to search Muslims, regardless of whether they’re born in this country. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Muhammad Ali? Yeah, let’s hold ‘em. Timothy McVeigh? Ah, he looks all right.
Not only is racial profiling ineffective, but it detracts from real issues about how to make this country safer. It’s also unconstitutional, is basically a legalized version of Jim Crow laws, and serves only to divide this country even more along racial and ethic lines. Other than that…
Dean, so you think it is ok to continually search 90 year old men and women at a airport just to show that we are being politically correct and not profiling, while letting some Jihadist looking Muslim slip on by because we [America] do not want to hurt somebody’s feelings? Please, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. lol. I know you will anyways.
Ryan, good to have you back!
“…its funny that you think Mr. Valentine should be drug tested…”
I actually never said that. In fact, I said the notion was “absurd” — I was lampooning Phil’s stance on racial profiling. But it’s still good to have you back.
Dean, its funny that you think Mr. Valentine should be drug tested (even though he works for a private company, in no way affiliated with tax dollars), but welfare recipients should not be drug tested, right?
Should we drug test BWLIB? She smokes the good stuff apparently..
The thing I disagree with Phil the most on is the whole racial-profiling-is-a-good-thing lunacy. Racial profiling is never a good thing.
Saying racial profiling is OK is like saying racial bigotry is OK. It’s a thought process that encourages people to be judged by the color of their skin and not the content of their character. It’s as absurd as saying since most white, conservative male talk show hosts have trouble with Oxycontin, Mr. Valentine should be subject to random drug testing.
And Jeff, it’s not Phil’s ideology that’s at issue — it’s his propensity to play loose with the facts.
At least Phil is out there taking chances and asking questions even if you don’t always agree with him. If you don’t agree with him show me real facts and prove him wrong, but instead all you seem to be able to do is make gay jokes and bash the man. hmmm sounds to me like there are a few jealous liberals out there.
Will you people just listen to yourselves. You are going to cancel your sub. to the Tennessean, which is primarily a liberal piece of toiletry, simply because it has a small piece of a Conservatist view point. I guess your not happy unless every bit of the Tennessean bleeds Leftist ideology. Cry me a River!
Phil Valentine looks like a 1920’s-30’s gay movie star
icant stand that man…. my husband listens to him when i take him to work…to keep up with what the a holes are preachin….i myself cant stand it..i would rather be dragged out into corn field and dipped in hot honey…i make sure i have my Ipod with me so i can turn it on and not have to listen to the total crap of sh-t he shouts ..oh he said people think hes black when they first hear him…on the radio… can we all say BIG AZZ LIAR…..OH AND HE DOESNT BELIEVE IN global warming….what an idiot….
I’ve met Phil and we’ve had some non-political discussions. Nice guy in many senses. I disagree with him on most fronts, obviously. And I totally agree with Mary — keep the sophomoric, homophobic crap out of it.
Please take your homophobic s**t elsewhere. Phil is deplorable but not because of his sexuality.
Phil is a nice guy. In high school he only had sex once. With the football team.
The fact that Phil Valentine rants daily about Obama, I think Valentine is queer or something. Phil Valentine acts like a scorned woman.
Phil Valentine has rug burns on his knee’s.
Phil Valentine would make a excellent Gay Poster Child.
The most troubling thing for me about Valentine’s op-ed, is that I’d really like to believe that most conservatives are not simply misinformed. Valentine, and his supporters, make it extremely hard for me to maintain that belief. Point in fact: the many people replying to this blog who insist that Valentine is accurate, despite the many, many examples given again and again, in this blog and elsewhere, that he is repeatedly mistaken.
Shane might be a little over the top however in my oppinion he is 95% factually correct. And yes everyone please stop buying the Tennessean it is a Mecca for liberals!
I love to see all of you pissed off liberals. It hurts when someone out there is telling the truth. I know that you liberals can’t handle actual facts. It’s like you have never gotten passed the piss of daddy phase of your childhood. You are so sophisticated.
[...] Mary Mancini’s post (What Does Phil Valentine Have to do to Get Fired from the Tennessean?) on Liberadio, I must say OMG and ask — did Phil Valentine actually assert that the ACLU [...]
“I’m done. I’m cancelling my subscription to the Tennessean. I held on as long as I could, but enough’s enough. If it’s not English Only, it’s immigration reform or tax policy. Phil Valentine has no business publishing his tripe in the Tennessean. I’m done and I’m telling my friends and neighbors to do the same.”
Yeah because God forbid I mean deity of your choice forbid, you should have the option of hearing an alternative viewpoint from your parties…I mean from yours. Please shut the door on your way out, comrade.
When you say you “sit on the ACLU of TN board” is that all of them at once or are you a monogamous kind of person?
[...] looks like Mr. Bruce Barry might have started something with his blog post complaing about Phil Valentine’s Tennessean column (“What Does an [...]
Mary – You’ve likely seen this from Mr. Hatcher. This also appeared in the Gallatin News, right across form my first Veer Left column!
http://www.wilsonpost.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1350&Itemid=6
Facebook group?
You want them to listen, Ben, start a petition. If nothing else, you’ll get a response from the ed in the Sunday edition.
I think he looks much better with your modification Mary….Great post!
I’m done. I’m cancelling my subscription to the Tennessean. I held on as long as I could, but enough’s enough. If it’s not English Only, it’s immigration reform or tax policy. Phil Valentine has no business publishing his tripe in the Tennessean. I’m done and I’m telling my friends and neighbors to do the same.
[...] » What Does Phil Valentine Have to Do to Get Fired from the Tennessean?Posted 78 minutes [...]