Blackwell's Commentary Indicative Of The Right's Dangerous And Divisive Rhetoric

Ken Blackwell, a far-right and Barack-Obama-hating politician, is back up to his old tricks of divide and celebrate.

Blackwell, who because he is black may think he gets a pass on his racial divisiveness, is attacking President Obama for reaching out to Muslim nations in part through NASA. Now, this really is no different from what President Reagan did in the 1980s when NASA was a part of an effort to build bridges between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and between the U.S. and other nations. But, why would Ken Blackwell let the truth get in the way of a good out-of-context smear against President Obama that also helps to divide Americans (it's almost like a BOGO smear deal for him)?

This is an issue that should not have been a big deal, but some on the right wing have taken it and twisted it into some heinous plot (of course many of these are the same people who do not believe Barack Obama is born in the U.S., who think that he is a Muslim, who think that he hates America, etc.).

Here is what Blackwell said in a recent commentary:

Third, this 'outreach' to Muslims by NASA is, well, lunacy. Telling Muslims that they once led the world in science and technology is wonderful. They did. But that was before murderous mullahs took over control of Muslim societies and threatened with death anyone who didn't toe the line of theocratic control. I have a simple way for Muslim-majority nations to excel in science and technology: Have everyone read a list of Jewish scientists who have won the Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry, or Medicine in the past century. Then, perhaps, their leaders could stop their Israel-bashing and Jew-baiting. They might also read George Gilder's latest book, The Israel Test. Gilder, who is not Jewish, says Israel is a wonderful test for everyone. Do we envy and resent this people? Do we covet what they have produced? Do we want to emulate their productivity and creative genius, or do we darkly ascribe their feats to a 'Zionist' protocol? Gilder holds up a mirror to anti-Semites everywhere. What do you see?

This has hate written all over it from Blackwell. Using NASA as a way to reach out to Muslims he calls "lunacy" in this excerpt above. Was it lunacy when President Reagan used it to reach out to the Soviets? Is Blackwell letting a racial-like prejudice influence his commentary? It sure seems that he is running with the right-wing herd and demonizing all or most Muslims.

We all need to tear down stereotypes that divide us, but who is Blackwell to lecture Muslims when he is leading the bigoted and stereotyping trend?

Blackwell then goes on in the commentary to dramatically lose credibility points by citing and applauding the far-right Charles Krauthammer who could is politically fair about as often as we've landed humans on the moon. Blackwell's commentary was a bigoted waste of space and indicative of the partisan politics inside of him and his hatred of President Obama.

Ironically, he quotes President Reagan, but not in his desire to use NASA to bridge the gap between the U.S. and the Soviets.

Here is a little nugget from President Reagan's 1984 State of the Union address:

America has always been greatest when we dared to be great. We can reach for greatness again. We can follow our dreams to distant stars, living and working in space for peaceful, economic, and scientific gain. Tonight, I am directing NASA to develop a permanently manned space station and to do it within a decade.

A space station will permit quantum leaps in our research in science, communications, and in metals and lifesaving medicines which could be manufactured only in space. We want our friends to help us meet these challenges and share in their benefits. NASA will invite other countries to participate so we can strengthen peace, build prosperity, and expand freedom for all who share our goals.

Is this I wonder if this is "lunacy" to Ken Blackwell?

Lastly, check out Jon Stewart's clip from the Daily Show as posted at Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/jon-stewart-rips-fox-news_n_639103.html?show_comment_id=52934816