Opinion

Democratic National Committee calls for Republican boycott of The Daily Caller, Rush Limbaugh

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
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The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has called for Republican party leaders to boycott The Daily Caller in an attempt to suppress the First Amendment rights of this news organization.

The DNC called for the Republican National Committee (RNC) to block The Daily Caller from interviewing Republican leaders and also called for a boycott of radio legend Rush Limbaugh, who cited a recent Daily Caller piece defending the constitutional right for men to be able to look at attractive women in public places.

The Daily Caller refuses to be intimidated.

“Earlier this week, Limbaugh mocked ‘liberals’ for criticizing men who stare at women’s breasts, encouraging them to instead approach women and say, ‘Will you please ask your breasts to stop staring at my eyes?,'” according to an email that DNC deputy communications director Lily Adams sent to supporters at 1:42 PM Thursday.

“This Sunday, the Daily Caller — the Rush Limbaugh of websites— piled on with a full-throated defense of sexual harassment,” according to Adams’ email, which quoted two paragraphs from my December 8 piece “Liberals want to stop men from checking out women.”

“And if you happen to be a woman who isn’t employed by the Democratic National Committee or the New York Times, maybe you’re really not all that offended by these sorts of things,” I wrote on December 8, referring to the constant attempts by the DNC and pressure groups like Media Matters for America to censor the free speech of conservative icons like Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanan based on trumped-claims of political incorrectness.

Adams made clear in her email that she does, in fact, work for the Democratic National Committee, and she is, in fact, offended by our comments.

“And frankly, the RNC has the ability to reduce the influence held by Rush Limbaugh and the writers of the Daily Caller. All they need to do is encourage their fellow Republican leaders to stop making time for interviews with outlets like these,” according to Adams’ email. “We are going to be in a lot of big fights with Republicans during the election year that starts in just a few days. But surely we can come together in the meantime to put an end to disgusting rhetoric like Limbaugh’s that encourages sexual harassment.”

The Daily Caller attempted to speak with Ms. Adams for this report, but she did not call us back.

The Democratic Party has also launched an organizing drive entitled “Tell Republicans: Stop Enabling Rhetoric That Condones Sexual Harassment,” which requires supporters to type in their email addresses and zip codes so that they can receive future Democratic boycotts ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.

As a news reporter for The Daily Caller for more than one year now, I have worked alongside the finest reporters and editors in the city of Washington, D.C.

My fellow reporters and editors have broken some of the biggest stories of the year 2013, and have provided more headaches for a presidential administration than any news bureau since The Washington Post in the period 1972-74.

Jay Carney can attack our veteran White House correspondent and even our brave interns.  But we’re not going to stop asking questions about the Obama administration’s policies or the policies of senior Democratic leaders. Just like we’re not going to stop asking questions about the policies and viewpoints of Republican congressional leaders, as well.

I’m going to turn it over now to a man who was far more eloquent and insightful in this kind of situation than myself.

“Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations,” said James Madison in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on June 16, 1788.

Madison was 37 years old at the time of those remarks. He had served admirably at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, earning the title by which he is currently known: “Father of the Constitution.” He was trying here to convince 168 Virginia delegates to ratify the new Constitution, despite strong opposition from Anti-Federalist Patrick Henry.

On June 25, 1788, Virginia became the tenth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. Madison went on the following year to be elected to the first Congress, despite efforts by Henry to gerrymander his district and swing the vote toward Madison’s rival James Monroe. In Congress, Madison fought against the conventional thinking of elder legislators to give us our Bill of Rights, which affords us the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.

Madison was still a single man at this time, but his appreciative gaze ended up settling on the beautiful Dolley Todd, whom he married in 1794. The lovely and intelligent Dolley Madison later defined the role of the First Lady in the United States, and saved the classic Landsdowne portrait of George Washington when the British set fire to the White House in 1814.

I don’t know about Lily Adams from the Democratic National Committee. But as for me, I’m going to keep looking at women who are attractive.

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