Mainstreaming Extremism: Whats the American Cause National Conference Cooking Up?
Yesterday, I spoke on a panel convened by Media Matters for America to discuss how hate rhetoric has infiltrated the traditional media and become acceptable talking points for conservative politicians. Eric Boehlert, from Media Matters for America, moderated and I was joined by Heidi Beirich from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Nancy Keenan from NARAL Pro-Choice America, Clarissa Martinez from the National Council of La Raza and Nancy Zirkin from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. For those of us who cover immigration issues and deal with the extremists all the time, none of this is new. Nor is the fact that so-called “legitimate” spokespersons deliver hate-filled messages that show up in angry faxes to Congress, the Ku Klux Klan and even Minuteman leader Shawna Forde — accused of gunning down a 9 year old Latina girl. A who’s who of well known racists and right wing strategists are gathering at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Saturday, June 20, 2009 in McLean, VA. Pat Bucha
