Sarah & Laura

You knew it would happen. Sarah Palin and Laura Schlessinger are apparently teaming up to teach us about their First Amendment rights and how the "liberal media" is interfering with their quest to talk to millions until they are hoarse. I can't wait to see Ms. Palin standing next Ms. Schlessinger on the same dais. Schlessinger spent a fair amount of time during her radio broadcasts to ask the question so many other Americans did in the last election: couldn't John McCain have found a woman with kids who also had the intellect and sophistication to lead the country if McCain was unable to complete his term in office?

The old saying - the enemy of my enemy is my friend - does not apply here. Dr. Laura was no fan of Palin but it appears they are no longer enemies (if they ever were). They are cut from the same cloth. It was only a matter of time before Dr. Laura - who unfairly attacked the integrity and intelligence of many women who called her for advice - would see more dollar signs and jump on the Palin Express to wherever it is going. These women don't care about you or your families. They care about making money and being celebrities. Don't confuse that with ex-presidents who command six figures for a half hour gig in front of friendly crowds. Whether or not you believe any of Obama's predecessors did a good job, they have a measure of credibility by virtue of sitting in the Oval Office making decisions.

The First Amendment has always protected both women, no matter how stupid, hurtful or uninformed their pronouncements sound. There are few checks on First Amendment rights. As long as you don't yell fire in a crowded movie house, avoid advocating radical overthrow of the government or make defamatory or libelous remarks about a person with nothing to back it up, you are pretty safe. Both women like to talk about how tough they are but when they are legitimately attacked for spewing hate speech or for sounding like a 7th grader, they immediately cry foul. It's hypocritical and, more important, dangerous. If either woman's rights are elevated over the rights of the general public, we're in big trouble. To get their attention, see what happens when there is no audience and no paycheck. Boycotts worked well during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. If they move to satellite radio, cancel your subscription. If they appear on television as commentators or guests, call the station and tell them you won't be buying any product advertised and will not watch the channel any longer. (Make sure you also tell the advertisers.) Neither woman has a First Amendment right to be paid for speaking nor is it illegal to keep them off the air unless they want to buy some time on a public access station. Reporters should simply skip reporting their every utterance. They are not making news. They are thumbing their noses at legitimate news outlets by refusing to answer legitimate questions about their level of understanding of various topics. They aren't required to answer those kinds of questions but if they are not willing to answer, stop covering them as if what they are saying is newsworthy. They can blog all they want but we don't have to buy the products advertised on their websites or buy the ideology they are selling. I'll give them credit for having the street smarts to bamboozle millions of people into believing they have something genuine and relevant to say. That's not easy. The good part is that it doesn't take very long for the substance of what they say to end up forgotten and hauled to the political dumpster.

Dr. Laura

The vitally important news is out. Dr. Laura is "retiring" so she can play victim and claim that dangerous, mean racial minorities and white liberals are stomping on her First Amendment rights. She seems very happy when dispensing her particular brand of hate-mongering, insulting diatribes against everyone who is not like her. If you agree with her, you are a First Amendment champion. If you disagree and do something about it - like boycotting advertisers - exercising your own First Amendment rights is just too much for Dr. Laura to bear. She's made millions with her brand of sociopathic hatred of those with whom she disagrees but can't seem to handle being challenged and embarrassed when she utters things so incredibly stupid that they don't even bear repeating here. Don't worry. She'll continue to build her wealth in different venues and pack the houses at places where angry white folks congregate. Her First Amendment rights are very well protected - at least better than mine are. I'm one of those over-educated East coast white guys she fears the most because we won't just stand by and let her get away with dividing my country along racial, ethnic, religious and social lines. The only questions are how long she can milk the victim bit and how much money she'll make doing it. I'll guess the victim bit will last as long as it takes to get a book advance and publish her sage wisdom about every topic imaginable. It seems like the hardest thing for Americans to say is "I can't form an opinion because I don't know enough about the topic yet." If someone can find a moment when Dr. Laura has said anything remotely like that, I'd love to know. Otherwise, she is a blowhard - a very well paid one.