Those Lefty Liberals

It's a source of constant amazement to TNB that the word "liberal" has become synonomous in some (read: Republican) circles with far-out, anti-American, godless creatures who eat their young when not turning into vampires at night. After all, the word only means someone who is open to new opinions and favorable to invididual rights and freedoms. But especially when paired with "lefty", the term is a rallying cry for the Real Americans (read: Tea Party) who want to "take back our country" (read: suppress minorities, eliminate a woman's right to choose, peer into every bed to make sure two people from the same gender are not occupying it, etc.).

In fact people who really are liberal are reluctant to use the term which has been generally replaced by the softer "progressive" which still of course rankles those who haven't come to grips that we're in 2011, not say 1911 when times were a lot simpler ( except for many of our immigrant forefathers who around that time weren't considered real Americans either).

Don't you wonder why the word "conservative" meaning adhering to traditional attitudes and cautious about change doesn't have the same negative connotation among people with opposite political views? Maybe the latter, being (OK here it comes) "liberal" just are nicer and more open-minded. OR maybe the lefties ought to resort to some nasty name-calling.

Why not start calling these people what they really are--fascists which is defined as those who hold extreme, intolerant views? But this won't happen. The Seven Little Dwarfs (oops--the announced Republican presidential candidates) will attack President Obama as a socialist and worse (see: Newt Gingrich). The Democrats will never resort in kind (see: Swift Boating, Willie Horton and other GOP election viciousness).

Unfortunately too many liberals just don't have the balls --Wait a minute, there is Anthony Weiner.