RUSH: Cliff in Casselton, North Dakota. We’ll start with you on Open Line Friday today, sir. Hello.
CALLER: Hey, Rush. I called because I think you’re, uh… You, uh, uh, and pals and right-wing media are really giving Occupy — Occupy Wall Street a bad name. I mean, a bad rap; that you’re not being fair. They keep being cast as violent, and (stammering), and you know, I gotta tell you: I haven’t seen a single gun at those rallies, and at the Tea Party rallies I saw people carryiing guns — anti-health care things. These people —
RUSH: Oh, come on. I don’t have the patience for this. I really don’t. There wasn’t one gun fired at a Tea Party rally. There hasn’t been any violence at a Tea Party rally. We did have a guy beat up or whatever out in Oakland. There is violence. I’m not hoping for violence, and I’m not talking about it. I didn’t even mention the Oakland violent act until you just called here and mentioned this. You people are so jealous of the Tea Party. That’s the only thing about this that amuses me. There’s a New York Post editorial today about violence at Occupy Wall Street. Now, I haven’t read it yet. I’ve gotta find it somewhere, but there is literally no comparison.
In fact: “Richmond, Virginia — Virginia Tea Party group is demanding a refund of about $8,000 from the city of Richmond, claiming it was unfairly charged for rallies while Occupy protesters have used the same space for several weeks for free. The political organization is sending the city an invoice for the charges incurred for three rallies held in Kanawha Plaza over the past three years. The Occupy protesters have been camped in the plaza since Oct. 15.” So the Tea Partiers play by the rules. They don’t make any messes. They clean up whatever messes. Tea Party people carrying guns around? I’m sorry. I haven’t the patience for this. Try it somewhere else.
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RUSH: That last caller is a blogger. He’s a seminar blogger. He calls radio talk shows and writes about his experiences. I recognized the voice. He gets through here all the time, and I just have no patience for these clowns. They know that Open Line Friday is an opportunity to take a contrary opinion — or they think it’s that. We take people that disagree with me all day, every day during the week. Friday is when they see their best opportunity to get through, but they’re absurd. They’re ridiculous. They make these outrageous claims then get a reaction posted on their blogs.
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RUSH: I mentioned a New York Post column. It’s written by a guy names Ed Mullins. Ed Mullins ” is president of the 12,000- member NYC Sergeants Benevolent Association.” He is not a union guy. “As the president of the New York City Sergeants Benevolent Association, I understand and respect the concepts of free speech and assembly. Contrary to what many people believe, the Occupy Wall Street protesters have been given a wide berth over the last few weeks, which has enabled them to take their movement on the road to other cities throughout America. What has gone mostly unreported is the number of uniformed NYPD members who have been injured while trying to maintain order at these demonstrations.
“To date, at least 20 officers have been hurt during flare-ups with protesters whose actions are becoming increasingly hostile and aggressive.” This has never been reported at a Tea Party event. This never happened at a Tea Party event. The cops don’t get attacked at Tea Party events. “Well-publicized confrontations between police officers in Oakland and elsewhere seem to have emboldened their New York brethren in recent days, resulting in the SBA publicly declaring its intention to personally sue any protesters who injure NYPD sergeants.” So the New York PD sergeants, not a union group, is pledging lawsuits against the protestors over their injuries. “What started out as a protest against corporate greed has turned into police bashing of the highest order, which is being done both literally and figuratively. NYPD officers have been working around the clock to maintain peace.
“The last thing any of us want is to be in the line of fire, but we take seriously our oath to uphold the law. We are trained to be tolerant of verbal assaults, but we are not expected to engage in street fights with professional agitators or stand idly by as we are pelted with bottles, rocks or other debris. For that reason, I ordered our attorneys to prepare to personally sue any protester responsible for injuring an NYPD sergeant. I fully appreciate the rights of Americans to protest what they perceive to be inequities in the system, but they have no right to disrupt the lives of the residents, workers and businesspeople in lower Manhattan. The brunt of the scorn they feel for corporate America is instead being felt by ordinary people who want to go about their lives in relative peace.”
The story goes on. Last line is this: “I assure anyone who dares to attack an NYPD sergeant that the long arm of the law will extend far beyond the criminal-justice system, as we will do whatever it takes in seeking civil redress.” Now, you phony baloney, plastic banana, good-time rock ‘n’ roller leftists, you can sit out there in your dreamland all day long. But there was never, ever anything like this written about Tea Party protests or protesters, and it illustrates an indefensible intellectual position to have to try to draw such an analogy. Try it somewhere else. You’re not gonna get away with it here.