Tipsheet

The "New Civility" -- Obama Style

The Left has had a field day with the concept of "civility." After Gabby Giffords was shot by a deranged man, the President called for a "new era of civility." And indeed, President Obama's decision to shake hands with an unrepentantly repressive dictator has been justified on the grounds that the long-sought handshake was just a matter of "civility" and nothing more.

Given the Left's much-ballyhooed regard for "civility," then, that the President's new big-time advisor, John Podesta, was forced to apologize today for calling the GOP "a cult worthy of Jonestown", isn't it? (And that's especially true given the Democrat enthusiasm for cult leader Jim Jones, back in the day!).

The episode is just more evidence -- as if any were needed -- that the Left uses calls for "civility" and a "new tone" as nothing more than a way either to silence or attack their opponents. After calling for "civility," the President went right on to demonize private citizens to an unprecedented degree. Likewise, at the beginning of this year, he insisted that Republicans "have suspicions about whether government should make sure that kids in poverty are getting enough to eat" -- and he's even resorted to vulgarity to describe his opposition.

So it's hardly surprising that John Podesta -- who was responsible last year for a report claiming that Mitt Romney would essentially poison or kill 21,600 -- would smear the GOP. He is exactly what we should expect from this White House.