Don’t “Pull A Kudlow” Just Because Your Ideological Allies Don’t Agree With You On One Issue

by John Hawkins | March 9, 2006 8:41 am

Larry Kudlow has gone completely off the rails in an effort to defend the port deal, which is strongly opposed by the American people, Congress, and a majority of members of both political parties. Rather than being content to just defend the port deal on its merits, in his latest column, Kudlow has chosen to offensively spew bile at conservatives who dare to disagree with him.

Just look at this commentary[1]:

” When you scratch this debate among conservatives deep enough, what you are left with is a clear demarcation between free-traders and protectionists. Those conservatives who oppose the deal are lining up with xenophobic protectionists like my old friend Patrick Buchanan. On the other hand, conservatives in favor of the deal align themselves with the pro-growth, free-trade tradition embodied by Jack Kemp. The Kemp adherents believe in breaking down global barriers in order to enhance prospects for prosperity and freedom everywhere. That’s in large part what the United Arab Emirates/DP World episode is all about.

Whether it’s anti-Arab Islamophobia or anti-Mexican Hispanophobia, the fear-mongers in the conservative ranks do not truly believe in economic opportunity. Nor do they believe in Ronald Reagan’s “City on a Hill” vision of America, where it is our charge to lead the world toward free-market prosperity, political democratization and true freedom for all peoples.

Yes, there is a rift in the conservative ranks. Opposing President Bush are those with a vision of pessimism, defeatism and fear. Supporting the president are those with a Reaganite vision that brims with opportunity, victory and success in the spread of freedom and democratization.”

First of all, the idea that this is an issue that’s primarily about “free-traders” vs. “protectionists” is blatantly incorrect. As a matter of fact, although such people may exist, I have yet to see any conservative try to make an argument against the deal on those terms. That’s why I suspect this is just a dishonest way for Kudlow to try to link people who are against the port deal with Patrick Buchanan, who’s widely disliked by many people on the right in large part because he is a “xenophobic protectionist.”

From there, Kudlow goes on, in two paragraphs mind you, to essentially accuse people who oppose the port deal of engaging in “anti-Arab Islamophobia,” “anti-Mexican Hispanophobia,” being “fear-mongers,” of “pessimism, defeatism and fear,” and being opposed to “economic opportunity,” “freedom for all peoples,” and “Ronald Reagan’s ‘City on a Hill’ vision.”

Hey, Larry, why didn’t you just save time and say every conservative who disagrees with you on the port deal can go straight to hell?

You know, you expect this sort of garbage from libs like George Clooney, faux-conservatives like Andrew Sullivan, and big mouths like Pat Robertson, but not from the likes of Larry Kudlow. If you ask me, Kudlow owes all the conservatives opposed to the port deal an apology.

Endnotes:
  1. commentary: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-3_9_06_LK.html

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