Media's Fascist-Lite Pundits Continue to Smear Kevin Jennings

Media's Fascist-Lite Pundits Continue to Smear Kevin Jennings

In recent weeks, the right-wing media have embarked on a witch hunt against Department of Education official Kevin Jennings, often advancing the repeatedly debunked falsehood that Jennings failed to report or even encouraged a 15-year-old student's relationship with an adult or the baseless smear that Jennings has "advocate[d]" for the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). Media Matters for America has compiled some of the most egregious attacks on Jennings that conservative media figures have made based on these smears, including calling Jennings "sick and immoral," a "pervert," someone who "facilitated" statutory rape, and "a zealous advocate of NAMBLA."
Conservatives lash out with vicious, fact-free smears

RedState.com's Erick Erickson declared the "profoundly sick and immoral" Jennings "a zealous advocate of NAMBLA." In an anti-gay rant posted on his blog, Erickson wrote: "Kevin Jennings is a profoundly sick and immoral human being -- a proponent of statutory rape, an opponent of the Boy Scouts of America, and a zealous advocate of NAMBLA." He went on to add that Jennings is "not just a gay man, but a man who believes in the full gay rights agenda, where men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning" and called Jennings "a man who encourages predatory relationships between young boys and grown men." [RedState.com, 10/9/09]

Fox Nation embedded video calling Jennings a "Pervert." In an October 8 post, under the headline, "WH Laughs Off Questions on Czars," the Fox Nation embedded a video titled, "Gibbs Is Asked About the Pervert School Czar."

The so-called fair and balanced crowd knows that Jennings supposed victim has defended him in this letter,

Since I was of legal consent at the time, the fifteen-minute conversation I had with Mr. Jennings twenty-one years ago is of nobody's concern but his and mine. However, since the Republican noise machine is so concerned about my "well-being" and that of America's students, they'll be relieved to know that I was not "inducted" into homosexuality, assaulted, raped, or sold into sexual slavery.

In 1988, I had taken a bus home for the weekend, and on the return trip met someone who was also gay. The next day, I had a conversation with Mr. Jennings about it. I had no sexual contact with anybody at the time, though I was entirely legally free to do so. I was a sixteen year-old going through something most of us have experienced: adolescence. I find it regrettable that the people who have the compassion and integrity to protect our nation's students are themselves in need of protection from homophobic smear attacks. Were it not for Mr. Jennings' courage and concern for my well-being at that time in my life, I doubt I'd be the proud gay man that I am today.

- Brewster

For the millionth time right-wing demi-gods are intent on telling any lie that deem necessary to carry out yet another character assassination. maybe its because Sean Hannity, Redstate and Karl Rove among many others on the rabid Right, have no character.