Blogger Erick Erickson’s homophobic, racist, disgusting diatribes are inconsistent with the high standards of journalism CNN portends to uphold.

A few weeks ago while I was on vacation, the exceptional Michael A, Jones, Change.org’s Gay Rights blogger, took on CNN and its decision to hire one of the most right-wing bloggers, Erick Erickson, founder of RedState.com. In, “CNN’s Anti-Gay Hiring FAIL,” Michael wrote,

“Say there’s a political commentator out there who has called women’s rights activists Nazis, called Michelle Obama a “Marxist harpy wife,” said that President Obama only won his Nobel Peace Prize because of “affirmative action,” and called the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe Schools Czar “profoundly sick and immoral” because of his sexual orientation. Should this guy be rewarded with a promotion?”

“Given the state of political cynicism these days, do we really need someone who has called former Supreme Court Justice David Souter a “goat fucking child molester” on one of the largest news channels in the world? The answer is, overwhelmingly, NO.”

“And who can forget Erickson’s comments advocating that Tea Party folks go down to their state legislator’s office and beat their representatives and senators to a bloody pulp. Specifically, Erickson was referencing Washington state legislators. “At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?”

Michael offers many more examples, but you get the drift. So did almost 5,000 Change.org readers, who signed his petition. You should too. Please, sign the Change.org petition, “Tell CNN: Keep Anti-Gay, Racist, Sexist Commentators Off the Air.”

Now, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart joins the conversation about the epic fail that was hiring Erick Erickson. Watch:

I tried taking on Erickson myself, in December of 2008. In his personal blog, “Confessions of a Political Junkie” Erick Erickson wrote a piece titled, “Gay Rights Proponents Act Like the Third Reich.” In it, Erickson writes,

“Yes, I know about Goodwin’s law, but comparing gay rights activists to the Nazis is fitting. They’ve gone from being persecuted to persecuting. Of course, they’ll say it is all in the fight for their civil rights — much like the Nazis needed to go after people to make things right.”

(Gotta love how he starts with the “Goodwin’s Law” part, especially since it’s Godwin’s Law…)

On his blog, I responded. Here is the conversation (Erickson is “Erick-Woods”):

David Badash on December 5th, 2008
Erick,
Let me get this straight: If a homosexual tries to stand up for his civil rights, he is acting like a Nazi? Is that what you’re saying? I’d like to understand better your thoughts. Perhaps you could clarify a bit more, or provide some more examples?
Thanks.

Erick-Woods on December 5th, 2008
David, how exactly is trying to have people fired because their wives gave money to a ballot measure standing up for a civil right?
Oh, and it is not a civil right.

David Badash on December 6th, 2008
Erick,
My point is simply this: You’re a lawyer. You know full well that far-reaching over-generalizations are in no one’s interest, are generally incorrect, and are at best unfair. Now, amend your rhetoric to read “SOME gay rights activists have gone from being persecuted to persecuting.” MAYBE I’ll give you some latitude.
But you also know, as a lawyer, that your words are inaccurate, incorrect, and, given your reach and position, dangerously incendiary.
I hope you’ll be clearer, more accurate, and work toward making things on both sides of this argument better. If not, you’re just attempting to monetize people’s emotions, a rather dishonorable vocation, don’t you think?

Erick-Woods on December 6th, 2008
Ironic that I’m being lectured on my speech on this.

And then, responding to another reader’s comments:
Erick-Woods on December 7th, 2008
“And more importantly when did the use of these tactics get elevated to Nazi style?”
When the gay rights movement turned into a gay reich movement. All dissenters must be driven from their jobs, churches must be torn down, the IRS must be sicked on non-profit institutions, etc.

Like I said, Erickson has no place on CNN.
(H/T to timzero4 for the video.)