“Living Oxygen Thief”: Right-Wing Blogosphere Freaks Out About Adam Kokesh
Adam Kokesh
“An anti-war protesting, socialist-leaning, ex-Marine embarrassment”—that’s what the hyper-conservative blog Jammie-Wearing Fool called New Mexico Republican Congressional hopeful Adam Kokesh today.
“Mr. Kokesh has an extensive and well-documented history of affiliations with radical leftist groups,” claims Gathering of Eagles, the group that unleashed today’s rightist outrage with its “Open Letter to the Republican Party Regarding Adam Kokesh.” The letter goes on to link Kokesh to Code Pink, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Black Panthers.
“I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to work with people that have strong disagreements with me philosophically,” Kokesh tells SFR. “I think it’s funny that one of my greatest strengths is being used against me.”
More funny-odd than funny-haha, though.Joining the fray are a slew of ultra-conservative, pro-military blogs, including This Ain’t Hell, What Bubba Knows—which posts a tally of people “murdered” by Islam and global warming (6,851 and 0, respectively, for 2009)—American Patriots Against Kokesh and United Conservatives of Virginia. The accusations are scathing and the tone not-so-vaguely threatening; Jammie Wearing Fool calls Kokesh “scum” and urges readers to “run, do not walk, away from this living oxygen thief.”
Though most of the blogs airing the letter are conservative enough to make Rush Limbaugh look like a tree-hugging hippie, Kokesh says he has reason to believe some of the attacks are from people who support Rep. Ben Ray Luján, the incumbent Kokesh hopes to unseat.)
In addition to what the GOA letter describes as Kokesh’s “unremarkable” Marine Corps service, work experience and education, it accuses him of being “involved in numerous anti-military, and by explicit extension, anti-Bush/Republican activities and actions.”
Among them: “a high-profile media mocking of Alberto Gonzales’s testimony to Congress regarding the dismissal of the U.S. attorney’s [sic]; interrupting John McCain’s acceptance speech at the 2008 Republican National convention; and; participating in a radical left anti-war march on the Bush home in Kennebunkport, Maine.”
The message? If you’re against all that lovely Bush-era stuff, like firing US attorneys (not attorney’s) for political reasons or waging war under false pretenses, Adam Kokesh may be your man.
Kokesh, for his part, says he’s talked to a lawyer about libel charges and “decided to go with a more subtle approach”—cease and desist orders.
“In the Marines we used to like to say, You know you’re standing in the right place when they’re shooting at you,” Kokesh says. “It’s good to see they already consider us such a threat.”
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February 24th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
I don’t think I’m “ultra-conservative” – more regular conservative. Thanks for interviewing me about my scads of articles and the three years of background and military records I have on Kokesh. Oh, that’s right, you didn’t.
February 25th, 2010 at 7:14 am
Yeah. I met Adam Kokesh, and he is shaking up the old guard. Just do a youtube search. Socialist? I would not classify him as a socialist. A revolutionary… yeah.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:02 am
@John. Well if you were a true journo you would have shown both sides of the story. No one is perfect but Kokesh is certainly nothing to be worried about. He is a TRUE conservative as a opposed to a neo-con or “regular” conservative as you put it. More importantly he stands for values that are truly American. NO ONE CARES if he is a war hero or if his service record isn’t anything to be blown away about. We care that he represents a lot of our same ideas.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Also, you’re a blogger (not spelled r-e-p-o-r-t-e-r) and saying things like “Oh wait, you didn’t.” just takes me back to my days in high school
February 25th, 2010 at 11:06 am
I used to respect Kokesh, but then he started running for Congress.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:22 am
So what if his military service was unremarkable? He was honorably discharged. Not everyone who serves in the military is faced with a situation which results in remarkable heroism on their part.
Also note-worthy is that anti-war demonstrations are hardly left at all – leftists have traditionally been very pro-war as well (Clinton’s escapades all over eastern europe and africa for example were no less wars than Bush’s Iraqi and Afghanistan invasions.) Being anti-war is being pro-America.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Adam Kokesh is a true supporter of individual Liberty. His political philosophy is based largely on the premise of natural law, and self ownership. He is true to the Constitution, and his mission is to return us to the practice of limited Constitutional government that is consistent with the original vision and intent of the 56 brave men who signed their name to the Declaration of Independence. Do not be fooled or misled by those who seek to continue the subversion of America, and in doing so perpetuate the welfare/warfare state made possible by the immoral, unconstitutional Federal Reserve system.
The choice is simple, align with the oligarchs of the political and international banking elite who have co-opted our government, or choose Liberty. I stand with Kokesh, I choose Liberty.
For Liberty,
Rob
February 26th, 2010 at 8:02 am
What is “not-so-vaguely threatening” about advising someone to “run, do not walk, away from” anyone?
Kokesh’s military record is up for discussion not merely because he now disagrees with the war, but because he did not present it correctly. His service was marked by a demotion and his discharge was downgraded.
You agree with his politics and support him, that is your right. I myself could not support someone I see as dishonest, no matter what it got me. That line is different for everyone. We are simply presenting people with a full picture so they can make that decsion for themselves. Everyone decides for themselves how much they can stomach.
Kokesh is incorrect if he attributes our opposition to support of the incumbent. Today is the first time I even knew the man’s name.
Bloggers have caught Kokesh in deliberate misstatements. If you will lie about small things, you will lie about big things.
Kokesh has scrubbed things from his blog and other websites he has access to. If you have something you want to hide, I don’t want you.
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Kokesh speaks of cooperating with those that “disagree with him philosophocally.” Isn’t that nice. If one cooperated with Islamic terrorist supporters, would you support him, then? Code Pink sent 500 thousand dollars to the insurgents in Fallujah. While we were fighting them. Other groups support the fragging of our officers.
Reject this snake. He is lying about his true motives as demonstrated by past actions.
Just because you don’t like Bush’s policies, is no reason to support this person. Vote Democrat if this person becomes the GOP candidate.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:25 am
People like Kokesh are exactly what this country needs right now. Someone who stands on principle regardless of how their party establishment feels. He puts the constitution and our inalienable human rights before any political pandering and you have to respect him for that. This country would be much better off if we had more Adam Kokesh’s in congress.