The hallmark of someone who refuses to engage in rational discussion is that they ignore everything the other person says, refuses to address all the evidence offered, and just keeps repeating the same point over and over. That's what you're doing, so I'm not going to bother offering up any more facts or line-by-line refutations.

So I'm irrational because I don't agree with you on this point, Glenn? How does that work, exactly?

I've ignored nothing you've said. Go back and read my points. I grant you your criticisms of ADL on the surface. I disagree with your conclusions as to what this means about the ADL.

I've pointed out that simply claiming one speaks the "truth" is the age-old defense proferred by those promoting the most vile racist and anti-Semitic points of view throughout history.

Technically it's true that African-Americans are less educated, divorce higher and go to jail more often than their white counterparts. We've all seen what "simply speaking the truth" about these facts is used to do.

More black people smoke crack than white people. What? I'm simply pointing out the facts.

Wingnuts on the right continually claim they're "just speaking the truth" about what Islam stands for or Mexican illegals. Much of it is grounded in statistical truth. What it is then used for is to shape standard xenophobic and racist narratives. Because from its very premise it is demarcating along ethnic/race lines. It literally groups Americans by sub-groups that arbitrarily draw conceptual lines.

There are Jewish people in the Neo-Con movement? No shit, Sherlock. There are Jewish intellectuals in EVERY movement.

Karl Marx was Jewish. So was Ayn Rand. you can fire off any Jewish conspiracy about Marxism or Neo Conservativism using either of these two as the starting point for your grand narrative.

This is not about simply stating facts. It's about shaping those facts into a narrative. Your narrative has powerful Jewish special interest groups financing the Neo-Con movement.

First the obvious lack of Jews in Bush's cabinet (zero), the lack of Jewish republicans in the Senate (three if you count Lieberman, one of whom is the marginalized Arlen Specter, the other the semi-relevant Norm Coleman).

Second there's the leading Neo-Con media propagandists. Limbaugh, Hannity and O'Reilly.

But oh look, some of the Neo Con academics happen to be Jewish. This must mean something important.

Uhm, no. No it doesn't.

All it means is there's a seductive story about the proverbial hidden "Other" at work in America to destroy it.

Unfortunately what's really destroying America is neither covert nor hidden. It's called the republican party. It's primarily driven by a fundie Christian anti-intellectual movement of incurious sexually frustrated chickenhawk cowards.

This is what drives the movement.

Adding fuel to the fire by focusing on Jewish groups and trying to "out" them, as Glenn is doing with the ADL, can be as factually accurate as can be and still feed a false grand narrative.

Claiming I'm ignoring the facts is simple distraction Glenn. I grant your facts and reject your emphasis on their importance as well as their conclusions about a Jewish "cabal" behind the Neo Con movement.

You're perpetuating a damaging false narrative that not only hurts the real criticisms of the wingnut movement, but feeds the anti-Semitic fever dreams, whether you intend to or not.

And yes, you're responsible for that affect.

Hiding behind "simply noting facts" is disingenuous at best. It's the hallmark of all racist narrative.

His critique does not in any way deny that anti-semitism exists. Nor do the commenters here deny that.

Sure they do.

Everytime someone argues that there couldn't possibly be anti-Semitic criticism of Joe Lieberman, they're rejecting that anti-Semitism exists.

It couldn't be more explicit.

Some criticism of Joe Lieberman comes purely from a place that he's the Jew working to destroy America on behalf of Israel. You see vehemence directed at Lieberman far beyond the anger directed at the numerous Christian wingnuts saying and advocating the exact same position.

Some of this is due to Lieberman's disingenuous maintaining of his status as "democrat" which is why he makes my blood boil.

But some of it IS driven by a pure psychological reaction to Lieberman's Jewishness. He must be "Othered." He must be anti-American and pro-Israel because he's not really American to begin with.

Same goes for Israel.

Yet every time a liberal points out that yes, a small but vocal subsection IS engaging in Anti-Semitism, they're dismissed (just look at the reactions to my posts).

So when you say to me that commenters here don't deny that anti-Semitism exists, they DO do exactly that every time they deny that there's any legitimacy to the possibility that some attack Lieberman as a traitor to this country simply because he's Jewish.

Secondly, anti-Semitism from the republicans is rampant and far worse than anything on our side. The shit thrown at George Soros is the ugliest anti-Jewish smears I've ever heard.

O'Reilly's blatantly anti-Semitic "war on Christmas" ended with him slamming the Jewish John Stewart for not celebrating Christmas.

But every time Glenn or anyone else dismisses that yes, anti-Semitism also comes from our side of the aisle (as it will from any side of any aisle), you are doing exactly what you claim "no one here" is doing.

You are dismissing even the possibility that legitimate anti-Semitism exists in both criticisms of Lieberman, Israel or the proverbial "hidden Jewish influence" in, and you can pick your trope:

1. The Banking Systems

2. The Government

3. Hollywood/Media