Fire on the Right

Jim Geraghty, who is in MSG, finds something like a catharsis in the GOP delegates' reaction to Zell Miller's speech. Maybe a few days of getting hassled by the "street theater" of the anti-Bush protests all over town has something to do with it.

The protests outside MSG this week are expressing something closer to these Democrats' hearts -- a hatred of President Bush and his values that burns with the fiery passion of a thousand flaming suns. These folks knew they couldn't express it in Boston, so they made the best of it and danced to the Black Eyed Peas and pretended that they really, really liked hearing speeches praising the flag from veterans. Deep down, they wanted to hear Mumia Abu-Jamal.

I can believe it. Reports like this would make me wanna get up and holler, too:

A featured performer at a National Organization for Women rally accused President Bush of having "savagely raped " women "over and over" by allegedly stealing the 2000 presidential election. Poet Molly Birnbaum read aloud to a crowd of feminists gathered in New York's Central Park on Wednesday night, as part of a NOW event dubbed "Code Red: Stop the Bush Agenda Rally." "Imagine a way to erase that night four years ago when you (President Bush) savagely raped every pandemic woman over and over with each vote you got, a thrust with each state you stole," Birnbaum said from the podium. "A smack with each bill you passed, a tear with each right you took until you left me disenfranchised with hands shackled and voice restrained. Thanks for that night, Mr. President, I can barely remember my tomorrows," Birnbaum said to applause.

Birnbaum's reading was followed by a performance by Gina Young, described as a singer of "feminist folk punk." Young's song included the following verse about Bush: "I got better grades than you, you stupid boy W. Your dad was a killer, too, and you know that nobody voted for you," Young sang as the crowd erupted in applause. "I object not just to this war, but to all of the things that you stand for, like dropping bombs to lower the price of gas. I guess the Constitution is just some piece of scrap paper you use to wipe you're a**, you bastard," Young sang to more applause.

But maybe it's deeper than just this week. Geraghty:

There's been a lot of talk about Democrats' anger this year. Well, the Michael Moores, the Al Frankens, the accusations of warmongering for profit and Hezbollah propaganda assistance has generated more than a wee bit of anger on the right. Miller was the first speaker at the convention to let out a bit of that anger from the right.