G Gordon Liddy's Sexist Attack on Joan Walsh of Salon

Right-wing radio host G Gordon Liddy of Watergate fame, who once advised
people to "Go for a head shot" when shooting at agents from the Bureau
of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms because "they're going to be wearing
bulletproof vests," is obviously a big criminal and idiot. But the
latest manifestation of this idiocy is pretty priceless. Last week on CNN,
Liddy debated Joan Walsh, the Editor in Chief of Salon.com, on the
release of the Bush torture memos, which of course Liddy was against
making public.

On his radio show on Monday, Liddy attacked Walsh
in a disgusting, ignorant sexist rant in which he attributed her views
on the issue and Liddy personally to it being "that time of the month."

You really have to listen to the full clip, a link to which Liddy proudly posted on his Twitter account.
By the way, it is hilarious that this clown even has a Twitter account
given that he can't seem to figure out what a "Salon" is on "teh
Internets" and googles.

Liddy is totally perplexed who Walsh
even is, saying "I'd guess you'd call her a blogger for Salon
magazine." He then asks his "internet expert" what Salon is, asking,
"this is sort of a glorified blog?" The conversation that transpires is
like listening to two Martians landing on earth for the first time and
attempting to figure out what a tree is.

His "expert,"
apparently producer Franklin Raff, then explains to Liddy that a
blogger is someone "who once had a writing job or a job as a journalist
or a job as a broadcaster and then after they got fired their job
description changes and they're called a blogger."

"I see, ok,"
Liddy responds. "Well, she's working for something called 'Salon'-this
Joan Walsh woman. What is Salon? I had never heard of it."

Franklin
then pronounces Salon with a French accent and then they spell it out
using military code: Sierra Alpha Lima Oscar November. "I think its
sort of like a post-Drudge commentary site where formerly employed
journalists can host their rants and raves," Franklin instructs Liddy.

"Well she's very upset," Liddy says of Walsh.

"Who is this person?" Franklin asks.

Liddy
continues: "When they told me who I was going to be on with, I thought
they said John Walsh (of America's Most Wanted) and I know John Walsh
and America's Most Wanted-nice guy-

"Great guy," says Franklin.

"But it turned out to be Joan Walsh, who I believe is no relation to John Walsh."

Franklin says, "But she had a moment of fame I suppose because she was on television with you."

"Apparently so," says Liddy. "But at any rate, it upset her greatly."

They laugh.

"Probably that time of the month," Liddy says.

Later,
Liddy and Franklin discuss Walsh's bio page on Salon with Liddy saying,
"There's no mention of a husband there at all is there?"

"No sir," quips Franklin. "But the next time you're tempted to feel sorry for yourself, just remember-"

"You could be married to her," says Liddy laughing.

"Somewhere there is a Mr. Pelosi," Franklin finishes.

Regarding
the "enhanced interrogation techniques," Liddy says "the Joan Walsh ilk
people call it 'torture.' Well, I pointed out that torture would
consist of something like burning at the stake, or boiling in oil,
drawing and quartering, things of that sort. That's torture. And I
pointed out that I've been through worse on 'Fear Factor.'" (Liddy was
indeed a guest "star" on Fear Factor).

What sparked Liddy's rant on his radio show was a column Walsh wrote after the CNN debate:

[U]nbelievably, CNN identified Liddy as a "syndicated talk
show host"; I had to be the one to say that the man is a convicted
felon, who went to jail for helping President Nixon spy on his enemies,
so his thoughts on the law and civil liberties are "eccentric" at best.

It's astonishing that a crackpot like Liddy is still being asked to give his views on legal matters.

In addition to the sexist comments about Walsh, Liddy defended the torture tactics of the CIA:

"One of the things that these people like Ms. Walsh
consider to be torture is putting people in a box with a caterpillar.
I'm not making this up-an insect. Well, I remember one time waking up
in a prison warm with a blanket on me-the blanket seemed to be moving
so I turned on the light and what the blanket was was 100,000
cockroaches swarming over me, which i brushed off onto the floor,
rolled over crushing a few and went back to sleep. Then in Fear Factor,
they poured in-you know they had me in a little container, which i
suppose Ms. Walsh thinks is torture but I found not to be at all, and
they poured in insects all over me and I just brushed them off."

Liddy concludes, "The idea that harsh interrogation techniques equal torture doesn't make much sense."

He
then goes on to defend other tactics such as "wall slamming,"
erroneously saying a "fake rubber wall" was used by interrogators to
"bounce" prisoners-you know kind of like a kids play thing.

On
his radio show, Liddy is referred to in German as Herr Funken Fuhrer,
"Dear Radio Leader." That's interesting given that Liddy has praised
the original Fuhrer, saying
Hitler "made me feel a strength inside I had never known before...
Hitler's sheer animal confidence and power of will [entranced me]. He
sent an electric current through my body." I guess like many of Liddy's
rants, his nickname on his radio show probably makes more sense in the
original German.