An exchange.

[CrispyQ]

My mother is a repuke. She listened to Rush the during the entire Clinton administration, which is when I believe she changed. She used to be a very tolerant, generous, kind-hearted woman, and a Democrat. It has been very painful for me to witness her change into a mean-spirited, hateful, racist repuke. And now, O'Reilly is her new master.

Last summer I tired to engage her in dialog to understand when this awful metamorphosis had occurred & if there was a chance of reversing it. Unfortunately, she simply could not discuss issues on an adult level. She would start yelling, "spin, spin, spin" anytime I tried to make a point. So we agreed to not discuss politics at all.

Unfortunately, she hasn't stuck to the agreement. She has been pestering me to read O'Reilly's book, "Who's Looking Out for You." At first I said no way. After a few weeks of her hammering away at me I asked her if I read his book, would she read a book of my choosing? I haven't gotten an answer yet.

That brings me to the point of this thread.

1. Could you do this? Is it possible to get through O'Reilly's book without fits of projectile vomiting? Will it be worth the increase in my blood pressure to do this?

2. What book would you recommend? I'm thinking of Big Lies by Joe Conason. It touches on 10 key lies of the right wing political machine & gives ample detail of their lying, manipulating, corrupt ways.

[trotsky]

1. Blinded by the Right or Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.

If she really read them, she would find either quite illuminating.

[Goblinmonger]

2. It was an old WWII propaganda poster

that said you need to "Know Your Enemy." I listen to Rush when I am driving and he is on. I usually swear at him a lot, too. I think you need to know the enemy. I wouldn't do anything that would give them money, like buy their book, but knowledge isn't a bad thing if you know they are shit spreaders going in.

I second that Lies... would be a good book. Plus it is funny.

[BOSSHOG]

3. If it makes you feel any better

I was quite apolitical in the early 90's until I started listening to limbaugh and now I am a raving liberal. Everyday all I heard was hate Clinton, hate liberals, we are right, they are wrong.

For a book suggestion - Sidney Blumenthal's "The Clinton Wars" would surely have a neocon climbing the walls. No disprespect to your Mom but it is 800 pages long, however it does have pictures. If you really want to do her in, give her Bill Clinton's "My Life." You could put a nice little personalized note in it for her.

[Liberty Belle]

4. The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast.

[stray cat]

5. Al Frankens Lies and the lying liars would be good.

He also really nails O'Reilly for an added bonus.

[CrispyQ]

6. I checked this out from the library today & will read it first,

then decide. If he blasts O'Reilly, that would be good.