The liberal media's instincts for separating any trace of religion from the American state kicked in last week over Gen. Jerry Boykin's appearances in Christian churches stating that terrorists are after America because "we're a Christian nation." The controversy boiled over into hate on Saturday night's edition of the TV chat show Inside Washington.
Nina Totenberg, the Supreme Court reporter for taxpayer-subsidized National Public Radio, declared: "Now they've got this guy who's head of the intelligence section in the Defense Department who's being quoted as telling various groups, while he's in uniform, that this is a Christian crusade against Muslims. I mean this is terrible. This is seriously bad stuff."
Totenberg hatefully added seconds later: "Well, I hope he's not long for this world because you can imagine..." Other panelists reacted immediately. Host Gordon Peterson joked, "You putting a hit on this guy?...What is this, The Sopranos?" She beat a hasty retreat: "No, no, no, no, no, no!....In his job, in his job, in his job, please, please, in his job."
This wasn't the first time Totenberg's mind jumped to death wishes for social conservatives she found offensive. Back on the July 8, 1995 Inside Washington, Totenberg had this reaction to Senator Jesse Helms stating that AIDS research was getting a disproportionate share of federal research money. Totenberg said of Helms: "I think he ought to be worried about what's going on in the Good Lord's mind, because if there is retributive justice, he'll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it."