Conservatives are still upset about the ‘Law & Order’ flap

June 2, 2005

You know, I am more than happy to let this go, but for reasons that escape me, the right is still fighting mad over the fact that “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” mocked Tom DeLay in a recent episode.

To briefly review for those just joining us, L&O, which is a work of fiction, recently aired an episode in which actors playing police officers were searching for a fictional killer of two judges. In the show, the police believed right-wing extremists were involved. Frustrated by a lack of clues, one officer joked, “Maybe we should put out an APB for somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt.”

First, DeLay went berserk and attacked NBC for the show’s “manipulation of my name.” Then, DeLay’s cohorts followed up, with the House GOP Conference literally going so far as to send out talking points to Republican message makers on what to say about the episode.

And now DeLay’s buddies at Free Enterprise Fund, a right-wing lobbying group, are working to keep this story in the news a bit longer.

In response to a TV character on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” commenting after an appellate court judge was killed, “Maybe we should put out an APB for somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt,” supporters of the embattled Republican leader will be distributing “Tom DeLay” T-shirts today at a Capitol Hill subway stop.

Saying executives at NBC have used the “Law & Order” series to take jabs at President Bush, Mr. DeLay and conservatives in general, Free Enterprise Fund Vice President Lawrence Hunter says this “again demonstrates just how out of touch the entertainment business is with red-state America.”

“Incidents like this only serve to galvanize conservatives and drive more people into the movement,” he says, criticizing in particular the show’s executive producer, Dick Wolf. The front of the shirt sports a picture of Mr. DeLay, and the back of the shirt reads: “Who’s Afraid of Dick Wolf?”

In other words, the right is taunting a work of fiction, keeping DeLay’s name in the news, and helping to remind everyone about DeLay’s veiled threats against the judiciary.

Keep it up, guys, you’re doing the work of DeLay’s critics for them.

I think I recall reading a blurb around the time of the election which indicated that “Law and Order” is actually a “red” program – – its advertisers primarily contribute to the Republican National Committee, and its viewership primarily affiliates itself with the Republican Party. If DeLay supporters can’t modulate their hysteria, will Republicans have to resign themselves to watching Fox News full-time instead of taking the occasional “Law and Order” break?

  • Delay set himself up when he suggested killing federal judges. I have no sympathy for him.

  • Or it demonstrates how out of touch red states are with reality. They are more concerned about the events on a fictional program than defending our Constitution against the “nuclear option”, potential life saving stem-cell research, and the continuing Iraq debacle. I have a piece of advice for all conservatives, if prime time TV is too much for you impressionable convservative mind to handle, tune back into Lawrence Welk and the 700 Club.

    By the way, I don’t recall such an uproar from the left during the non-stop barrage of Lewinsky jokes. Maybe it’s because we have a sense of humor.

  • I know they are obsessing over this as a way to distract peple but for pity’s sake – to keep doing it makes them look even pettier than the are. When will they realize that most people don’t know what this is all about, and those that do have moved on.

  • Sadly, my feeling is that this kind of hysteria is generated because the frothing masses genuinely believe that Tom DeLay has a direct line to Jesus and anyone who speaks against him even in jest is a servant of Satan. And their leaders make full use of that belief for their own twisted ends, being largely responsible for creating the belief in the first place. It’s almost like a kind of mental enslavement and we can only hope that it will end sooner than later.

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