Michelle Malkin

You know those pathetic, far-fetched anti-Obama smears the right wing has been flogging for months? Well, they are just the beginning. Wingers have fertile imaginations, and they never know when to stop.

“Terrorist” Bill Ayers is still the lead story for Michelle Malkin, who calls the president-elect the “overlord-elect.” Sean Hannity’s website features a countdown to Election Day 2012. Raw Story reports that Facebook already has at least two “Impeach Barack Obama” groups, and impeachment bumper stickers and T-shirts are for sale– never mind that Obama doesn’t even take office for another two months.

Two days ago, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) compared Obama to Hitler, while at the same time calling him a Marxist. “It may sound a bit crazy and off base,” Broun said. Ya think?

Over on the Ayn Rand-inspired website Atlas Shrugs, they claim Obama is a committed Marxist-Leninist who intends to impose a Marxist-Leninist dictatorship here. He’ll create a civilian police force of jack-booted thugs, ex-gang bangers, foul-mouthed rappers and maybe even Black Panthers. He’ll drag your children from your home, forcing them into Hitler-youth-style re-education camps. He’ll advance Islam, impose or import “sharia” (Islamic law) and sharia financing. He will stifle free speech, end First Amendment protections, prohibit criticism of Islam and seek preferential treatment for Muslims.

Bob Cesca points out that the far right is just doing what they always do, trying to project the blame that should fall on Republicans.

The obvious intention here is to cobble together an abuse of power meme against President-elect Obama, despite President Bush and Vice President Cheney having, you know, spent the last eight years consolidating executive power, authorizing torture, suspending habeas corpus, illegally invading sovereign nations, ignoring congressional subpoenas and eavesdropping on American citizens.

I wonder if we’ll get any more comments from the right tut-tutting about so-called “Bush Derangement Syndrome” while this kind of over-the-top insanity is coming from their side. Of course, Digby says “Republicans have retired the concept of hypocrisy.” We’ll see.

UPDATE: On Salon.com, Mark Benjamin reports that advisers to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans for a nonpartisan commission to investigate alleged abuses under President Bush. In the likely event that Bush issues an unprecedented blanket pardon covering thousands of crimes during his administration, it might actually help the commission. We’ll learn a lot more from witnesses who don’t have to worry about being prosecuted.