The way Lawrence O’Donnell sees it, cartoonists Batton/Lash are the new Theo Van Gogh, collectively. You’re not allowed to criticize the hypocritical policies of the President or First Lady, in word or in graphics, lest a D-List talking head will tell the nation the town in which you live and encourage people to persecute you on live television.

Tuesday O’Donnell fabricated a controversy for the mere sake of being able to charge racism at a conservative cartoonist pair, and pushed the false narrative that a cartoon depicting the hypocrisy of what the First Lady says and what she does as somehow racist. He’s yet to apologize.

Welcome to fascism, ladies and gentlemen, where the media is used as a weapon to squelch any form of criticism or dissent.

Because of O’Donnell’s explicit call to persecute Batton and Lash, the pair have received comments and emails wherein individuals have dug up their addresses and issued death threats.

Is this what O’Donnell wanted? Is his pitiful fake outrage worth the lives if two cartoonists who O’Donnell mercilessly slandered, defamed and encouraged violence against on live television?

Lawrence O’Donnell owes James Hudnall and Batton Lash an apology.

Note to readers: It’s now been two days since O’Donnell was called upon to condemn the racist attack on Herman Cain by Alternet and the vicious calls to lynch Justice Thomas by Common Cause protestors. O’Donnell still apparently refuses to do so.