President Barack Obama's Senior adviser to the president David Axelrod, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

The left has developed a firm and frightening pattern of how it deals with critics of President Barack Obama. Mere hours after Joe the Plumber had the temerity to question candidate Obama’s tax plans, government employee donors to Obama were socuring his public records digging for dirt. The media then followed up with hit pieces on Joe’s tax, professional, marital difficulties.

CNBC analyst Rick Santelli has come in for the same treatment after he expressed criticism of President Obama’s mortgage bailout plan. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs attacked Santelli personally from the White House podium invoking his name six times in a single press conference. Now Obama’s leftist allies at Playboy have followed up the Santelli smear campaign with an article claiming Santelli staged his criticism and is in fact in the pocket of the co-founder of the John Birch Society. Totally devoid of facts, Playboy has since removed their article without any explanation.

Santelli has since responded to the leftist smear campaign against him at CNBC:

First of all let me be clear that I have NO affiliation or association with any of the websites or related tea party movements that have popped up as a result of my comments on February 19th, or to the best of my knowledge any of the people who organized the websites or movements. By the way of background, I am not and never have been a stockbroker. Not that there is anything wrong with being a stockbroker. The home I have lived in for 20 years is a 2,500-square foot ranch. Not that there is anything wrong with owning a larger, grander house. I am currently an on air editor with CNBC. Prior to my 10 years in this capacity I was a member in good standing on both the Chicago Futures Exchanges. My career in the futures industry spanned 20 years.

Many millions of Americans seem to agree with my position otherwise why would this “rant” be so much different than many of my impassioned comments of the past. Why would the Internet light up the way it did if people did not feel so strongly. The answer seems pretty obvious; the nerve I struck resonated across the country. I love my country and hope that the current administration succeeds in fixing the complicated economic and social issues our country now faces. Trillions of dollars of debt are being created without a commensurate amount of debate by all involved. And the idea that future generations unable to voice an opinion or vote may be saddled with mountains of debt through no fault of their own, is an issue too large to shirk from.

It is very UN-American to belittle or ignore the FACTS, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, or the voices of millions of Americans that demand better answers, more transparency, deeper accountability, and the simple idea that our elected officials represent all Americans. All Americans should be treated fairly and equitably as our government puts forth solutions. Mr. Gibbs, the President’s Press Secretary, said I did not read the Presidents Mortgage Plan; for the record, I did read the plan and listened to it live as President Obama was presenting it. Anyone who knows me or views CNBC regularly is keenly aware of the fact that I am exceedingly thorough in my homework.

Many thanks for the support as expressed in emails, and letters. This is a critical moment in our nation’s history and it is important to continue to discuss and debate all viable solutions.

Thank you, Rick.