"Investigate Congress for Anti-Americanism", Says Republican Michelle Bachmann: A Glimpse of the Future
We now know what the future is going to look like if the trends continue and Barack Obama is elected President with increased Democratic majorities in Congress.
Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) indicated on the Matthews' program ("Hardball") that the news media ought to do a thorough investigation of all members of Congress to determine who is "anti-American". She is clearly not alone in her sentiments, conflating "liberal", with "leftist", with "anti-American".
These sentiments are not new. Indeed, they have always been lurking, but were suppressed as the rightwing held either Congress or the Presidency or both.
In the 1950s a Washington State rancher, John Goldmark, held a state legislative seat from Eastern Washington in the Olympia statehouse. After serving 3 terms, he was defeated by a Republican who accused him of being a Communist. The evidence he was a Communist? He supported certain labor-friendly bills that were proposed by colleagues in the State legislature! His wife had been a casual member of the Communist Party in th 1930s and the Party forbade marriages to someone who was not a Communist [if only Karl Marx had had the opportunity of meeting the Rev Sun Myung Moon!].
Goldmark sued for libel. A very conservative jury in a very rural part of the state agreed with Goldmark.*
The McCain campaign is sending out RoboCalls whose script first associates Barack Obama with Bill Ayers, and then says what Bill Ayers did, strongly suggesting that Obama was "associated" not just with Ayers 40 years later, but with those acts. It follow then, as the night the day, that Obama will enact an extreme left wing agenda -- indeed, electing Obama President sounds mild by comparison to what he is "associated" with doing in the first part of the call.
As reprehensible as this is in any situation, the financial meltdown has raised peoples' temperatures, and the media is fanning the flames -- a very dangerous witches' brew to stir and that could easily lead to violence. ("McCain Media & Meltdown: A Witches' Brew for Election Violence", October 10, 2008)
The Republicans are also knowingly conflating voter registration fraud with voting fraud -- as if Mickey Mouse could show up and be able to vote, regardless of the registration.
The strategy is clear: win by any means necessary; if they lose, delegitimize the victory; once out of power, start the investigation of Members of Congress for Anti-Americanism.
Welcome to the next era of American politics!
*[Goldmark won. But, the Supreme Court decided New York Times v Sullivan before the damages were awarded. Goldmark was satisfied with his victory, and did not retry.
His son, Peter Goldmark, also a rancher, but also a Ph.D. in microbiology, is a candidate for "Commissioner of Public Lands" in Washington this year. ]
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Great video of local news story re: Bachmann and Tinklenberg w/ Tinklenberg interview:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7679069&version=1&locale=EN-US
This is a return of McCarthyism. I can't believe that this is way the GOP campaign wants to go. Ms Bachman is a combination of Katherine Harris and Ann Coulter. If this attitude actually wins the White House, the "godless" non-evangelicals will need to look for a safe haven. Chris Matthews was at his best and clarified this woman's venomous and uninformed palaver.
I live in Minnesota(St paul) There was a story not to long ago about Bachmann hiding in the bushes at the State capitol during a gay/lesbian rally . And we haven't forgot when she was 'trapped' in the bathroom by lesbians at an event in a suburb city Minneapolis . She obviously has some issues with how some people choose to live thier private lives . Which in and of itself is anti-american.
You could just hear these dangerous morons asking: "Are you now or have you ever been liberal?"
“The McCain campaign is sending out RoboCalls whose script first associates Barack Obama with Bill Ayers, and then says what Bill Ayers did, " trying to ocnnect Obama with Ayers' acts -- Obama was then 8.
Six degrees of seperation to the absurd?
Perhaps McCain and gang should reconsider this game plan.
F’instance:
Rick Davis, a McCain employee and recent lobbyist had as his clients telecommunication clients while McCain was chair of the communications committee. Davis’ clients seem to have done well those years.
Acorn and voter fraud? And then blame Obama? Well, McCain should reconsider that ploy as well.
When he set up shop for his 2008 campaing for presidency, he hired former Bush Advisor Terry Nelson.
Nelson was, according to authors David Brock and Paul Waldman, “Free Ride,McCain and the Media”, “forced to testify about his involvement in two GOP corruption scandals, one involving Tom DeLay’s alleged money laundering, and the other involving A REPUBLICAN SCHEME TO JAM THE TELEPHONE LINES OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO SABOTAGE THEIR GET-OUT-THE- VOTE EFFORTS ON ELECTION DAY 2002.
In the latter case, James Tobin, an employee of Nelson, was convicted for his role in the phone-jamming scheme.
Fasten your seat belts,folks, our precious country has a bumpy road ahead as we fight to elect the honorable guys and gals.
The neocons hear the death knoll of their power and they are prepared to fight like cornered rats on speed.
Another military veteran for Obama/Biden 2008
A "new" low for the GOP? The GOP is the party of "do whatever works." Swift Boat. McCain's black baby. Condoms for kindergartners. And of course the obscenely unethical doesn't stop after election, either.
The GOP has actually been fairly creative, in an evil, ruthless sort of way. And too often the Democrats - suckers - fail to see it coming or know what to do with the latest outrageousness.
I don't think the "True American" ploy will work, though. The Dems have a response model, McCarthyism. They'll have a Congressional majority. We'll have a Dem. president who already handled a whole tsunami of slime.
The GOP will also have the "lesson of McCain." While you can convince some boobs all of the time, it's not enough to get you elected. You need a coalition of conflicting special interests (the lesson of Bush), not all of them gullible in the "love it or leave it" kind of way.
Maybe they should start the investigation by looking at the secessionist leanings of their VP pick!
Anti-American groups calling the rest of the nation anti-American...what BS.
Paul, welcome to the life of a Liberal. It's like we have to be the Adult in the World. We have to be fair, not fight dirty, care for one another and ensure the rights of everyone. Being a Liberal is about as thankless a job as working for the ACLU. Nobody gives a rat's ass, until their rights are being stepped on. It used to be just a difference on philosophy, but now the Republican Party has been infested with Neoconservatives (I know, because I've read REAL conservatives talk in disgust about the GOP). If it's not hard enough, with that, now we have self-aggrandizing DINO's in the DLC that are, in some aspects, worse than the rethugs! It's getting harder to defend my party (Democratic), when it's apparent the leaders are Neocons. Nancy Pelosi knows EXACTLY what I mean. Time to put "it" back on the Table. It's time...
Barack & Joe!
Is it any way possible that this is a set up in case of an electoral tie and to delegitimize the outcome of a House decided election?
Spartan Mom: Read the UK's Guardian., It has a very good analysis of your astute observation.
However, it goes further and suggests that if if there is a decided win, the neocons will fight down to the last vote and will try to negate Obama's mandates as president.
Socialism is their threat now? Well, the PTA looks socialist compared to the fascism we have been subjected to during the Republican'sscorched earth electoral policies.
That said, I know we will win this election.
Thank G*D for a smart candidate who has all his ducks in a row. And all his lawyers on retainers. :-)
What about the 82% of people who think America is headed in the wrong direction? They're all "Anti-American" as well right?
Don't let up, people. Keep hitting these guys! They are going to pull out all the stops to try to squeak by and win this thing. Eternal vigilance, strong action, and loud voices. Let's go!
If the Republicans WANT a civil war, let's give them one!!!! We lose because we hesitate. Hit 'em and ask questions later.
To quote some guy named Barack Obama: "No, no, We don't need that. All we need to do is VOTE."
Sure, but you have to have a back-up plan too.
We need the biggest win margin in history. WE can all help do that.
We can bring anyone who wants to vote for Obama to the polls. Tell everyone that you will run a shuttle for anyone who doesn't have transportation. Call the senior centers and retirement homes in your neighborhood. Ask who is registered. Get them to the polls.
If you have voting age children, hold voting day parties for them and any feinds who vote. Load up the van, paste on the red,white and blue streamers and have fun.
OH YES we can.
Another former Navy Medica for Obama/Biden the truly patriotic guys
Why worry about her?
Democrats and Liberals act as if they don't have the capacity to respond to these outrageous comments.
Instead of complaining --let's do her one better. Whatever the Republicans do --we should make them pay dearly for it.
Obama and Biden have to do the conventional thing -yet why can't the Democrats have a cadre of dirty players who target Republicans and bloody them over and over again. Make them cry "Uncle" If they haven't cried "Uncle" then we haven't done our jobs.
Where are "our" dirty tricks? The best way to stop a bully is to break both of his arms!
Yanno I'm really worried that these wrong-wingers have fallen so in love with "Joe The Plumber" (who isn't a plumber and isn't really named Joe) that they've forgotten Joe McCarthy and his ilk. I love my country and just because I'm smart enough to realize that it isn't perfect doesn't mean I love it less. And I resent the implication that it does.
Let's just hope that this wman doesn't get re-elected!
MsLilyBe....proud American (even without a lapel pin!)
Mattews missed opportunity to ask Bachmann if she thinks any particular ethnic or religious groups are more prone than others to 'anti-Americansm' and 'Liberalism'
He also missed the opportunity to ask her what exactly makes HER so undeniably "Pro-American".
I mean, I guess it's obvious that the act of calling someone else unpatriotic automatically means you are a patriot.
I'm gonna go be real patriotic tomorrow and call everyone I see "Anti-American"! That'll fix this economy!
Helix: Are you talking about Chris Matthews? .He is a MCCain hero worshipper and supporter.
He said on the RAchel Maddox show: the night of the Saddleback fake debate: ,"I cannot say anything about Sen.McCain because he is a war hero and I've met him several times and he never said anything about my only serving in the Peace Corp."
Read **Free Ride, McCain and the Media"** to understand McCain's hold over so many of our media. It's spelled POW.
"Im the King of the Castle and you`re the dirty rascals"
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