The Democrats Could've Handled the MoveOn Vote Strategically
The resolution condemning MoveOn.org for its Petraeus ad was a no-win proposition for the Democrats - so why did they allow it to come to a vote without calling Admiral Fallon to the stand? Democratic Senators were left with the choice of either attacking MoveOn or opening themselves up to cheap shots come election time.
It didn't have to be that way.
Instead, Senate Democrats could've taken this position: We can't judge the fairness or accuracy of the MoveOn ad until we hear from Gen. Petraeus' boss. The ad says Petraeus is a political general who shades the facts, and he deserves a fair hearing. So let's put his boss under oath and ask him these questions:
1. Did Gen. Petraeus level with the American people, in your opinion?
2. Do you find him to be truthful and honest, or politically motivated?
3. Did you tell the General that you think he's an "ass-kissing little chickenshit"? If so, why?
4. Do you believe that the so-called "Surge" is working?
5. Are improvements in Anbar Province related to the Surge?
6. In your opinion, do Gen. Petraeus' opinions on Iraq reflect those of the Joint Chiefs and most experienced military leaders?
7. Do you consider criticism of Gen. Petraeus "the same as criticizing our troops"?
This GOP maneuver provided the ideal opening for Dems to do what they should have done before. Petraeus is a mid-level general. Why did the Senate minority and the Administration get to pick him, rather than a higher-ranking officer, to present his skewed version of the facts?
Admiral Fallon's opinions on these questions are well known, and his answers would almost certainly have rendered the MoveOn resolution politically dead. The GOP would have objected to his testimony, of course, but the Dems could have answered: How can you ask us to vote without first hearing the facts?
Both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama tried, in their separate ways, to make the best of the situation. Sen. Clinton defending MoveOn from scapegoating, while Sen. Obama essentially said what many people were thinking: Don't you people have more important things to do?
Both responses have some merit, but they and other Democrats were forced to play a bad hand. Why are they letting the minority decide who testifies and what comes to a vote?
This situation could have, and should have, been handled strategically. It would have served the Democrats politically - but more importantly, it would have given the American people a chance to hear the unvarnished truth.
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Here's a list of the Democratic Senators who voted yes to condemn the MoveOn ad:
Baucus (MT)
Bayh (IN)
Cardin (MD)
Carper (DE)
Casey (PA)
Conrad (ND)
Dorgan (ND)
Feinstein(CA)
Johnson (SD)
Klobuchar(MN)
Kohl (WI)
Landrieu (LA)
Leahy (VT)
Lieberman(CT)
Lincoln (AR)
McCaskill(MO)
Mikulski (MD)
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor (AR)
Salazar (CO)
Tester (MT)
Webb (VA)
The ad said " WILL HE be General Petraeus or General Betray Us." Excuse me ?
Did the Republican Senate avoid 5th Grade grammar ?
WILL HE is a question, not a statement.
WILL HE means the General has a choice, and depending on his testamony,
he will be viewed as a man of honor, or as a man who sold out truth to politics.
Obviously, the ad spoke to inspire the General to keep Truth more important than politics, not to insult him.
The Republican " Condemnation" of Move On is a violation of the First Ammendment.
tacticly
Nice, sharp political thinking, RJ.
I think we need some REAL POLITICIANS, not the pandering cowards we have.
if there is one person out there, who hasn't heard of moveon.org , by throwing his temper fit, Bush made sure they did. Thank you Bush for the plug.
if there happens to be one person out there , who hasn't of moveon.org,Bush ,throwing his tantrum, made sure they did. Thanks for the plug .
The add is an advertisement. Maybe it is bad taste, depends from which political side you read it, but that's all it is. General Petraeyus, couldn't say that we were any safer than pre 9/11 He also explained the usual Bush rethoric. He is not an expert on guerilla/urban war fare and neither were his previous generals and staff. We have old , retired Generals at these war colleges, teaching warfare of the past. Most of them have no clue how to fight nightgowned bystanders with a cell phone in their hand, and an explosive belt around their navel.
My instincts tell me to counterattack. The militarists are enemies of free speech. Certainly the democrats could have blocked the vote and even done a true fillibuster talking on and on about the underlying issue-- the war itself. Too many are tricked into being "reasonable" and confirming points that later are used to accomplish the unreasonable. When are we going to wake up and see that the right is NOT acting in good faith.
Right again R.J.!
Bushie's pride was hurt. He protesth too loudly which means probably that the ad was right on target. Don't expect the Democrats to do anything timely about anything. That some voted to censor moveon is dispicable. They all are sucking up to the military brass/Gen.
How stupid of the Dems to allow this issue on the floor of Congress. First, the ad is no worse than what appears daily on Fox News.
More importantly, it exposes the incompetence and lack of commitment on the part of the Democratic leadership. Voters should demand a change in leadership in the new Democratic Congress. The net result of this circus should be a healthy anti-incumbant movement among voters in BOTH parties.
As for the 22 Dems who voted for censure, please join me in a three-fingered salute to these 'fine' leaders!
DAMN RIGHT they could have handled it differently.
they say moveon.orgg and dailykos" we need to SHOUT: "COULTER, HANNITY, OREILLY and MALKIN!"
instead of stammering and making excuses, would SOMEBODY please finally tell the truth.
THANK GOD for moveon.org. i suggest that EVERYBODY OPEN THEIR WALLETS and REALLY teach the wimpy arm of the democratic party a lesson they wont soon forget.
I'm really getting tired of the bait and switch Democratic party.
We are regularly treated to loads of promising sound bites only to watch as the Democrats continue move further and further to the policial right.
Someone recently wrote a piece about Democrats suffering from battered wives syndrom.
I think it's us, their ever dwindling constituency who are the battered ones.
Everyone is saying that "Liberals and lefties should vote only for Democrats, because voting for a third party candidate will give the election to the Republicans again ala Nader".
Perhaps that would be the best thing in the long run. It would send a long reverberating message to the professional politician's club.
We must be willing to suffer politically in the short term in order to gain the long term results this country desparately needs to survive.
Either way, no matter which candidate wins the presidency, we will have corporate ideology driving our politicial policies. Profit's must be taken at any any cost to our republic. So a few bridges collapse..
No matter which party wins the presidency we'll still have our "endless war" (the new military industrial corporate welfare), either way we are stuck expecting different results from the same rhetorists espousing the same actions.
It's time to let the "establishment" know that we can be patient, that we recognize our interests will not be represented any time in the near future and that we are willing to do the "hard work" to systematically replace our existing corrupt politicians.
Send your money to move-on, don't waste it on trying to effect a politician's campaign directly, you cannot compete with the likes of Bechtel or Haliburton. They will get all the cash they need from their pocketed politicians and their earmarking tax dollar kickback schemes.
We need to support groups like Move on now, more than ever if we ever want to see any accountability from the "politicla class".
I wish our democrats weren't so pessimistic. Learn from the pukes, you never hear them talk pessimistic. I mean not everything can be all bad. Why are so many democrats so bitter. Is it because a lot of them are have nots? or at least middle income? Get a grip. We have democrats that talk against their own. How sad is that. You never hear a republican rand and rave about their own party.The may say something because its convinient, but they always support their own.
The Democrats will always be open to cheap shots by the republicans no matter what they do. It's long past time for them to get over their fear of that and start standing for something.
Can we listen to you say " We support the troops" one more time?
Anyone for victory here ?
What is so amusing is that we do not even have a draft.
You all act as if your children are sitting around waiting to be shipped off.
You cant even get your protest right.
Let's never forget, you have the power of the purse, just de fund the war.
Let history record your brilliance
do you think it was NECESSARY for our national self-defense to start the war in iraq?
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Posted September 20, 2007 | 09:42 PM (EST)