Craven Fools
Craven fools. The 22 Democrats and supposed Republican moderates who paid homage to the right-wing slander machine by voting to disavow Moveon.org yesterday once more demonstrated why they're considered sunshine patriots who can't be trusted when things get tough.
This isn't anything new. Republicans, stuck with defending an unpopular president intent on continuing the worst foreign policy debacle in U.S. history, look for ways to distract. Moveon.org published an ad with an unfortunate title — "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" — but correctly indicting Gen. David Petraeus, the ambitious political general wired to the White House spinners, of cooking the books on Iraq. The Republicans revved up their attack machine, enlisting everyone from Rush Limbaugh to the shameless president, who disgracefully charged that the "Democrat Party" is more afraid of "irritating a left-wing group like Moveon.org" ... than "the United States military."
We've seen this before. This is a patented right-wing ploy. They grab on to a random event, inflate it into a national scandal, intimidate the media, and chuckle as Democrats fall for it. The Republican attack squad in 2004 turned a butchered joke by Sen. John Kerry into a measure of Democratic hatred of the military, and the entire Democratic establishment turned on Kerry. They've libeled Moveon for years because one of thousands of participants in a 30-second ad campaign contest submitted an entry comparing Bush to Hitler. Now, they get 22 Democrats in the Senate and the supposedly independent Republican moderates to line up and waste time passing a resolution condemning Moveon for its newspaper ad. They do this only to prove one thing - that Democrats are too spineless to stand up even for their allies. That they will cut and run at the first sign of fire.
Why would Democrats do this? One hapless aide suggested that they were fearful of the electoral consequences of not disavowing Moveon. Pathetic. Republicans are using filibusters to block majority support for ending Bush's disastrous venture in Iraq, to deny soldiers the guarantee of basic home rotations vital to their mental health and military training, to block restoration of basic habeas corpus rights, to block empowering Medicare to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs for seniors. They are defending an occupation that has cost 30,000 U.S. casualties and nearly $1 trillion while isolating us from our allies, emboldening our enemies and providing a recruiting boon to a reconstituted al Qaeda. They are wedded to a casino economy that doesn't work for most Americans. They are responsible for so disemboweling our regulatory agencies that our children and pets are being poisoned by deadly imports. Their legislative caucus has made closeted corruption and hypocrisy their trademark. And Democrats are worried about a newspaper ad? Would you want these quails in your foxhole?
Of the presidential candidates, senators Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd sensibly stood up and voted against. Joe Biden and Barack Obama didn't vote, Obama describing his absence as a "protest against this empty politics." Liberals in the Senate weren't much better. Led by Barbara Boxer, they wrote their own version balancing disavowal of "an unwarranted personal attack" on Petraeus with criticism for Republicans for Swift Boating Kerry. That garnered the votes of senators Clinton and Obama, raising doubts about Hillary's claim that she knows how to stand up and fight the right, and concerns that Obama's call for a new bipartisanship may involve more retreat than reform.
It doesn't matter what you think of the Moveon.org ad or title. Individually Democratic politicians can say whatever they like. But we're trying to end a foreign policy catastrophe in Iraq. People are getting killed. Billions are being squandered. Our security is being eroded; our military weakened. Minority Republicans are blocking majority support for bringing the troops home. They are denying troops a guarantee of decent home rotations. That Senate Democrats would allow them to consume the time and the attention of the Senate and hijack that debate to vote for criticizing an ad by an independent group is simply craven and foolish.
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Some here have said "no balls", I would characterize the dems who voted for the Moveon censure and the strategy in general as no brains. The republicans are disciplined, will allow nothing meaningful to pass, will introduce nonsense measures like this, and then claim it is a do nothing Congress. For Democrats to join them, voting for anything is the height of stupidity. A senile old fart like Warner or Spector will talk bipartisan once in awhile, then go back to the rubber stamp. You can't make nice with these people, they will politely knife you as soon as you turn your back. If the Democrats don't wise up they will lose their strongest most vocal supporters. Jim from Mass
Right wing faux outrage. I've even spotted 'enraged' TV pundits start giggling because they just couldn't keep up the facade on-camera. And the Dems always cringe in response. That's why I want to see a little 'left-wing' creep back into the Democratic party. A least left wing's still got some balls to it.
Why couldn't Reid or other Dems prevented this motion from getting to the floor in the first place? It seems like the Dems don't have anyone as good with the Congressional rules as the Republicans do. Why is this?
MoveOn.org is in our camp. When was the last time you saw Bush or any politician attack Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, The Swiftboaters, or Bill O'Reilly? Yet, all of them have done over the top outrageous things.
You see, you stupid Dems, you fight and protect your rear flank you don't condemn them. They are your constituents. They are the ones that are going to vote for you, support you, and send you money? You don't betray them. You don't censure them. You respond to the Republican ploy by attacking them for attacking Kerry, and all the other veterans they have slandered. That's how you respond. That way and no other way. What in the heck is wrong with all of you. Fire your consultants, get some guts, and stand up and stand tall for once.
dems are "tailists". leaders who lag behind those they are supposed to be leading. Seems to me the people are in the vanguard here.
I'm sure the Republicans are chortling and laughing everytime the scaredy cats fall for their ploys but what can you do? The Democrats are timid, scared, afraid, and weak. They demonstrate it over and over again. The price of their lack of courage is that they are destroying hope within their constituents and the country at large that there is anybody who cares enough to stand up to the brown shirt mentality of Bush and Co.
Good post -- one correction --
The Kerry "joke" was in 2006, not 2004.
MoveOn.org has nothing to do with anything. They have a right to make their feelings and thoughts known, and there was nothing wrong with that ad. Why? Because as Notpreznitbush will tell you, it's a free country, and while he is doing nothing to protect its' freedom with his war in Iraq, we still have the right to exercise free speech, no matter what we think of it. Borosage is right. What were the democrats doing condemning an ad? Why did they fall for the trap the neocons created for them? Why didn't those cowards simply turn their backs on the ad and move on? That was all they had to do, plain and simple. Ads do nothing for me, they don't sway me one way or the other, they don't help me form my opinions of the most important matters in this country. Unlike those rabid strange rightwing evangelical voters. Now, if you want to lay blame somewhere, why not there? It is they who put Notpreznitbush in the White House, they who were hoodwinked by an entire group of pols who not only used and abused them but hate them! Now that simply fascinates me no end, it really does. Cardin et al, is there something seriously wrong with you? You're from Maryland? I credit Marylanders as having more spine than that, you better get one, lol, or I have a real threat for you. Not voting you back in. How's that? Who you gonna pay attention to now? Whole freaking lot of idiots!
ALL I CAN SAY IS WELL PUT _ PLEASE SEND TO ALL THE WEAK SPINED DEMOCRATS WHO BOUGHT THIS HORSE AND PONY SHOW!
The manipulation of public sentiment--as evidenced by the Senate resolution and by the president’s press conference comments about MoveOn.org and the Democratic Party--lies at the very heart of the White House’s entire Iraq war enterprise. For those interested in a psychological analysis of this warmongering, I have recently completed a 10-minute online video entitled "Resisting the Drums of War." It examines how the Bush administration's messaging has targeted five core concerns that often govern our lives--concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. Looking ahead, the continuing occupation of Iraq--or an attack on Iran--will likely be sold to us in much the same way. The video examines these warmongering appeals and how to counter them. It's available for viewing at http://www
The Democratic Party is ineffectual, which is why I have joined the Socialist Party - at least they have cojones. I urge every liberal democratic to also join Socialists.
shrub says, "democratic party" and none of them rises to challenge this jackass. The repugs just kick sand in these wimps faces. Dump the losers.
Btw, "Go moveon.org!" (you guys have a pair, unlike most of the Dems)
Democrats 1995 to 2006: "We can't get anything done because we're in the minority."
Democrats 2007: "We can't get anything done be cause we're in the majority."
I think the other reason (besides being spineless) that these 22 voted against free speech was the fact that liberal /progressive groups are attacking DLC types or “republican lites” which they should, and DC Elite is starting to worry.
And just to show of my support for moveon I gave them some money, and suggest anyone else who can do it to do that. These days money talks much louder then blogging about it.
Whether you agree with Move On's ad or not, they have a right to publish it. It's called the 1st Amendment. Free speech. The Senate just voted to condemn free speech. Sickening.
I know the republicans don't understand what irony is, and it's been repeated here over and over again, but it warrants saying at least 1000 more times.
Faux news constantly scrolls crawls across their screen with unsubstantiated 'facts' followed by a question mark, then when called out on it, the standard quote is "We didn't SAY IT.... we were asking a question"
So how is the MoveOn ad any different? Just asking a question!
Of course, anyone with a brain has already thought of this.... which exclude the Faux News faithful, and apparently a majority of congress.
I am truly discusted both by the fact that this resolution was even brought up in our 'highest' house of legislation, and that the 'majority party' voted for it!!
When will these people understand that they are representing US, and that WE don't approve of the war????
well, as usual,the demos have done it again. they have lost me to the independents. why are they wasting precious time on this stupid shit when they could have been investigating what alan greenspan said about the real reason for this war? they slay me!
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