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Democrat Desperation, Cutthroat Campaigning
Opinion Editorials ^ | September 6, 2004 | Joe Mariani

Posted on 09/06/2004 6:16:01 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

To murder character is as truly a crime as to murder the body: the tongue of the slanderer is brother to the dagger of the assassin. -- Tryon Edwards

The daggers and tongues are both unsheathed and ready for action, as the Democrats -- and their "mainstream" media mouthpieces -- are taking no prisoners this election year.

In a particularly malevolent editorial, Frank Rich of the New York Times writes, "Only in an election year ruled by fiction could a sissy who used Daddy's connections to escape Vietnam turn an actual war hero into a girlie-man." The vitriol continues: "Bush was fronted by a testosterone-heavy lineup led by a former mayor who did not dally to read a children's book on 9/11, a senator who served in the Hanoi Hilton rather than the 'champagne unit' of the Texas Air National Guard and a governor who can play the role of a warrior on screen more convincingly than can a former Andover cheerleader gallivanting on an aircraft carrier." Rich must have "forgotten" that Bush played Rugby, football, baseball and other sports, as his Yale transcript clearly shows. (Research, Frank!) He also (as do most Liberals) accuses FOX news of pimping for the Bush administration as well as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, with as much one-sided accuracy. According to Rich, Kerry is "a man's man." Frankly, I'm getting sick and tired of Democrats and Liberals casting aspersions on the National Guard, many of whom are currently serving so honorably in Afghanistan and Iraq, in their zeal to slander President Bush. And yes, the Air National Guard served in Vietnam, too.

Roger Cohen, also of the NY Times, wrings his hands over the European view that President Bush (in fact, the Republican party) seems "simplistic, even dangerous." His disdain for people who chant, "USA!, USA!, USA!" is palpable. "While the nations of Europe have quietly retired from history - at least the history of great national combats - and placed their faith in international institutions and laws," Cohen agonises, "the United States has entered upon another epic struggle that it sees as defining for the future of mankind." In a burst (well, continuing flow, actually) of self-regarding sophistication, he goes on to say, "Transformative upheaval is not the European thing these days: Been there, done that. So the Continent is worried." It's difficult to see how "international institutions and laws" did anything to protect hundreds of innocent men, women and children from a horrific attack on a Russian school by fanatical Muslim terrorists.

Trying desperately to push health care to the forefront of the election -- one of the two issues left, according to a recent Newsweek poll, in which Kerry still leads Bush -- a New York Times piece tells us "the office has become, for many, an echo chamber of angst." While drumming up fears about stress-related illness related to changing jobs too often, the piece touts Scandinavia's "centralised" health care system, otherwise known as socialised medicine. The article even warns that the expansion and growth of companies "might lead to poor health."

The Los Angeles Times castigates the President's plan to help more people take charge of their own lives. The traditional Democrat campaign of "Scaring the Vote" has begun. "If workers begin to view privatized Social Security accounts as the preferred vehicle for retirement savings, it might be easier to gradually scale back the traditional government-financed insurance pool, [unnamed Bush critics] said. If enough Americans open personal healthcare savings accounts, it might be easier for employers to scale back medical benefits and for government to reduce coverage under Medicare and Medicaid," the LA Times warns readers in a supposed news story. Haven't we heard the cry "the Republicans are going to steal your Social Security, Medicare and Welfare!" before?

In another "news" piece in the LA Times, an AP reporter actually tracked down some Vietnam veterans to praise John Kerry -- veterans from the other side of the war. "Kerry served in Vietnam and he was awarded the medal for his bravery," former Viet Cong soldier Duong Hoang Sinh said. "He deserves the medal." Of course, the reporter had to admit that "Sinh had never heard of Kerry." However, "[a]lthough Kerry may be worried about veterans' support in America, Sinh said he would vote any day for his former enemy over President Bush." Now that's a ringing endorsement.

These editorials and so-called "news" stories contain the "heart and soul," to borrow a phrase, of the Democratic party. One tactic is hurling vicious, unsubstantiated accusations at President Bush, hoping that some of the muck sticks. Another is openly begging Europe -- meaning France and Germany, mostly -- not to think too badly of us while this Bush guy is running the show (all the while insulting the countries that assisted us in Iraq as "a trumped-up, so-called coalition of the bribed, the coerced, the bought and the extorted." Now THAT'S diplomacy, Mr. Kerry!) Yet another is the usual campaign to scare people -- especially the elderly, the poor, and minorities -- into voting Democratic as a matter of survival. Is this the best answer they have -- to play on the fears of people, to scare them into voting for Kerry?

When did the Democrats become the reactionary party, and the Republicans the reformers? Yet that's what voters are faced with this year. President Bush is running his re-election campaign on a reform platform -- an unusual thing for an incumbent to do, to say the least. Bush's plans for a second term include reforming the tax code, Social Security, education, and health care (by creating health savings accounts). The Democrats under Kerry, as far as anyone can tell, plan to keep most things as they are, only throw more taxpayer money at them... and create huge new entitlements to increase cradle-to-grave government control over the individual. Kerry's planned repeal of tax cuts for everyone making over $200,000 a year would be disastrous for the economy, as those are the people who own the companies which create jobs for the rest of us. Moreover, the added tax revenue wouldn't come close to paying for any of his ambitious new entitlement programs. You can guess what that means.

One of Kerry's plans, for instance, amounts to offering tax breaks to companies that agree not to expand into the global market. (Protectionism, by any other name...) Bush's plan, on the other hand, is to create conditions that will make America the best place for companies to compete -- companies from around the world. As only 5.4% of eligible Americans are currently unemployed (according to the August 2004 Bureau of Labor Statistics report), companies will have to compete to attract workers... typically by offering higher salaries and more benefits. Kerry plans to spend your money to bribe companies not to compete elsewhere; Bush's plan encourages companies from around the world to spend foreign money here in America. No wonder the only ways the Democrats can combat President Bush's re-election are through fear and character assassination.

Those whose only source of information is the "mainstream" media must have been quite surprised to see President Bush show up for his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention sans horns, tail and pitchfork (perhaps John Ashcroft was holding that for him). The Democrats and their puppets in the media are going to have to work overtime for the next two months to convince the voters that he just keeps them well hidden.

http://guardian.blogdrive.com/archive/cm-09_cy-2004_m-09_d-05_y-2004_o-0.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bias; campaign; democrats; desperatedems; dirtytricks; kerry; lie; oldnews; spin
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1 posted on 09/06/2004 6:16:02 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: All
Angry Democrats mix despair with hope***Talk to Democrats almost anywhere, and you hear their desperation over this campaign. They want mightily to remove George Bush, but are experiencing a mixture of anger, terror and despair. Anger at the Republicans' lies about Kerry's record and their own. Terror over how well the Republican message resonates with other voters. And despair over Kerry's less than dynamic response. They can see the election slipping away if his campaign doesn't dramatically change course***
2 posted on 09/06/2004 6:17:07 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Only in an election year ruled by fiction could a sissy who used Daddy's connections to escape Vietnam

Yeah, right, Frank. W. was such a sissy that he had his father pull strings so that he could become a FIGHTER PILOT. Unlike Frank's macho hero, Al Gore, who had his father pull strings so he could become a JOURNALIST.

3 posted on 09/06/2004 6:18:27 AM PDT by John Thornton
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I think it's too late for changing course.


4 posted on 09/06/2004 6:23:13 AM PDT by cripplecreek (The economy won't matter if you're dead.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The Op-Ed of the Virginia Pilot, the Norfolk-VABeach-Chesapeake-Portsmouth-Suffolk and environs paper had an editorial this morning stating that only letters adhering to a specific form stated in this article would be printed.

They suggested that writers for Letters to the Editor check with publicagenda.org (Cyrus Vance), factcheck.org (Annenberg), ontheissues.org and vote-smart.org be checked before writing.

The above recommendations are two left-of-left groups and two entirely benign groups.

The papers are headed for meltdown if they don't think people are aware of this garbage. And yes, I've already let their editorial staff know what I think of their choices.


5 posted on 09/06/2004 6:23:22 AM PDT by OpusatFR (Let me repeat this: the web means never having to swallow leftist garbage again. Got it?)
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To: John Thornton; All
Rhetoric went unchallenged ("old news" couldn't shape the news)
6 posted on 09/06/2004 6:25:25 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

If there ever was the right time to expose the blatant media bias, it is NOW. We have the momentum, thanks to Zell Miller. We have to capitalize on it, big time.

Remember, the sheeple have a very short memory. Some of this mud will stick. We need to get after Fox News. It is our only hope to expose them. WE NEED TAKING POINTS. They work.


7 posted on 09/06/2004 6:37:25 AM PDT by sarasotarepublican
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Moral equivilence run amok. There is not one single acknowledgement of right and wrong on these moral morons.


8 posted on 09/06/2004 6:38:46 AM PDT by tkathy (There will be no world peace until all thuggocracies are gone from the earth.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Oh My.. rofl.. this spewage vitriol from Dem MSM hacks is delicious. These aren't the angry "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it!" people -- these are the Faye Dunaways..


9 posted on 09/06/2004 6:38:48 AM PDT by Alia
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To: cripplecreek
I think it's too late for changing course.

Maybe not. We need to wake up the Bush Team. The more coherent and serious we sound, the more exposed they become.

10 posted on 09/06/2004 6:40:57 AM PDT by sarasotarepublican
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Wonder what Frank Rich's military record looks like.

And I bet he was the punk kid in the school yard always getting "abused" by the other children - both boys & girls.


11 posted on 09/06/2004 6:42:34 AM PDT by Pittsburg Phil
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Frank Rich of the New York Times writes, "Only in an election year ruled by fiction could a sissy who used Daddy's connections to escape Vietnam turn an actual war hero into a girlie-man."

There are more sissies per square yard in the New York Times building than there are in Greenwich Village transvestite bars.

12 posted on 09/06/2004 6:43:44 AM PDT by demlosers (57 days left until the Kerry campaign is put out of its misery.)
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To: Pittsburg Phil

Frank Rich hates real men, but he loves to sniff their jockey straps.


13 posted on 09/06/2004 6:46:19 AM PDT by demkicker
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To: demlosers

"The Old Gay Lady."


14 posted on 09/06/2004 6:53:07 AM PDT by John Thornton
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

WARNING: With Dubya on the upswing at Labor Day, expect the Dems to get VERY rough and dirty over the next two months. Remember the "discovery" of W's drunk driving arrest days before the 2000 election? Imagine that, but doubled in nastiness.


15 posted on 09/06/2004 6:54:23 AM PDT by Kerfuffle
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I'd like to see Frank Rich, the son of bitch who pretends to be a writer for the sissy newspaper in New York, strapped in the one-chair cockpit of an F-102 as he lights the fire, as George W. Bush did on many occasions. The F-102 is not a sissy airplane as more than 70 GOOD pilots "W's" age died in them (and not in battle).

Fighter aircraft of that vintage could only be flown by trained professionals with a pair of balls and who stayed current by frequent flying. Those aircraft were fully capable of killing their pilots at a second's notice and the men who flew them knew that.

Unlike writing for the New York times, flying the F-102 required testosterone.

16 posted on 09/06/2004 7:00:50 AM PDT by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
This is an email I received this morning ... from (a seldom seen or spoke to) friend of 30 years. We used to work together and still have a few frinds in common. This person is rabidly democratic. When I send her the other side of the story she always fires back her own version of what has made this country great ... democrats ...

Get a copy of click here --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BuzzFlash.com Citizens For Honest Fighter Pilots Looks Forward To Seeing Ben Barnes on Upcoming 60 Minutes Program

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Evelyn Pringle

I now understand why the Bush camp went to such extreme lengths to smear Kerry's military service record. It was an attempt to overshadow the scandal that was set to be revealed about Bush and the Air National Guard.

It now appears that the release this week of a video of Ben Barnes talking about being ashamed of helping Bush get into the Guard was a mere prelude of things to come.

Citizens for Honest Fighter Pilots has learned that 60 Minutes is set to reveal how in 1968, Bush got Ben Barnes to ask the head of the Texan Air National Guard, General James Rose, to give Bush a spot in the pilot-training program which would automatically excuse him from the draft and allow him to avoid service in Vietnam.

This alone is not necessarily new information. The real scandal comes from the revelation that Bush later allowed a company to keep a lucrative Texas state contract in exchange for Barnes' remaining silent about helping Jr get into the guard.

Like in Bribe with a capital B.

To many of us this is not necessarily a new story. However, I predict that new details will be revealed. Basically because I don't believe 60 Minutes would feature an old worn-out story without some new and interesting details of proof to back it up.

Bush should never have attacked Kerry's war record and enraged Kerry supporters (like me for instance). The smarter plan would have been to set up the Swiftvets to go after Kerry just like they did, and then make a huge dramatic show of condemning their conduct and hope that the democrats would show Jr the same consideration if and when the story came out.

The funniest part of it all, is that it probably would have worked.

Rove must be slipping. Why didn't he think of that?

Evelyn Pringle
Founder of Citizens for Honest Fighter Pilots
Miamisburg, OH A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

The Citizens for Honest Fighter Pilots Compendium

************************************************************

This stuff just infuriates me. How in the world do the people that think like this live with themselves? It is a pitiful state to be in ...

17 posted on 09/06/2004 7:26:03 AM PDT by Countyline
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
and here is another email from this morning ... sounds like hate to me.

> August 26, 2004 > > It Takes Real Courage to Desert Your Post and Then Attack a Wounded > Vet

> > Dear Mr. Bush,
> > I know you and I have had our differences in the past, and I realize I > am the one who started this whole mess about "who did what" during > Vietnam when I brought up that "deserter" nonsense back in January. But > I have to hand it to you on what you have uncovered about John Kerry and > his record in Vietnam. Kerry has tried to pass himself off as a war > hero, but thanks to you and your friends, we now know the truth. >

> First of all, thank you for pointing out to all of us that Mr. Kerry > was never struck by a BULLET. It was only SHRAPNEL that entered his > body! I did not know that! Hell, what's the big deal about a bunch of > large, sharp, metal shards ripping open your flesh? That happens to all > of us! In my opinion, if you want a purple heart, you'd better be hit > with a bullet -- with your name on it!

> > Secondly, thank you for sending Bob Dole out there and letting us know > that Mr. Kerry, though wounded three times, actually "never spilled > blood." When you are in the debates with Kerry, turn to him and say, > "Dammit, Mr. Kerry, next time you want a purple heart, you better spill > some American red blood! And I don't mean a few specks like those on > O.J.'s socks -- we want to see a good pint or two of blood for each > medal. In fact, I would have preferred that you had bled profusely, a > big geyser of blood spewing out of your neck or something!" Then throw > this one at him: "Senator Kerry, over 58,000 brave Americans gave their > lives in Vietnam -- but YOU didn't. You only got WOUNDED! What do you > have to say for yourself???" Lay that one on him and he won't know what > to do.

> > And thanks, also, Mr. Bush, for exposing the fact that Mr. Kerry might > have actually WOUNDED HIMSELF in order to get those shiny medals. Of > course he did! How could the Viet Cong have hit him -- he was on a SWIFT > boat! He was going too fast to be hit by enemy fire. He tried to blow > himself up three different times just so he could go home and run for > president someday. It's all so easy to see, now, what he was up to.

> > What would we do without you, Mr. Bush? Criticize you as we might, when > it comes to pointing out other men's military records, there is no one > who can touch your prowess. In 2000, you let out the rumor that your > opponent John McCain might be "nuts" from the 5 years he spent in a POW > camp. Then, in the 2002 elections, your team compared triple-amputee > Sen. Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden, and that cost him the election. And > now you are having the same impact on war hero John Kerry. Since you > (oops, I mean "The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth!") started running > those ads, Kerry's polls numbers have dropped (with veterans, he has > lost 18 points in the last few weeks).

> > Some people have said "Who are you, Mr. Bush, to attack these brave men > considering you yourself have never seen combat -- in fact, you actively > sought to avoid it." What your critics fail to understand is that even > though your dad got you into a unit that would never be sent to Vietnam > -- and even though you didn't show up for Guard duty for at least a year > -- at least you were still IN FAVOR of the Vietnam War! Cowards like > Clinton felt it was more important to be consistent (he opposed the war, > thus he refused to go) than to be patriotic and two-faced. >

> The reason that I think you know so much about other men's war wounds > is because, during your time you in the Texas Air National Guard, you > suffered so many of them yourself. Consider the paper cut you received > on September 22, 1972, while stationed in Alabama, working on a Senate > campaign for your dad's friend (when you were supposed to be on the > Guard base). A campaign brochure appeared from nowhere, ambushing your > right index finger, and blood trickled out onto your brand new argyle > sweater.

> > Then there was the incident with the Crazy Glue when your fraternity > brothers visited you one weekend at the base and glued your lips > together while you were "passed out." Though initially considered > "friendly fire," it was later ruled that you suffered severe post > traumatic stress disorder from the assault and required certain > medicinal attention -- which, it seems, was provided by those same > fraternity brethren.

> > But nothing matched your heroism when, on July 2, 1969, you sustained a > massive head injury when enemy combatants from another Guard unit > dropped a keg of Coors on your head during a reconnaissance mission at a > nearby all-girls college. Fortunately, the cool, smooth fluids that > poured out of the keg were exactly what was needed to revive you.

> > That you never got a purple heart for any of these incidents is a > shame. I can fully appreciate your anger at Senator Kerry for the three > he received. I mean, Kerry was a man of privilege, he could have gotten > out just like you. Instead, he thinks he's going to gain points with the > American people bragging about how he was getting shot at every day in > the Mekong Delta. Ha! Is that the best he can do? Hell, I hear gunfire > every night outside my apartment window! If he thinks he is going to > impress anyone with the fact that he volunteered to go when he could > have spent the Vietnam years on the family yacht, he should think again. > That only shows how stupid he was! True-blue Americans want a president > who knows how to pull strings and work the system and get away with > doing as little work as possible!

> > So, to make it up to you, I have written some new ads you can use on > TV. People will soon tire of the swift boat veterans and you are going > to need some fresh, punchier material. Feel free to use any of these:

> > ANNOUNCER: "When the bullets were flying all around him in Vietnam, > what did John Kerry do? He said he leaned over the boat and 'pulled a > man out of the river.' But, as we all know, men don't live in the river > -- fish do. John Kerry knows how to tell a big fish tale. What he won't > tell you is that when the enemy was shooting at him, he ducked. Do you > want a president who will duck? Vote Bush."

> > ANNOUNCER: "Mr. Kerry's biggest supporter, Sen. Max Cleland, claims to > have lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam. But he still has one arm! How > did that happen? One word: Cowardice. When duty called, he was unwilling > to give his last limb. Is that the type of selfishness you want hanging > out in the White House? We think not. Vote for the man who would be > willing to give America his right frontal lobe. Vote Bush."

> > Hope these help, Mr. Bush. And remember, when the American death toll > in Iraq hits 1,000 during the Republican convention, be sure to question > whether those who died really did indeed "die" -- or were they just > trying to get their face on CNN's nightly tribute to fallen heroes? The > sixteen who've died so far this week were probably working hand in hand > with the Kerry campaign to ruin your good time in New York. Stay > consistent, sir, and always, ALWAYS question the veracity of anyone who > risks their life for this country. It's the least they deserve.

> > Yours,

> > Michael Moore
> mmflint@aol.com
> www.michaelmoore.com

> > > PS. George, I know you said you don't read the newspaper, but USA Today > has given me credentials to the Republican convention to write a guest > column each day next week (Tues.-Fri.).

If you don't want to read it, > you and I will be in the same building so maybe I could come by and read > it to you? Lemme know...

18 posted on 09/06/2004 7:35:44 AM PDT by Countyline
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority
Well said.

It took a large set and a lot of skill to keep from getting killed in one of these things. Flying fighter aircraft was (is) not a pursuit for the faint-hearted. There was a high mortality rate.

Rich, like most Liberals, is an ignorant, vicious little sissy.

19 posted on 09/06/2004 7:38:08 AM PDT by Gritty ("In this war, you can't hold the line against the next depravity" - Mark Steyn)
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To: Countyline
Basically because I don't believe 60 Minutes would feature an old worn-out story without some new and interesting details of proof to back it up.

Oh, yeah, right. This story was old in *2000* yet the media hasn't hesitated to regurgitate it over and over and over. Why? Because they will do ANYTHING to get Kerry in the White House.

20 posted on 09/06/2004 7:51:01 AM PDT by John Thornton
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