Posted on 02/10/2005 2:38:00 PM PST by Pharmboy
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats demanded Thursday that President Bush order a halt to personal attacks on the party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid, and expressed regret they had failed to mount a stronger defense for his defeated predecessor. "This is a new Democratic party," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference called to release a letter telling Bush to muzzle his "political operatives."
"...It says to the president, 'you will not intimidate us'," added Schumer, who likened the attacks on Reid to political knee-cappings.
The letter itself was written in milder terms. "We urge you to keep your word about being a uniter and publicly halt these counter-productive attacks so that we are able to work together in a bipartisan manner and debate issues on the merits," it says.
Bush and the White House have denied responsibility for the attacks.
But Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, ridiculed that assertion, as Reid did earlier in the week.
"This is the Abu Ghraib defense, that a few renegade soldiers are responsible for their own behavior and the commanders are not accountable," said Durbin, second in the leadership behind Reid. His remarks were a reference to claims by military officials that a few low-ranking enlisted personnel were responsible for the shocking conditions at a U.S.-run prison in Iraq.
The letter to Bush was signed by all the Senate's Democrats except Reid, as well as Sen. James Jeffords, an independent from Vermont.
Reid was named to succeed the defeated Tom Daschle as party leader in December and quickly was attacked as an obstructionist by both the Republican National Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee.
The RNC distributed a 13-page compilation of criticisms, dissecting Reid's voting record and accusing him of obstructing Bush's agenda over the years. One portion of the document notes that the Nevada lawmaker lives in a costly condominium when he is in Washington - a point that Democrats said has no bearing on policy disputes with the White House.
The attacks are reminiscent of the treatment Daschle received for many months while he was Senate Democratic leader. He lost a re-election campaign in South Dakota last fall, and although Durbin said he and others had defended Daschle from GOP criticism, "we should have done more."
Reid, who did not attend the news conference, said twice this week that Bush could not credibly claim he wasn't behind attacks that were circulated by a party apparatus under his control.
Ironically, Reid and his wife were dinner guests at the White House on Monday night. The senator said Bush had told him he was not behind the attacks.
In addition to sending the letter to Bush, Democrats sought to use the issue as a party-building tool for the 2006 elections.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Schumer, sought signatures for an online petition asking Bush to renounce the attacks.
I didn't, but someone at the RNC obviously did!
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats demanded Thursday that President Bush order a halt to personal attacks on the party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid, and expressed regret they had failed to mount a stronger defense for his defeated predecessor. "This is a new Democratic party," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference called to release a letter telling Bush to muzzle his "political operatives."The Incredible Shrinking Democrat Party!
Wise decision.
Chuck Schumer "This is the Abu Ghraib defense."
What the absolute fu--? Maybe Chuck wasn't paying attention to Graner's trial, where not one witness could testify that he was ordered to abuse prisoners.
To use a US military scandal for political points against Bush is just absolutely disgusting. What a contemptible, pathetic political party.
Must be working. We need to double it up.
If one can't stand the heat, get out of the senate.
If one can't stand on his own voting record, get out of the senate.
If one can't stand on his own two feet, get out of the senate.
If one is not capable of being an adult, get out of the senate. Senate doesn't need a crybaby!!
Let's see. Let me get out my democrat to English dictionary. Thumbing through the pages.... Here we go - "Political Kneecapping"
"Political Kneecapping: To have your stupid liberal voting record aired in public. See also "Did I Cast Those Votes?""
LOL!! On the money...I hope they put out a similar piece on Chuckie.
Bush will do that just as soon as the Dems get MoveOn to stop their ads.
....in jail.
I think I'm starting to see the wisdom of BreckBoi's constant absence during his Senate career. If you never show up to vote, no one can throw your voting record back at you! ;)
I think the V.P.'s response to senator Leahey on the Senate floor would be perfect here.
The current Democrats in Congress are the worst assortment of freaks and perverts I've seen since the bar scene in STAR WARS!
note to RATS:...we are just getting warmed up!
He wouldn't know a politickle knee capping from a politickle castration!!!
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