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Andrew Sullivan: THE LEWINSKY PATH
andrewsullivan.com ^ | 02/12/04 | Andrew Sullivan

Posted on 02/12/2004 4:52:48 PM PST by Pokey78

I'm beginning to worry that the Republicans might be behind this smear-job on Kerry. So does a reader:

"Well, this may be it. As a life-long Republican, I have defended my party and its leaders through thick and thin over the years, but I don't know if I can do it any longer. I voted for Reagan in 1984 (my first Presidential election), despite my misgivings about the rising influence of the Religious Right and my displeasure at the ludicrous budget deficits, because of his moral clarity on the issue of Communism. I voted for Bush Sr. in '88 and '92, and for Dole in '96. Both were serious men, deserving of respect. Nevertheless, I was disgusted by the conduct of my party in the 1990s, vis-a-vis the Clinton scandals. That man has no moral compass, in my opinion, but the debased and lurid tone of the Republican attacks was reprehensible. The further intrusion of the Religious Right into the private lives of the American people, including the President, was not what I signed on for when I joined the Republican party.

When 2000 rolled around, and the "Clinton Wars" finally seemed to be behind us, I breathed an enormous sigh of relief. I was not overly impressed with George W. Bush (I voted for McCain in the primaries), but I was confident that the "grown ups" in the party would steer a responsible course for the ship of state. That has obviously not happened. The budget deficits are nigh unforgivable, and though I agree entirely with the vision of the President's foreign policy, the diplomatic execution has been, shall we say, somewhat less impressive than his father's. Further, the proposal to reverse the course of history and once again enshrine discrimination in our Constitution via the Gay Marriage Amendment, about which you have spoken quite eloquently, almost makes me embarassed to admit I'm a Republican. This is what the party of Lincoln has come to?

Now, after all this, it appears that the conservative/Republican diaspora is preparing yet another round of peeping-tom character assassination rather than a substantive debate on the very important issues our country actually faces, using Drudge as its point-man. I just can't take it anymore. I realize the feelings of one person are irrelevant in political calculations at this level, but if the Republicans really do take us back down the Lewinsky path, this is one vote they will most assuredly be losing in November."
I agree. If the Republicans are behind this, they deserve to be trashed. This is absolutely not something that deserves to be a factor in our current debate.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; andrewsullivan; andrewsullivanlist; davidbrock; johnkerry; kerry
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To: thoughtomator
Sullivan is clueless.

Something other than Sullivan's brain was at work here...

61 posted on 02/12/2004 5:28:27 PM PST by independentmind
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To: Pokey78
I think Andrew has smoked one too many sausages.

Whatta DUmmy.
62 posted on 02/12/2004 5:29:43 PM PST by jwfiv
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To: July 4th
Besides, it was Clark who leaked the story. Why would anybody on the repub side of the isle tell Clark anything ..??

The "it's Bush's fault" just won't fly here!
63 posted on 02/12/2004 5:30:17 PM PST by CyberAnt (The 2004 Election is for the SOUL of AMERICA)
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To: Pokey78
The Kerry story is intenecine warfare, not Republican instigated. What this attack by Sullivan actually means is that he is going to campaign hard against the president because the president refuses to bend over for him. Sullivan is a ONE ISSUE intellectual. Never forget it.
64 posted on 02/12/2004 5:32:29 PM PST by beckett
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To: thucydides
The "I was a lifelong republican..."

How many of us can say this ? I know I cannot. I was raised to hate republicans.

65 posted on 02/12/2004 5:33:09 PM PST by VRWC_minion (Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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To: depresso
Because there aren't any reporters there?
66 posted on 02/12/2004 5:36:27 PM PST by GeronL (www.ArmorforCongress.com ............... Support a FReeper for Congress)
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To: cyncooper
Bet Andy enjoys being smacked!
67 posted on 02/12/2004 5:39:14 PM PST by karenbarinka (an enemy of Mel Gibson is an enemy of Christ)
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To: Pokey78
I agree. If the Republicans are behind this, they deserve to be trashed. This is absolutely not something that deserves to be a factor in our current debate.

Excuse me! What garbage! This girl friend thing was either thought up by the Clintons, or it is being touted by the Democrats to cover up something else evil Kerry has done that they don't want the public to dwell on.

Anyway, the Republicans don't have the guts to play this dirty.

68 posted on 02/12/2004 5:42:52 PM PST by swampfox98 (Beyond 2004 - Chaos)
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To: CyberAnt
Andrew Sullivan has zero credibility. It was REPORTED for Godsakes that Clark sparked the revelation that had been around for years. Why do WE know that and Sullivan doesn't know the sequence or worse, lies about it?
69 posted on 02/12/2004 5:46:23 PM PST by Carolinamom
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To: cyncooper; diotima
Well, I got a response from Sullivan:

I emailed him:

How kind of you to automatically blame the GOP for the Kerry story; I guess you missed Craig Crawford's MEMO today, huh?

And he wrote me back a snippy little note:

i didn't do that.
can you read?
andrew

And so I wrote him back:

Yes, I can read.

Does

"I'm beginning to worry that the Republicans might be behind this smear-job on Kerry."

mean something I don't know?

There's absolutely NO HINT that the GOP is behind this.
70 posted on 02/12/2004 5:48:51 PM PST by Howlin
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To: Howlin
That was clearly a seminar e-mailer...
71 posted on 02/12/2004 5:55:49 PM PST by diotima (FREE THE MIRANDA MEMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: VadeRetro
I agree. I want to see his voter precinct card.
72 posted on 02/12/2004 5:56:42 PM PST by AuntB (End all entitlements EXCEPT the military.)
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To: Williams
"Fasten your seat belts"

I don't think I can live through all that whining again. I hate election years.....and I do mean YEARS. It never ends!

73 posted on 02/12/2004 6:03:51 PM PST by AuntB (End all entitlements EXCEPT the military.)
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To: Pokey78
Sullivan is using this as the way to pave his switch to liberal/Dem politics. Pretty weak, too, I might add.

He was never a conservative from the get-go. I liked some of his articles, but like most homosexuals, his sexual addiction has overcome his intellectual and common sense.

74 posted on 02/12/2004 6:21:38 PM PST by PLK
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To: Pokey78
I'd tell Andrew Sullivan the leak didn't come from us, it came from the Clintons or whoever inside the Democratic Party has it in for Kerry. And you can take that to the bank.
75 posted on 02/12/2004 6:23:18 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Uncle Hal
So Eisenhower was a scumbag?
76 posted on 02/12/2004 6:28:12 PM PST by Destro (Know your enemy! Help fight Islamic terrorism by visiting www.johnathangaltfilms.com)
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To: Pokey78
I tend to agree. I do not want to see Americans engaged discussisng 24/7 until November the alleged dubious regard that Senator Kerry seems to hold his marriage vows. I'm personally sick and tired of having our tax money used for such investigations and more so paying for the salaries of our elected officials who seem to have problems keeping their pants and/or pantyhose on when they aren't with their wives/husbands.

The truth is this is not the 90's. President Bush is practicing a NEW POLITICAL TONE, which means IMHO, abstinance from trying to screw your political opponents. They seem to do enough of that on their own.

Do you remember under the Clinton Era, Clinton, his administration, and FOB's spoke of this well-financed organization that was out to destroy his presidency because they were angry that Clinton won, even though the people voted him in? As you recall, Clinton's wife, without an ounce of shame, named it "The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy". Mrs. Clinton's fictional VRWC became the invented enemy, that they could blame, ridicule and marginalize. All great fodder for the airwaves and cable networks. This allowed Clinton's other more critical transgressions become less of the focus of news.

President Bush, nor his administration, nor his FOG's (Friends of George) has spoken negatively about Democrats. Mrs. Bush has not gone on the Today Show with Matt Lauer and talk unabashedly about a vicious, well-financed organization that has been angry ever since her husband won the presidency and are out to destroy him, and call it "The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy".

President Bush seeks to reach out to everyone, including hard-working illegal aliens, Ted Kennedy and the "religion of peace". He's never blames, or ridicules, or denigrates his political opponents, but resolutely forges onwards.

You see, his new tone is for all Americans. He does not treat us, or certain groups as his enemies. The Clintons did. They sought to divide and disturb, and agitate the people constantly.

But, President Bush has clearly and emphatically defined who the enemy is and his "New Political Tone" carries resoundingly well because he is not just talking about the "evil doers", he is doing something about it, and that new tone can be heard loud and clear.

So, I agree, I'd rather press Kerry on hiw political activities and direction he wishes he could take us if he were elected President. Focusing now on some cheap and tawdry relationship he had with a woman other than his wife will not stop al Quaeda from threatening our nation, our lives, our heritage, and most of all our children, our future.

In closing, we need to evaluate the character of our elected officials and their allegiance to their vows, marriage and our great Constitution.

Enough said.

77 posted on 02/12/2004 6:58:19 PM PST by harpo11 (Hey, We're Fighting the Dem Cong!)
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To: Pokey78
Andrew Sullivan is losing his mind.
78 posted on 02/12/2004 7:00:56 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Pokey78
Sullivan had a real problem with the Lewinsky thing, and all the alleged "privacy violations" it entailed. Here's why -- a few years ago, gay activists outed him as running a personals ad where he was looking for another HIV-positive partner to have condom-free, unsafe sex with. He then equated himself with what Clinton was going through, and has had a real problem with any of these sex stories as being violations of privacty. So, as usual, it's all about Andrew -- the personal is the political. Good riddance.
79 posted on 02/12/2004 7:02:42 PM PST by NYCVirago
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To: Pokey78
I agree. If the Republicans are behind this, they deserve to be trashed. This is absolutely not something that deserves to be a factor in our current debate.

Andrew Sullivan is a very intelligent man. Unfortunately, no matter how inconsistent, every interest of his is subordinate to his personal desire for guilt-free, socially accepted, homosexual relations. He therefore supports all kinds of heterosexual bad conduct, so that homosexuality seems tame by comparison.

80 posted on 02/12/2004 7:05:52 PM PST by Snuffington
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