Democrats: Bush Shouldn't Doubt Their Patriotism

[Judi Lynn]

Democrats: Bush Shouldn't Doubt Their Patriotism
Sat December 13, 2003 11:22 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats said on Saturday the Bush administration should not question the patriotism of those who disagree with its policies, reinforcing criticism that the White House strives to quell dissent.
Senate Democratic Whip Harry Reid cataloged several cases where congressional Democrats had resisted President Bush's proposals this year -- including an energy bill, Iraq reconstruction money and administration efforts to change overtime pay rules.

Reid said it was never wrong to stand up for what one believes, even when in the minority, as Democrats are -- although narrowly -- in both houses of Congress.

"I believe the voice of dissent is often the true voice of democracy," Reid, of Nevada, said in the Democrats' weekly radio address.

"I have to say, I'm troubled by the way this administration brands Americans who disagree with its policies as 'unpatriotic,"' Reid continued.
(snips/...)

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=3987550

[Rose Siding]

1. Next thing you know

repubs will be running ads of Dem candidates with pix of Osama in them....oh wait

[calimary]

7. Well then, how 'bout we fight back - like running bush ads with Osama pix?

And the words WHERE IS HE? STILL WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE? DO WE EVEN CARE ANYMORE? AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO? WE'RE CERTAINLY SENDING OUR LOVED ONES TO DIE FOR IT...

THAT, my friends, is how you confront this. Don't just fight back. Shove. Push. Smash it into their faces. Jam it down their throats. And then, up their asses.

Remember Rove's own words - "fuck him like he's never been fucked!" Sorry to resort to such coarseness (and yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear it now - wallowing in the mud at their level and becoming like them and yammer yammer yammer. BULLSHIT! YOU play it safe and make nice and turn the other cheek and take the high road and keep losing, okay? Don't pull ME down into that morass!)

I think it's beyond high time we turned those words of his around and used 'em on him, and bush. His Siamese Twin from Hell.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Agreed!

Because playing nicey nicey sure ain't workin', and the repubs ain't gonna change their stripes. They sure as hell don't expect us timid Lib'ruls to ever really fight back. If we start doing so, they'll be caught off guard, and we just might get in some decent jabs before they realize what hit them. I won't hold my breath though. :shrug:

[Rose Siding]

15. If they're drowning, throw them an anchor

(like Clinton said) I agree! I was quipping about the repub style Dem attack ad on Dean.

[wryter2000]

19. How about

How about the real, undoctored photo of Saddam and Rummy making all nice-nice from the Bush I era? Show that.

[BOSSHOG]

2. You Go Senator Reid

Scream it from the Rooftops. This country does not belong to evil conservatives with hearts full of hate. I did not serve 24 years in the Navy to have my patriotism questioned because I know george bush is a liar and I'm not bashful about sharing that fact.

We should all be troubled Senator Reid and we should all voice our displeasure EARLY AND OFTEN.

[Dr Fate]

12. Being "troubled" is not enough. He should have called Bush a "Liar"

And use the word "liar"

"Bush is a LIAR for calling us unpatriotic. He is the one who lied about WMD's and cuts veteran's benifits and avoided service in Vietnam. As long as he calls me unpatriotic, I am going to fight that lie and the liars who say it."

Insteadof saying this, all he really did was complain and basically ask Bush/media to "stop being mean to us."

Instead of throwing down the guantlet and nipping this in the bud, all he did was cry & complain. Nothing to be that proud about, actually.

[unblock]

3. just defending yourself is lose-lose.

if you defend yourself against charges of anti-patriotism or the like, all you do is remind people that you've been accused of anti-patriotism.

you have to SHOW people you're patriotic and make an accusation of your own. parry, thrust.

start off with a glorious tribute to america's fallen soldiers, heavy on how proud you are to be an american with these wonderful patriotic american young adults of proud americans defending all of the proud americans that you're proud to share america with. and how pround the parents of these heroic young americans should be that their proud children have given their proud american lives to defend the wonderful american freedoms that flourish only in america for all proud americans.

you get the idea.

then ask why does bush hate these proud americans so much that he won't acknowledge their ultimate gift to america by attending a funderal or even acknowledging their heroism in the name of american patriotism?



now THAT'S how to defend yourself against a charge of anti-patriotism!

[pasadenaboy]

6. You are absolutely correct

that's the problem with the DNC. They need to be attacking Bush's patriotism.

[schultzee]

11. whoever can get this message to the right people! Defending is losing

[Ilsa]

13. Need a video of Shrub driving past a soldier's

funeral on his way to a fundraiser.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. There's a parallel to be drawn between this and...

...how the Nazis and the Soviets branded dissidents "enemies of the state."

Too bad that most Dems are too frightened to state this...

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. To be honest, WE should be questioning the patriotism of the...

...rightwing group that hijacked the country in 2000, and then led us into two concurrent wars in the Middle East without any legal reason to do so.

Why should ANY Democrat, and/or American patriot, feel that they have to explain themselves to those rightwing hijackers on this or any other issue?

[Dr Fate]

10. That is the problem- DEMS should have said: Bush is a LIAR for saying this

DEMS should have said "Bush is a LIAR if he calls us unpatriotic. We think he is the one who is unpatriotic, and here is why...."

And USE THE WORD "LIAR" in the response. THAT would get the media coverage the need. This statement wont get any coverage.

But the pink-panties are too tight- instead of turning it around, they merely say to Bush/ media "Stop being mean to us, or we may have to ask you to stop being mean to us again!"

[citizen snips]

8. Bush wanted it to be this way.

Bush wanted it to be this way because he would not have had any other good way to attack Democrats.

[Dr Fate]

9. Golly- that ought to make them stop! DEMS asked them to be nice!

Golly-gee willikers- those brave DEMS asked Bush/media to stop being so mean to them- that ought to change things overnight!!!

I'm so proud of the DEMS for crying and whining that Bush/media is not being fair to them- much better than actually doing somthing about it- like bringing up actual examples of Bush being unpatriotic by lying about WMDs or cutting Veterans benifits, or grefusing to serve in Vietnam. Go DEMS! Those pink panties are still looking good on ya!!!

[Zhade]

16. Thanks for the permission, TRAITOR.

/sarcasm

[Gem]

17. defensiveness

Allowing Bush to put one on the defensive gives Bush the upper hand, and control of the subject of the debate. It also plants a seed of doubt about the falsity of what Bush said. To dominate the debate, Democrats should be on the offensive, not the defensive. There is usually no real need nor anything to be gained by even acknowledging such an absurd attack as being called unpatriotic.

A better ploy would be to respond by attacking Bush for what he says rather than defending oneself against his ridiculous accusations.

For example: Bush says, "Gephart is not patriotic." Gephart responds by saying, "That's the same thing Hitler used to say to people who disagreed with HIM." This switches the spotlight to Bush's misbehavior, and away from Gephart's make-believe misbehavior.

What will then linger in everyone's memory is that Bush talks like Hitler, not that Gephart's patriotism is suspect.

[Dr Fate]

18. Exactly right my friend. Here is how they should have handled it:

"Bush is a LIAR for calling me unpatriotic. While these DEMS were serving in combat, Bush was avoiding service and was AWOL for over a year. As long as Bush and his handlers continue ot lie, we are going to call these liars down. I'm drawing a line in the sand here- If Bush wants to call us Unpatriotic, then I think he needs to tell us where he was when all these DEMS were serving in Vietnam"

Just one way to "throw down the guantlet" and get media coverage for this...

All Reid did was say "Oh please- pretty please Mr. Bush- stop being mean to us- please stop or we will have to ask you stop again..." I'm not impressed what-so-ever. DEMS never fucking learn it seems.

[Room101]

20. Will any Dem simply just tell the truth and call them Fascists

nt

[MrTriumph]

21. Slap around the GOP

Reid gives a typical ho-hum response. We should all be outraged at Bush. And whoever seves as a spokesperson for the Dem.s should GET MAD and SLAP AROUND THE GOP. We will get respect when we show the stark differences between being a Dem. and being a Rep.

"Troubled" is a soft word. For cying out loud. Can you imagine Bush saying he's "troubled"!?

[0007]

22. Reid gives more than a typical ho-hum. Harry Reid is my hero!

So don't knock him, okay?