It is time to put the GOP on the defensive

[Nancy Waterman]

This is what I would like to hear coming from Democratic spokespeople:

It is particularly noxious how the GOP demagoging - anti-Hispanic, anti-gay, and now anti-Muslim - seems to get louder and louder just before elections. Republicans fan the flames of fear and hatred in order to get elected. They seem to have forgotten the American Constitution and that our country was founded on the bedrock principles of freedom of speech and freedom of religion and equal protection under law. They make a mockery of our most sacred beliefs as Americans.

It is really a sad day when the leaders of one of our political parties, the Republican, trip over themselves to see who can make the most outrageously offensive and bigoted statements, conflating all Muslims with bloodthirsty terrorists, while ignoring with thinly disguised contempt the hallowed foundation of this nation, our Constitution. It is sad and it is shameful.

...........

The Republicans are so good at putting the Dems on the defense, and the Dems are almost
paralyzed when it comes to putting the GOP on the defense. It is time to go on the attack.

[NC_Nurse]

1. K&R

[Nancy Waterman]

2. Joe Klein has it right

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/08/16/the-soft-bigotry-of-soft-bigotry/

Shame on all those Republicans salivating over President Obama's support for the Cordoba Islamic Center, which is to be built several blocks away from Ground Zero in New York. Despite all the high-minded words about "sensitivity" for the families of the victims, this is slimeball politics, pure and simple, except for when it descends into outright religious bigotry--which seems to be what happens every time Newt Gingrich opens his mouth.

He uses the world "shame" regarding the conservative smear and outrage machine.
That is a word that should be repeated often.

[Voltaire]

10. Another reason that it would not work

Because the Republicans have no shame. They are utterly devoid of it.

[Hansel]

17. Nope, but many Independents do.

If you don't call them on this stuff it makes it seems as though it is acceptable. The media should be doing this but are nothing more than pathetic stenographers and sensationalists. Nearly all of the media. More of them, of all political leanings, need to do what Joe did. Tell the unequivocal truth. But they won't because it doesn't sell.

The left leaning media, what little of it that exists, is nearly exclusively too busy parsing every word Obama says looking for some conspiracy or betrayal to get pissed off about than to actually spend the energy to point out that the Republicans are taking on a big effort to destroy our democracy.

So it's up to Democratic politicians to do it and do it loud and often. But they are too busy wringing their hands and acting like pathetic wimps afraid of saying something that the Republicans will criticize.

[dflprincess]

3. But that would not be a pragmatic, bipartisan sort of thing to do.

:sarcasm:

It's way past time to do this and now it might just be too late.

[Autumn]

4. It sure would be good to see,

every time I hear someone on our side say "bipartisanship" I feel sick.

[Tippy]

6. Me too!

[yourneighborsdog]

5. Interesting idea.

In what practical ways would that differ from what has and is taking place?

Since the stimulus created millions of jobs, shouldn't Democrats promote the "change" message that was so wildly popular in the last cycle and run against Bushism?

The number one item on the minds of voters and the one they care most about is jobs and the the economy. Immigration reform, gay right and Islam may not sell. Besides, a full court press to embrace Islam could make gays and women stay home on election day.

[old mark]

7. I have been saying this since '08 - Tell it to Obama!

He evidently is still trying "bipartisanship" while the GOP is laughing at him...


mark

[unblock]

8. it's ALWAYS time to put them on the defensive.

[Sheepshank]

9. the RW harpy has no concept

of how hateful they sound.

I personally think it's too early to try and shut them down. I'm thinking we (the collective Dems), should still be feeding them rope. Giving them a little nod and wink that they are on the right path, and the libs are just too scared to say the same thing.

A little closer to November, once they're all done spouting, giving us plenty of verifiable (printed) fodder, we loop the rope around the whole lot and *yank*

that'll lern 'em to think that they speak for everone.

[TheKentuckian]

12. They've got enough rope to loop around the solar system

Loop it around their necks and not only are their feet firmly on the ground but they can walk the earth without a tug.

[Blue Owl]

11. Yes it is, Nancy -- yes it is...

I'm yearnin' for a BIG smackdown of epic, nation-changing proportions that even the M$M can't spin away.

Something even Harry Reid can't fuck up.

[opihimoimoi]

13. Cheer up....massive change undergoing.....Pubs have empty quivers,,,dumb shits

they gave tons of ammo to us Dems

Their unilateral stance is keeping them from the DANCE,,,,

they will not be invited...

they being the dinosaurs...

they have no answers that are GOOD answers,

In fact ....Theirs Suck

[R. P. McMurphy]

14. k & r n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. yes yes yes!

[CJCRANE]

16. Dem: "Do you support the Constitution - Yes or No?"

Repub: "Yes but..."
Dem: "No buts - Yes or No?"

Repeat ad nauseam until they give a straight answer.

[LatteLibertine]

18. It's worth noting

they consistently vote against the best interests of the overwhelming majority of the US population as well. The bulk of them are nothing more than Wall Street lackeys.

[Steely_Dan]

19. Here's what I wrote on another thread...

...relating to this subject.

-------------

Part I
It isn't complex at all.

I want a Party with "PRINCIPLES." I don't care if you call that Progressive or whatever....I simply want our party to have some fucking balls. I'm pissed.

Our principles are bigger than ANY single individual within the party...including our current President.

I believe with all my soul that WE are on the right side of history. I'm tired of the games people play both here and in the "real" world. We either have principles and live by them or we're nothing better than animals....(wait, isn't that a quote from "The Wild Bunch?")

Seriously...I would rather go down in flames fighting for what is right and DOING the right thing, than trying to "sneak" up on our principles...you know, three steps forward and two steps back. For me at least, that is bullshit. We have no cause to hang our heads at the alter of the Right Wing...we act almost ashamed of our principles. You either believe in them or you don't. There is NO MIDDLE ROAD when it comes to having the courage of our convictions. Let justice reign, though the heavens fall....(wait, isn't that a quote from JFK?).

I have no problem telling my new Dem friends that comfortably ride the center rail, that they are not the Democrats of my father or my father's father. They almost take pride in not upholding the VERY BASICS of our platform. Times have changed? You bet they have. And what I have seen change is that our politicians no longer vote based on their PRINCIPLES. They vote based on some back room deal and then have NO PROBLEM sleeping at night.

This country, our Constitution, everything we have been and everything we will ever be requires that we act on the COURAGE of our CONVICTIONS. Nothing else matters.

Don't get me going....


Part II

Do you know why we keep seeing people here posting the "If By Liberal" speech by JFK or FDR's "Economic Bill of Rights" over and over and over again? People are trying to find what it means to be a Democrat. These speeches are posted in an attempt to convince our friends in the middle that while there are many colors to the spectrum of being a Democrat, there are some things that are NOT negotiable. No matter what "kind" of Democrat you are, you either embrace these principles or you do not.

We are trying to find the soul of our Party. Why are we doing that here? Because it's important. If we cannot agree on the very essence of what it means to be a Democrat then we are swimming upstream at best. At worst, we are swept away in a current of mediocrity...unprincipled and held to the whims of the next sound-bite. This is no way to run a party. We exist for a reason. A very important reason. We exist to balance the scales in favor of human dignity and fair play. We are the first and last defense for the "people" of this country. We need to start acting like it again.

If we decide that the longstanding principles of our party are no longer relevant, that we need to "compromise" to get "anything" done, then we are no longer the party of our fathers. And that's okay, if that's where you want to go. Personally, I won't be sitting next to you. I have too much to do.

Maybe it's a matter of "how" we get there. Isn't that as important a factor as anything? Maybe my new Dem friends agree with our principles but disagree on how to achieve them. That's fair. Let's think about this. I would much rather negotiate from a position of strength than of weakness. Wouldn't we all. Do you think that this country would vote all of the so-called progressives out of office if we boldly moved forward. Perhaps....But so what? Yeah...I said it. So what if they do.

There was a story not long ago about a politician that voted her conscious and was voted out of office during the next election...largely based on her refusal to COMPROMISE her CONVICTIONS. As it turned out many months later, her principled position turned out to be right. In an interview, she stated that she would vote the same way again...that it was not only her right to do so, but her OBLIGATION. We need more people like this. People that have the courage of their convictions...that are not running scared. Where are these people of principle???

I could not have been prouder of our President on Friday when he upheld the position that America stands for freedom of religion...IT WAS A PRINCIPLED POSITION. I stated in a post here that while I am a critic of the President, I will at every opportunity praise him when he stands up to carry the banner of freedom as it is outlined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And I did...several times. Yet, the very next day, he "seemed" to back off the gas pedal. I will not argue with you on whether he "stepped back." The fact that it was an issue of discussion pretty much confirmed that at least some felt that way. I went from being so proud of him...his principled stance to being so disappointed. I would have rather him not take a stand one way or another than to "appear" to back off a principled position.

I am not perfect...President Obama is not perfect. However, I expect him, at the very least, to embrace the Democratic principles that put people before ANYTHING ELSE. It is the very least that he could do as a Democratic President. If he acted "principled" and failed, I would respect him and sing his praises for the rest of my life. He had a mandate, unlike anything that has happened in my lifetime. He had a rare and unique opportunity to change this country for the better. He may still have that opportunity. However, it will not happen unless he as well as the rest of us stand on principle.

-Paige

[philly_bob]

20. "Drill Baby Drill" - Global Warming is a Hoax - Keep Bush Tax Cuts

No unemployment extension - Two long fruitless wars - Don't believe in evolution

And now Sufis=Terrorists.

Make them eat their words.

[AspenRose]

21. Too late to rec, but you are absolutely correct

:kick: