DNC files cease-and-desist against FreeRepublic, XM radio conservatives

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: Raw Story

Democrats send cease and desist demand to conservative website and XM Radio over alleged Dean remarks
John Byrne
Published: Friday May 11, 2007

The Democratic National Committee filed two cease-and-desist letters Thursday with a conservative website and XM Radio regarding comments they alleged were made by DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

As a DNC-imposed noon deadline passed today, the allegedly inflamatory comments had not been removed from the Web. A party spokeswoman, Stacie Paxton, said she was not sure what the Democrats' next step would be.

The website FreeRepublic.com, citing an XM radio show, said Thursday that "Dean called Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius early, around 5 am, one morning after the tornado had destroyed the town of Greensburg, Kansas and discussed with her what to say about the tornado and how to blame the war in Iraq and the Bush administration on a slow response to the aftermath."

According to Democrats, the conversation never occurred.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Democrats_send_cease_and_desist_to_0511.html

---

Hannity was giving this b.s. plenty of airtime. He should be held accountable for spreading it. Glad to see Dean fights back against this kind of stuff.

More on this from yesterday:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x865645

[melody]

1. And Sean Hannity eats baby seals

You heard it here first.

See, anyone can make up this stuff.

[truthisfreedom]

11. Topped with baby penguins, served on baby Polar bears.

[Decruiter]

15. You know who really hates penguins?

Other penguins.

[LiberalFighter]

14. Are you sure that is all Hannity does with baby seals?

But then again I doubt he could get it up for anything.

[melody]

19. I have been told by my source* that he molests the seals before eating them

And of course, as has been reported on this board, eats them with a baby polar bear and
baby penguin chaser.

*My source is my blog where I often suggest such stuff so I can quote it later. :)

[Phredicles]

2. Yeah, let's see the DNC follow through on this.

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

3. They won't . . .

. . . I can guarantee it.

[MaineDem]

7. How can you guarantee that?

:eyes:

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

9. Oh, please . . . by "guarantee" . . .

. . . I'm just using a figure of speech to express the notion that I'm sure that they won't follow through. And I'm sure that they won't follow through. The letter is just a stunt, to communicate the DNC's outrage over the lie in question. They won't follow up with the legal action they threaten.

[DavidMS]

12. The DNC must...

Otherwise they look weak and foolish and encourages conservatives to continue to libel and slander us.

Best to beat them in court and set precedent that right wing slanders and libelers get sued and have tp pay.

It provides negative feedback to them.

[deutsey]

20. "she was not sure what the Democrats' next step would be"

That says it all right there.

I hope they follow through and do something with teeth, but your skepticism is well founded, unfortunately.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. it's past noon on friday, which was the deadline and the threads are still there

no retraction or clarification
they have several new ones on the topic repeating the same b.s. and whining that thery're the ones being attacked

wonder what action the DNC's taking

though the radio guys should be the first target-and hannity is just as resposible for throwing this shit against the wall to see if it sticks

[ProudToBeLiberal]

18. how? by watergate methods? nt

[madfloridian]

4. Thanks for posting it. I am like a bulldog about this.

XM is saying it is not their place since they don't produce the program. Well, then who produces it?

I am so glad to see some of the blogs covering it now. My God, we are so fearful of standing up for our own.

I can not even imagine Kathleen Sebelius saying such things to Brownback, and I can not even imagine Dean and other Democratic leaders saying stuff like this.

One paragraph at Kos. That's it. Huff Post has an article up now by Taylor Marsh.

I am keeping track, because we can't let them keep doing this stuff.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1313

Recommended.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

6. it's the top story on media matters

brock's always on top of this kind of stuff

[1776Forever]

5. Reported Gov. Sebelius asked for more equipment since 2005 links!

On repeated occasions, Sebelius made clear to the White House that Kansas was dangerously low on National Guard equipment: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/08/snow-sebelius/

– Dec. 30, 2005: Sebelius writes to Rumsfeld requesting new equipment. “The Guard was critical to responding to recent blizzards and floods in Kansas, yet its ability to respond to similar situations is being diminished by a lack of equipment,” wrote Sebelius. Included with her letter was a list of equipment Kansas had lost to the Iraq war.

– Jan. 23, 2006: Sebelius personally urges Bush to increase National Guard funding. In an one-hour motorcade ride in Kansas with Bush, Sebelius expressed concern about “a reduction of National Guard troop strength in its next budget.” Bush assured her he was “dealing” with the shortages.

– June 28, 2006: Sebelius sends Army Secretary list of equipment lost in war. In a meeting with Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey, Sebelius told Harvey that the state had lost about $140 million in National Guard equipment to the Iraq war. Her office then sent him a list of the lost equipment.

– Sept. 2006: Sebelius lobbies for replacement of National Guard equipment sent to Iraq. “Kansas’ congressional delegation, Sebelius and governors from around the country have been lobbying the Pentagon for increased funding to replace National Guard equipment that has been left in Iraq or damaged beyond repair after repeated use in war.”

– Feb. 27, 2007: Sebelius pushes White House and Congress for more funding. “Now the Guard needs Washington’s help,” Sebelius said in press conference on Capitol Hill. “The President and Congress need to step up to the plate and give our Guard members the support they deserve.”

[Virginia Dare]

16. Welcome to DU!!!!...n/t

[EFerrari]

8. I hope they wrote it in crayon and used lots of pictures.

lol

[ixion]

13. they irony being, of course:

that that is precisely what republicans do.

[dansolo]

17. SOP for the GOP

This is how they intend to inoculate the president from the obvious connection that the lack of National Guard troops and equipment directly affect emergency responses. Since it is an issue they cannot counter, they make it look like this is merely being used as a political attack. Then they get to change the focus from the actual issue (the lack of available resources) to a fabricated issue (the motives of the governor). Then they get the echo chamber to dust up the issue, which then encourages the MSM to cover the controversy, conveniently ignoring the real issue.

[Exiled in America]

21. Are you dense? It won't matter at all!

even if dems succeed in their "cease and desist" order, those talk shows will just spin it as: "we wanted to tell you the truth - the full story of what really happened in a conversation between Dean and Sebelius, but unfortunately the dems filed an injunction that keeps us from reporting the truth" etc, etc, blah blah blah.

[antiimperialist]

22. So what happened? Did they apologize?

It shows weakness by the DNC if no immediate apology was given and no lawsuit was filed.