Politically Incorrect - Another Gem from from the Houston Chronicle!

[WestHoustonDem]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/4137423.html

Politically incorrect
Republican Party officials use the erroneous term 'Democrat Party' because it irritates their opponents.

From the president of the United States down to the Harris County clerk, Republican officials and party functionaries have taken to referring to the loyal opposition as the "Democrat Party," although there is no such thing. Voters, however, should not mistake simultaneous mass carelessness for the cause.

As detailed in the Aug. 7 issue of the New Yorker magazine, President Bush sent out an e-mail to millions of Americans accusing the "Democrat Party," rather than the Democratic Party, of seeking higher taxes. White House spokeswoman Emily A. Lawrimore suggested that Bush simply misspoke, although the incorrect usage appeared in a written communication presumably proofread before it went out. Lawrimore rejected the suggestion that the president and other Republican officials employ the erroneous term deliberately:

"Usually, conspiracy theories are at least a little entertaining, but this one is simply ridiculous," she wrote in a White House statement.

Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman also uses the phrase "Democrat Party." Kaufman said she used the term because she thought that was what the party is or once was called. She is mistaken on both counts. The modern Democratic Party has not changed its name since its founding in 1828 in the time of Andrew Jackson.

Gretchen Essell, a spokeswoman for the Republican Party of Texas, was more helpful. Republicans use the term "Democrat Party," she said, "because it ticks them off and because of their blatant disregard for the democratic process."

Huh?

Furthermore, Essell commented, the practice of deliberate misidentification of the opposition "has been going on for years." Her views, she said, were shared by the the state party's chairwoman, Tina Benkiser.

Lawrimore, of the White House press office, is right that this conspiracy theory is not in the least entertaining. The conspiracy, officially confirmed by the Republican Party of Texas, is depressing. The GOP's strategy of trying to deprive Democrats of their chosen party name and its associations reflects and contributes to the incivility, malice and misrepresentation that mark this era's partisan politics.

At least in this case the voters will no longer be confused about the incorrect usage. The practice isn't due to ignorance or indifference to correct usage. It's simply bad manners.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. dick armey yesterday, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney

and Bill Frist all have used "democrat" party in the past week.

All by accident, I am sure

[starroute]

19. It goes back to at least the 1972 presidential campaign

My recollection is that John Connally was the first one I heard using it, when he was Nixon's Secretary of the Treasury.

The assumption at the time was that the Republicans didn't like being reminded that the Democratic Party was on the side of democracy and they weren't.

[whistle]

2. We should start calling repukes The Republic "macaca" Party

...and repuke candidates Republic "lapeepee" candidates because of their blatant disregard for the country's republican processes such as adherence to the United States constitution!

[Lisa0825]

3. LMAO!

:rofl:

[stepnw1f]

4. Call Them What They Are: Fascists

They know it too.

[whistle]

7. Yes indeed, the republickass party passes the smell test on that issue

<snip>
The 14 Characteristics of Fascism
by Lawrence Britt
Spring 2003
Free Inquiry magazine


Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt recently wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20). Studying the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The excerpt is in accordance with the magazine's policy.

The 14 characteristics are:

1) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

2) Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

3) Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

4) Supremacy of the Military

5) Rampant Sexism

6) Controlled Mass Media

7) Obsession with National Security

8) Religion and Government are Intertwined

9) Corporate Power is Protected

10) Labor Power is Suppressed

11) Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

12) Obsession with Crime and Punishment

13) Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

14) Fraudulent Elections

<more>

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/The_14_characteristics_030303.htm

[stepnw1f]

8. kick (nt)

[amb123]

5. To paraphrase the rock group Queen

*sing*

All I hear is GOP Macaca! GOP Macookoo! GOP Macaca!
All I hear is GOP Macaca! GOP Macookoo! GOP Macaca!

:sarcasm:

[electropop]

6. I just call 'em Pukes

because they make me :puke:

[WestHoustonDem]

9. How about Republicaca? n/t

[elehhhhna]

10. Mepublicans or Republican'ts are stil my personal faves.

[OregonBlue]

20. I think your Republicants is priceless.

[peacetalksforall]

11. There is a distinction between juveniles and criminals. Name calling is

juvenile. Stealing our vote, stealing our taxes, lying us into war, killing our kids, maiming our kids, signing deals with our enemies, and worse are criminal.

We can ignore juveniles. We can't ignore criminals.

They are both. They are despicable and pathetic with no honor or integrity.

The work that we need to do is to get our Democratic leaders to do more about the crime. Or work to kick them out.

[hootinholler]

22. I suppose that makes them JDs then.

I like republicant

-Hoot

[EST]

12. Bad manners and highly insulting.

A bigger reason, or at least one as important, is an attitude that goes on with republicans-the thinking ones-coming from having to make reference to concepts like the "democratic process" or a "democratic form of government," which happens quite often since this outfit is so massively invested in the overthrow and rehabilitation of other people's governments around the world.

Having to use that hated word - democratic - in describing the process they are selling is galling and it makes them nervous. There is a very good reason for this curious phenomenon.

If ever you have been caught in a serious lie, about something pretty important, the one place you don't want to be is sitting casually with the jasper that caught you, chatting and munching lunch. It's the one place you really DO...NOT...want to be! Especially if that character has the capability of affecting your future and appears to be running an internal debate as to what he's going to do with his shameful prize.

That trepidation and agitation turns quickly to anger, even though you are totally in the wrong, and can add to an already backlogged heap of hate, anger, and disrespect you have for the facilitator of your undoing.

The republiclowns know that we know they are liars. Liars before, after and during everything they re involved in.

They are not just the smear merchants that elevate lying to almost an art form, proving that political campaigning can always reach new lows in bitterness and negative excess, they are inveterate liars in the really important issues, situations where, in business, family life, policy setting, hearings, testimony, etc-on and on-ad nauseum, the truth is the only practical tool.

Not only does this carnival construct of falsehood include all the highly critical situations wherein the absolute truth is essential for reasons of security, economics, health and a host of other valuable scenarios, but they must build each basket of lies into this whole imaginary reality and maintain the whole, with collapse threatening to occur at any second.

And we know they're lying, through and through. Add to this the clear fact that the poor, misbegotten fools absolutely hate democrats, with a loathing that exceeds even my appreciation of them. Liberals represent everything bad and loathsome in the world and they are forced to use that hated phrase many times each day. How simply bloody awful!

I have watched them, again and again, noting their extreme discomfort as they struggle to find a way to put their ideas out there and wishing to find a way to avoid using that hated name that makes their skin crawl.

Thus was born the differentiation: trying to force through an alternate phrasing that will spare them and their delicate sensibilities - the "demakrat" party instead of the Democratic party.

Life must really suck to be a republiclown or, worse yet, a neoclown!

[Captain Hilts]

17. I heard that Lance Tarrance, Rep pollster started it.

I worked for a Republican polling firm and we were the last to use the 'IC'.

[Captain Hilts]

13. The Guardian, of all sources, often uses this terminology. nt

[WestHoustonDem]

14. Mookie!

I grew up in Westchester and have been a Mets fan since '67. Mookie rocks!

[Captain Hilts]

15. I worked in the AAA ballpark and knew Mook, etc. as minor leaguers.!

[johncoby2]

16. My ltte: Democrat Party vs Republicant Party

If the leadership of the Republican Party has nothing better to do than play petty games with the name of the Democratic Party, then maybe we need to rename the Republican Party to the Republicant Party because:

They can't tell us the truth about invading Iraq.
They can't find the WMDs they scared us with.
They can't come up with a plan to get us out of Iraq.
They can't protect our wallet.
They can't protect our environment.
They can't protect our civil liberties.
They can't protect our Constitution.
They can't lower our gas prices.
They can't lower our electricity bills.
They can't lower our insurance rates.
They can't lower our college costs.
They can't adequately fund our schools.
They can't pay our teachers fairly.

The Republican't Party can't even be polite.

John Cobarruvias
A Democrat in the Democrat Party.

[DeepModem Mom]

18. K AND R!

[young_at_heart]

21. There's a reason they are called "The Dirty Tricks Party"

It started with Nixon and has really escalated.

[PennyK]

23. Keith made fun of this the other night

Referred to them (talking with Dana Milbank, I think) as the "Republic" Party.