Who ARE these people? GOP on defensive re Max Cleland

[DrBB]

Nice http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/26/politics/campaign/26CLEL.html?hp">article in today's NYTimes about Cleland's role rallying the vets (all of 'em, not just Viet Nam) for Kerry. One bit especially caught my eye (and raised my ire):

"He's a very effective spokesman, because he has a very appealing story," said Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta. "Among Democrats he's viewed as a hero who went down not only in military battle, but also in political battle."

That is precisely what irks Republicans, who say Mr. Cleland lost his Senate race because of his poor record, not Republican attacks. Most, sensing what Mr. Black called Mr. Cleland's status as "a folk hero," only whisper their complaints in private.

Yeah, I bet they do. And all the more so as they don't seem to have any idea that--as usual--their "excuse" is even more amoral and outrageous than the original crime.

Hence my LTTE to the Times:

When I first heard about the attack ads Saxby Chamblis ran against Max Cleland, I thought, Who are these people? What kind of Americans could attack the patriotism of a triple amputee war hero (Silver Star at Khe San) by merging his picture with that of Osama bin Laden?

Now Republicans "say Mr. Cleland lost his Senate race because of his poor record, not Republican attacks" ("For Ex-Senator, Kerry Race Is Chance to Rejoin the Battle," Campaign 2004, 2/26/04).

This is somehow supposed to be exculpatory? They ran ads portraying a man who'd literally been blown apart in the service of his country as a traitor, and now they're saying it was gratuitous; they could have won just by focusing on his record--but they chose to do it anyway?

Who are these people?

[bryant69]

1. Most must exclude Ann Coulter

Who happily trumpted her disdain for Cleland in an article a couple of weeks back. Might be what brought him to a public spotlight.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[BOSSHOG]

2. "Among Democrats he's viewed as a hero."

Such a sad commentary on the state of conservatism in this country today. Regardless of Politics, Max Cleland is a hero to all Americans because of his heroic actions on the battlefield in service to his country. You really have to dig deep into a heart filled with hate to think any other way.

[RegenerationMan]

3. Max for VP!!

[DrBB]

6. Yes--exactly

They've made him "our" hero by attacking his heroism and patriotism--by denying that he's "theirs."

Whereas these things should be out of bounds. I disagree with a lot--a LOT--of John McCain's positions, but I respect his record. But these clowns, the BFEE, don't even draw the line with their own party: they tried to make McCain out to be psychotic, unbalanced, unstable because of his war experience.

Everything is "you're with us or against us" with them, and "us" turns out to be a vanishingly small circle of highly entrenched and wealthy interests.

[PsN2Wind]

12. I lost respect for McCain

when after what was done to him in South Carolina, he comes back singing the company song and supporting these assholes in their assault on America. The "maverick" more often than not simply toes the Repub line.

[PsN2Wind]

4. If Max would point out

at each appearance that he was defeated by the guy with the Mint Julep name who accused him of a lack of patriotism. Then he should point to his stumps and tell his audience that he would love to have even the "trick knee" that allowed Saxby a pass on Viet Nam.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. 53% of Georgians are Mint Juleps for voting for...

"Suxby Chambshit"!

Zell Miller....speaking of Mint Juleps!?!

[burythehatchet]

15. It just did not happen

the election in Georgia was Diebolded

[displacedvermoter]

5. To me it doesn't matter if the attacks on his "patriotism" were

what did Cleland in or not, it was that they could even consider doing it in the first place. And that they could run a candidate like Chambliss and then could use these kind of attacks, its just an amazing show of something nasty that I can't even come up with a word for!

[DrBB]

9. Yes--exactly my point

Ultimately the ads have made, not Cleland, but THEM the issue--the ads are coming back to bite them in the ass, as well they should, and that's the thust of this LTTE. Who are THEY?

Times probably won't take it, but you never know--I have had 8 or 9 in the NYT and a couple in the WPost and Boston Globe. So I never regard it as futile to try.

[morningglory]

7. BBV? I was a voter in Cleland's district when he lost, and they had

just set up touch screen voting systems for the first time. I was happy to vote against Bob Barr, but Kos had Max several points above Chambliss and I have often wondered if there was not some BBV ballot fraud there. There were some strange results.

[rockymountaindem]

10. I saw something about BBV in that race

and I was disturbed by it. Same for the GA governor's race. I don't remember it exactly, but it was some pre-election polls compared with the results two days later. I was really surprised and suspicious.

[Stephanie]

16. You're not the only one

There's been a lot of talk about the strange results in Georgia. Very suspicious.

[kcordell]

11. Cleland Beat Himself

I'm about sick of this "Cleland lost because of ads" stuff. Chambliss ad ran only twice and then it was removed. Cleland got beat because he refused to campaign north of Atlanta. He basically told all of us in North Ga. that voted for him that we didn't matter. His biggest goof was stating that "he refused to appear on any radio station where he would have to answer questions from the public". You can try to portray this as a "patriotism" issue but, those of us who live here know the truth.

[PsN2Wind]

13. Oh, they "only" ran the ad twice!!

I guess in North Georgia that makes it just OK!!

[kcordell]

14. No, It Doesn't Make It Ok

But, it's not the reason he got beat.

[DrBB]

17. It's not about Cleland, it's about the GOP

That's exactly the point: they run this kind of shit whether they "need" to or not. What does that say about THEM? They shouldn't do it even in desperation, but in this case (they say) it wasn't even necessary.

[Bridget Burke]

18. We need more information!

Please supply a link to this story. When did he say he wasn't going to answer questions from the public?

[kcordell]

19. Not Every Story Has A "Link"

My post is not from any "story." It's from my telephone conversations with Max and his staff.

[BillZBubb]

20. Your claims make NO sense

You claim everyone in North Georgia knew something, then you claim you knew it only from a private conversation.

Did everyone else in North Georgia have a private conversation with Cleland so that they knew it too?

[kcordell]

24. Nice Try

This information was first reported on our local radio station which tried for months to get Max to appear. After hearing this I contacted Max. I didn't claim that I knew it "ONLY" from private conversation. Get your facts straight.

Our local radio station reaches all of North Ga. and has a listening audience of over 300,000.

[GoldenOldie]

21. Subject "Links"?????

"He basically told all of us in North Ga., that voted for him that we didn't matter." "ALL OF US." Just how did he get this message out to each and everyone in North Ga., if it wasn't somewhere in the media???? Was this statement also included in the BinLaden..traitor attack?

[kcordell]

25. Who Said It Wasn't In The Media?

All I said was that my information didn't come from a "story with links."

[drdigi420]

23. Diebold and rednecks beat Cleland

It all about the rednecks in georgia

enough of them were upset about the flag being corrected and voted repub down the board that it made it close enough for diebold to steal it

rednecks are a problem across the country. thier bigotry is what keeps the repubs going.

[SaddenedDem]

26. Is that you, Bobby Kahn?

Took too much Diebold payoff money and now you have to defend the machines no matter what, huh?

[hippiegranny]

22. just read a great essay at bartcop

on this very subject. it was so powerful i made sure to send it to all my friends who are vets.
http://www.zeppscommentaries.com/VRWC/coulterII.htm

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

27. I suggest that everyone reading this thread

take a minute to read the essay at bartcop. I especially liked the last two paragraphs. Sums it all up for me.

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