Why are Dems letting Bob Novak fight their battles??

[moggie12]

Is it just me? Or are the Democrats totally lame when it comes to taking advantage of opportunities to expose White House hypocrisy??

The WH recently "sacked" Chris Smith, the Republican head of the House Veteran's Affairs Committee. His crime? Failing to "toe the White House line" -- he had the temerity to tell the truth last year about Bush's budget providing $1.2 billion less than what the VA requested.

The NYT article reporting on Smith's ouster (link below) says the VFW fought on Smith's behalf. To my knowledge, no Democrat has publicly commented on what the Republicans did to Smith.

So guess who wrote of column highly critical of what the Republicans did to Smith!!! BOB NOVAK!!! Are we so lame we have to have Bob Novak fight our fights?!!! Yeeesh!!!!

What gives?? This seems like a tailor-made issue for the Dems to show that Bush is sending boys off to war while treating veterans like so much old laundry. Also, it's one of those great "counter-intuitive" issues that would help the Dems make inroads against the stereotype that Dems are "anti-military". Veterans funding is an issue that could help us make inroads in the South. It could also show why tax cuts for the rich are such a sham when we're not taking care of the people who fought for this country .

I've sent e-mails to several media outlets asking them to focus on the Smith story. But I just don't get this. Why aren't the Dems pouncing on this?? Am I missing something?? Doesn't this seem like a huge missed opportunity???


NYT Article on Chris Smith's ouster:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/07/nyregion/07smith.html

Bob Novak's column:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1487089


I mean, c'mon, BOB NOVAK!!!!!!

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Don't bother the Dems. They're too busy making nice with the Republicans.

That's hard work.

[moggie12]

3. It sure as heck sounds that way

They must have footprints on their heads from being stepped all over. I mean, jeez, BOB NOVAK!!!! It makes me sick to my stomach that I'm cheering Bob Novak for having the guts to take on The Bushies.

[Cocoa]

10. dem bashers are too busy believing smears against dems

to check it out for themselves.

Here's a thought, since you were wrong about believing this smear against dems, maybe your whole opinion of them is based on similar smears, many of which can be found at DU.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1105084445312620.xml

But Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1st Dist.) called the move "an unmistakable message that Republican leaders intend unforgiving discipline."

Rep. William Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) said that "firing the chief advocate for veterans is the wrong signal" in a time of war.

Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th Dist.) described Smith's removal as "a sad day for veterans of New Jersey and the entire nation," adding that the GOP is willing to spend billion of dollars on private defense contracts for politically connected firms while "turning their backs on the men and women in uniform."

http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1105088770130210.xml

Smith's ouster shocked state Democrats.

"This is just more evidence that the national Republican Party is out of step with reality," said Sean Darcy, spokesman for acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, a Democrat.

State Assemblyman Jack Connors, D-Pennsauken, an Army National Guard and Army Reserve veteran, said he was surprised national Republicans would turn veterans care into a political issue.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Just one conversation; just one legally taped conversation of how these

people really think would be enough to sink the entire Republican party. Let the people know that they believe it's okay to sacrifice young boys in order for corporations to make a profit. One conversation in the public air where tapings would be allowed; and it would be all over for the Republicans.

[Al-CIAda]

2. Short answer: They're chicken shit pussies -eom

[Gman]

4. This is another sign of the coming coalition of those that

want to stop Bush, regardless of their party affiliation.

[moggie12]

6. yeah, I think so, too -- maybe tide is FINALLY turning

It just galls me that it seems to be Republicans that are leading the way (e.g., McCain and Chuck Hagel criticizing Bush guys on Iraq -- even Trent Lott throwing a shot at Rumsfeld). I know media doesn't "hear" when Dems say same things, but we don;t help ourselves when we miss such long-hanging fruit.

[Goldeneye]

5. Let the pubs take eachother out. I don't care!

You know things are getting bad when novak starts complaining. It would be nice if our (ahem) leaders would start picking some fights. I think they might be banding up right now...we'll see.

[blm]

7. Bob Novak is given carte blanche and max exposure in the media.

Democrats are rarely heard unless they screw up.

You are comparing a Republican mouthpiece who has complete accesss to any microphone and stage with Democrats who are seen only as targets by the mainstream media.

[moggie12]

8. That we have to fight "smarter and harder" was my point

You're absolutely right that Bob Novak has an "open mike". What I was saying was we have to muscle our way in by fighting harder. True, it's absurd that we have to fight so hard to be heard, but I think it's doable if we get our act together. The veteran's issue seemed to me to be a golden opportunity to highlight Bush's hypocrisy. I was frustrated that we missed it.

[blm]

11. Muscle your way in is fruitless without a fair media. Show muscle and they

twist it into a bizarre story against whatever Dem they choose.

There is only one answer. Expose the GOP control over most of the media and the voting machines. And do it en masse, like an avalanche of evidence, so the truth has a chance of being heard.

This is what I want the new head of DNC to choreograph in the upcoming months.

[Cocoa]

9. stop smearing the dems

it took me five minutes to find five dems who publicly spoke out against this:

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1105084445312620.xml

But Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1st Dist.) called the move "an unmistakable message that Republican leaders intend unforgiving discipline."

Rep. William Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) said that "firing the chief advocate for veterans is the wrong signal" in a time of war.

Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th Dist.) described Smith's removal as "a sad day for veterans of New Jersey and the entire nation," adding that the GOP is willing to spend billion of dollars on private defense contracts for politically connected firms while "turning their backs on the men and women in uniform."



http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1105088770130210.xml

Smith's ouster shocked state Democrats.

"This is just more evidence that the national Republican Party is out of step with reality," said Sean Darcy, spokesman for acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, a Democrat.

State Assemblyman Jack Connors, D-Pennsauken, an Army National Guard and Army Reserve veteran, said he was surprised national Republicans would turn veterans care into a political issue.

[moggie12]

12. That's great that the NJ Dems spoke up so strongly

Thanks for those links. It's great that the NJ Dems spoke up so forcefully. What I want is the "national" Democrats to do that, too. I had a sentence in what I originally wrote that I should have left in (I decided I was getting too wordy): It said that there's nothing on "Democrat.org" about what happened to Smith (they had a statement about CBS and Dan Rather, but nothing about this Veteran Affairs matter). My point was Dems should raise a stink and get on the national news about it (CNN, MSNBC, Fox, etc.) It's great that the story made the NJ newspaper but that's because Smith is a NJ Republican. I thought this issue was deserving of a real all-out public relations blitz, not just by NJ Democrats, but by high-ranking Party leaders. (I guess I didn't explain my thoughts as well as I could have.) I don't want to dump on Dems -- I want them to go out there and fight hard against what Bush and the Republicans are doing.

[Cheswick2.0]

13. somebody's gotta do it

:shrug:

[tsuki]

14. All the Vets I know around here are Republican, hard core. You should

have heard the things they said about Kerry. I have tried to point out how Bush is cutting the Vet services, letting our Vets lie in the beds in hospitals without any rehabilitation, dunning injured Vets for their enlistment bonuses. They are not interested.

Yet, when they get a notice about their benes getting cut, we all get emails talking about their sacrifices and how we'd all be speaking Japanese or German, but for them.

I hate to say it, but I want the budget to get down and dirty with the V. A. cuts. Maybe some of them will wake up.