House Democrats MUST respond to Repuke Foley strategy

[GaYellowDawg]

Repukes are trying to ask when Democrats knew about this, in their usual outrageous fashion. Now that they have the party line, they are trying to muddle the issue and get the public to think that Democrats had something to do with the Foley coverup simply by repeating themselves. There are some of you out there thinking and posting, "they shouldn't respond! People won't buy this!" To those, I ask you this:

WHAT are you thinking?

Consider:

- plenty of Americans have bought all the shifting rationales for Iraq
- plenty of Americans still think Iraq had WMDs
- plenty of Americans still think Iraq was involved with 9/11
- plenty of Americans bought the Swift Boat Veterans BS
- plenty of Americans think there were Democrats involved with Abramoff
- plenty of Americans weren't concerned with Enron
- plenty of Americans have sucked down every single lie that this damned Repuke government has fed them!!

Why? Because Repukes get a line established, and hammer away at it until it becomes the media line, and the next thing you know, Joe Six-Pack thinks it's the truth! I've already seen someone on another bulletin board claiming that ABC said that Democrats knew about this, etc.

Absolutely, Americans will buy into this line about Democrats knowing!! You sure as s##t had better believe they will!! You know why? Because people will believe anything that allows them to think they don't have to bear responsibility for putting someone terrible in office. Given a choice between a comforting denial and a hard truth, people will jump at the comforting denial!

House Democrats need to stand up and say, "Bottom line: a Republican did this, Republicans hid this, and Republicans reported this. Anyone who says that any member of the Democratic Party was involved in this sordid and shameful scandal or the even more shameful coverup is a liar, and any of us will repeat that anywhere, any time, and any place, including under oath." Then they need to repeat that line about A MILLION TIMES.

I cannot emphasize this enough:

DEMOCRATS NEED TO COUNTERATTACK VIGOROUSLY, CONSISTENTLY, AND REPEATEDLY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE REPUBLICAN NOISE MACHINE FROM MUDDLING THIS.

[Bluebear]

1. Right now I think things are going swimmingly with us just shutting up.

The GOP seems to be burying their own chances with the handling of this.

[GaYellowDawg]

3. Not now that they've got their line.

Their line is "When did the Democrats know?" Now that they've got it, they will repeat it ad infinitum.

Who in their right minds thought that the Swift Boat Villians would be believed? Yet with repetition and without a Democratic response, Republicans muddled the waters.

They WILL do the same here. Before you know it, Faux and CNN and the media will be saying, "when did the Democrats know? Did they time this for the election? Did the Democrats take advantage of Congressional pages for the sake of an election? Ann Coulter and Pat Buchanan will discuss this after a short commercial break."

An immediate, strident response is absolutely called for. Who else will respond? The media?
:rofl: :grr: :cry: at the thought.

[INdemo]

14. The Democrats need to talk about issues,Iraq,minimum wage,heathcare

Prescription drugs for seniors,etc..Let the Republicans keep digging that hole deeper..Democrats are you listening?

[NightOwwl]

2. Do you know that Repugs already asked Pelosi and Emanuel...

to answer questions under oath about whether they were responsible for the leak?

I call bullshit. Instead of going on the defensive (yet once again), and offering to answer questions under oath, they should spit in their faces. Then they can tell the Repugs to get Hastert on the stand if they are so interested in the truth.

[Bluebear]

4. Exactly. Screw 'em. This is their baby. nt

[GaYellowDawg]

6. IT WILL NOT BE PERCEIVED AS SUCH WITHOUT A RESPONSE

I honestly can't believe you're saying this.

How many times have we seen Republicans trot out the latest Rovian lie or distortion and repeat it, repeat it, repeat it, repeat it, until it enters the national consciousness?

Their game plan is to try to drag Democrats into this. They will continue to repeat "when did Democrats know" every day from here until the election, and it needs to be countered.

The Big Lie is their biggest and most effective weapon. Are you actually saying that Democrats should just sit around and let them do it? That strategy worked so well with the Swifties.

[GaYellowDawg]

5. That's what prompted my post.

I'm not talking about being defensive. I am talking about a counterattack. And what do you mean, going on the defensive again? Since when have Democrats gone on the defensive? The plan has usually been this:

1. Ignore them. Surely no one will believe this.
2. They DO?!?
3. Oh, crap, we lost again!

I am talking about taking this crap and flinging it right back in their faces, with a good dose of righteous anger.

[Duer 157099]

7. Here's the risk:

The Dems have to always remember that they are perceived as weak and wimps, not willing to defend themselves much less the country.

DON'T REINFORCE THAT IMAGE!

I agree that the Repubs are sinking themselves nicely, but this is no time to shrink away from a fight!!

Show them we have courage, that we stand up for what's right, the truth, and will FIGHT for ourselves!

That's what needs desperately to be projected!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. I agree with you. It's stupid and outrageous, but so was Iraq WMD etc.

It MUST be effectively countered, and immediately, or the story will change overnight to some stupid witchhunt of Democrats.

Anyone who doesn't understand that this has potential danger, just due to the sheer stupidity of many Americans and the dogged persistence of the Republicans of throwing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to the wall until SOMETHING sticks.

[oldboy101]

9. Did you miss Nancy Pelosi's response to this?

Our brave minority leader, the next Speaker of the House IMO, called for an immediate investigation by the House Ethics Committee just before Congress adjourned until after the elections. Members of the House voted for it unanimously, as Republicans were too afraid to be seen opposing it.

She has expressed her outrage and has continued to press for a full investigation. Also she has opposed Denny Hastert's wanting to name his buddy Louie Freeh to head up an investigation. Pelosi has done all that Democrats need to do. Now let's just sit back and watch the Republican circular firing squad as they continue to self-destruct. Popcorn anyone?

[StClone]

10. Wasn't Monica outed by her friend the "R"?

Linda Tripp? My, my isn't this outing thing really their bag baby?

[malaise]

11. This scandal is about Repuke pages

under the control of Repuke henchmen. This is all a mess of their own making.

[droidamus2]

12. I agree but...

the biggest problem the Democrats have when the media picks up on the current Repugs spin is that they can't get their message out. The media will pick up the lie and run with it as if it was the biggest story of the year. One of their tricks on the talk circuit is to have a couple of rabid Repugs on with a DINO and then allowing the Repugs to spend the whole segment attacking the DINO who then ends up apologizing for something that never happened or they yell over him so even if he tries to fight back you can't hear him. I am by no means a great political/debate strategist but there are a couple of things I would like to see. One, from now on we don't use the word 'spin' somehow that idea has become acceptable call it what it is a lie, misleading statement or a distortion of the truth. Two, the Democratic leadership should make sure that they get the strongest Democratic speakers on these shows. Third, when the Repugs try to yell you down make their rudeness the question and ask them why they are afraid to let you answer the question without interuption. These are just a few suggestions. The Repugs have been using these same techinques for years its about time the Democrats/Liberals developed effective counter measures. In the end though it comes down to whether once the Repug echo machine gets going can the Democrats get the media to effectively cover the Democratic position. In the past this has not been the case.

[bklyncowgirl]

13. You are absolutely right. Remember Kerry's military records.

They've thrown lots of sewage up on the wall to see what sticks. Most of it has slithered right down into the cesspool that is the Republican smear machine. This has stuck, a little with a small but potentially important group of voters who want to vote Republican but are disgusted by this sex scandal.

John Kerry released all of his relevent military records but apparently there was some form that he did not sign that would reveal everything. The Republicans were able to pound on that day after day with the question "What is he hiding?" This gave some credibility to the Swiftboaters--at least to those people who wanted to believe them. When he finally did sign it--after the election--we found out that he had indeed released all of the relevent military information--it was all highly positive and that the only damaging information was that he had gotten less than stellar grades as an undergraduate.

You can't give these people anything to grab onto. The Republicans and their echo chamber will pound away at this until their audience believes that this scandal was covered up not by Republicans but by Democrats looking to score political points. It will also rouse their somewhat sulky Democrat hating base. This is their strategy. Rile up the base and turn off the swing voters. It's worked for them every time.

Remember the Abramoff affair when the Republicans tried to make it a bipartisan scandal? Howard Dean got out in front of that one and shoved the facts in the face of any pundit that tried to pull off the canard that Democrats as well as Republicans had taken money from Abramoff.

The Democrats need to do the same right now in the same unflinching manner. Paging Doctor Dean?

[blm]

15. I agree - Dems were HUNG for 5 YEARS with "Clinton was handed Bin Laden

3 times" baloney - plus, the "Clinton did nothing about terrorism for 8 years" horseshit.

Clinton FINALLY responded last month, but two election cycles went by where too many Americans were likely to believe that Clinton was to blame for 9-11 and Dems were weak on terror.