Karl Rove & Co go after John Edwards

[EVDebs]

Edwards Denies Tabloid Report of Affair
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jnMKwr-NYRAB_crSy_UcwFw-zOiAD8S7C9680

this comes out immediately after Edwards tops the polls as the D's most electable candidate

See Rassmussen Report link at
http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/9/29/144826/764

This was predictable ... How low can the GOP go ?

But now a caller calls in and says he's glad Edwards 'had an affair with a woman' since the GOP has all had gay affairs !

[aquart]

1. NEVER assume they've hit bottom.

[SKKY]

4. That's sage counsel at its finest right there...

...always assume they can go lower.

[SKKY]

2. Hopefully, he won't let this go for too long without a vigorous response...

...like Kerry did with the swift-boat vets.

[EVDebs]

7. Air America's Ed Schultz is spending an hour on this already

And he's not demanding anything from the National Enquirer at all.

Now Schultz is saying 'why did Edwards dignify this report with a comment'.

Some are saying get out in front so as not to be 'swiftboated' and now Schultz is saying don't dignify it with a comment.

This is complete damned if you do, damned if you don't b.s.

[Oak2004]

20. There's some research on the most effective way to respond to negative campaigning

And the answer is, come out swinging.

I'm sometimes surprised how so few political "consultants" actually bother to look at the science. Science is a good thing, creationists and consultants be damned.

[bobbolink]

40. Interesting. I don't think I've seen anything in print about this.

Do you happen to remember where you've seen it?

It's so sad we've come to this, but there it is.

And, it applies to DU as well.

:(

[Oak2004]

42. For starters, Ansolabehere and Iyengar

(authors of the classic "Going Negative"). They show that failure to forcefully respond leads voters to conclude the nonrespondent is "weak".

[bobbolink]

45. Thanks for the reference! ^_^ n/t

[SKKY]

34. This is where "Big Eddie" has it way, way wrong...

...I wonder if this was the same advice he gave to Kerry?

[bobbolink]

41. He's notorious for being wrong about such things... like blaming Katrina victims for not being able

to leave, and dying at the Convention Center and Superdome.

What a heart that guy has.

:thumbsdown:

[bobbolink]

22. That's what I've been thinking. Kerry allowed it all... I hope Edwards was more prepared.

Surely he knew going in that there was going to be all kinds of dirty crap.

I hope he predicted a lot of it, and prepared for it.

Otherwise, it's just going to be the same old same old.

[SKKY]

35. Well, one thing is positive...

...Mary Beth Cahill isn't working for Edwards, and she's the one who advised Kerry to "...not dignify the Swift Boat Vets with a response. Ignore it and it will go away." Obviously, she was horribly mistaken.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

3. There are plenty who say they're on "our" side that are joining in the smear.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3603202

:mad: MKJ

[rucky]

5. Who are they working for? n/t

[AlCzervik]

6. i'm not so sure it was Rove.

[Mythsaje]

9. Another four letter word, perhaps?

Like Penn?

[AlCzervik]

10. i don't know, it could have come from another democrat or it could be one of the republicans

i'm just not convinced it's Rove. I don't put anything past anybody.

[EVDebs]

18. Obama's pledged to not go 'negative' and HRC, if it is Penn isn't this stupid

...or at least we HOPE she isn't.

[EVDebs]

12. Mark Penn ... what the hell is HRC doing with this guy ?

http://www.prwatch.org/node/6213

[EVDebs]

8. DU should demand that National Enquirer put its information out publicly

Who made the claim ? (A GOP plant, anonymously ?)

Who is the 'friend' ?

Is this 'journalism' ? Is Ed Schultz just trying to get back into Hillary Clinton's good graces by spending an hour on this since he trashed Hillary's staff earlier in the year ?

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Liberal_talk_show_host_trashes_Hillary_0123.html

"Hillary's people treat us like dirt. We are constantly disregarded, told things that aren't true, and given speculation an interview might happen someday.

Quite frankly, I'm sick of it. This morning I watched Hillary Clinton tell CNN she is accessible. What? To the TV cameras yes, to the base of loyal listeners on progressive talk radio, absolutely not!"

Was this a quid pro quo ?

[Didereaux]

11. Obviously someone perceives Edwards as a threat.... n/t

[marions ghost]

13. Oh yeah, here we go...

just make some BS up and start flinging it. Yes, I'd agree it has the Rovian seal of approval.

I think Edwards should fight this hard--maybe even make a statement with Elizabeth together. I think they know they can't let this crap slide.

Ugly. Ugly. But that's politics in America.

[EVDebs]

14. The Bushs always shut down interviews when Jennifer Fitzgerald is brought up...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Fitzgerald



vs

[marions ghost]

19. Ummm yeah

but if you argue that point about 41's mistress(es), then you're kinda saying "Poppy did it TOO." (Which doesn't help John out much, since he sure doesn't want to be in any boat with Poppy). And people might even let Poppy off more than John, because y'know, he's married to that scary Barbara thing.

This is such a cheap shot. I hope John and Elizabeth can come up with a creative rebuttal that just shuts them all up.

I know they're not gonna find a damn thing on John (even tho it's NunYoBiz). He's like Al-- totally devoted to his SO. It's too bad this topic is still useful as political fodder. All you have to do is make the suggestion and the gullible will latch onto it.

Typical Repuglican "strategy." When you've got nothing else...throw crap like chimpanzees.

[EVDebs]

23. Edwards can blast Gore and HRC and Obama out of the water right now w/Peak Oil speech

He can lay out the course before the country right now. No other candidate has leveled with us like that. Nixon plans since '73 are what got us into Iraq in the first place,

Document reveals Nixon plan to seize Arab oil fields--'70s embargo sparked 'last resort' measure, says British memo
by Lizette Alvarez, New York Times
Friday, January 2, 2004
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/01/02/MNG8G427D61.DTL

and the ten year stay appears to have been a necessity then as it appears now,

"The British warned in their assessment that any occupation of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi might have to last as long as 10 years. The use of force would also anger and alienate Arab countries and irritate the Soviet Union, although a military confrontation with the country would be unlikely, the document stipulated."

Sen McCain keeps the ten year timeline intact with his comment,

"When asked this week on CNN how long the U.S. military is likely to remain in Iraq, Senator John McCain replied "probably" 10 or 20 years. "That's not so bad," he said, adding, "We've been in Korea for 50 years. We've been in West Germany for 50 years."

Heads In The Sand
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/03/opinion/03herbert.html

NOT SO BAD ?

Cheney's Energy 'plan' was really a dustoff and tweaking of the old Nixon plans to seize Middle Eastern oil fields. Why can't this truth be told ? Johnny can tell it like nobody else AND he can make the change that other candidates can't get us to do in a switch to alternatives and the common cause.

[Marr]

29. He should directly accuse Rove.

Even if he doesn't have direct evidence, he should say that he's been approached by people who know Rove or something to that effect. If they're going to make things up out of thin air simply to slime him, he could do the same thing in reverse, and make Rove (already a very unpopular figure) into the subject.

Frame it as Rove vs. Edwards.

[Swamp Rat]

15. Because they are afraid he will be the Dem nominee

or maybe because he will be Al Gore's vice-presidential pic... whatever. They are afraid of John Edwards, and that is very goooood. :D

[bobbolink]

24. vewy, vewy afwaid....

Put on the gloves, John.... ya gotta hit back with these gorillas!

[Swamp Rat]

26. My gloves are already off.

Dey ain't seen nuthin' yet! :D

[bobbolink]

28. Dear Swampy, did you ever have gloves ON? ~~chortle~~

OK, so you had on the ones with the spikes?

:rofl:

Cerealy, John and all the rest MUST hit back hard. We've seen the results of trying to be "nice" to the RW.

Rachel Maddow on Olberman said it right last night... During the RW convention in '04, the line was crossed with the bandaids calling Kerry a liar for his purple heart.

That was so low... how can *any* Dem candidate ever again doubt the hatefulness that will come their way, and fail to be prepared???

[Swamp Rat]

36. "Be Prepared!" .... Call up the Boy Scouts!!!

Oh yeah, Bushler sent them to Iraq.

[bobbolink]

38. Oh, just gggrrreeeeaaatttt... Now I have an earworm... Tom Lehrer lives!

Be prepared, that's the Boy Scout's marching song
Be prepared, as through life we march along.

Don't solicit for your sister, that's not nice,
Unless you get a good percentage of her price.

Be prepared...

:hi:

[Blackhatjack]

16. Rove strategy --Always go at the strength of your opponent...

If there had been any truth to this allegation it would have been trotted out last election cycle from their opposition research files.

If they are alleging it occurred this election cycle, why not provide the names, dates and evidence to back up such an allegation? Because it is NOT TRUE!

[EVDebs]

17. GMTA ! nt

[gateley]

21. Have they found this woman yet? I read one article that said they were unable

to locate her. Of course, if this was a Republican story, I'd assume they'd "silenced" her.

It breaks my heart that this is happening to such a good man.

[EVDebs]

25. This is a TERRORIST ATTACK on John Edwards and his family

Now we need to see if the Bush administration will help the individual retrieve and repair erroneous information that gets put out there, just as if inaccurate information was put in to your Fair Issac or ChoicePoint files and then used to deny you credit and/or trash your good reputation.

[marions ghost]

32. "this woman" ????

surely you mean "this alleged woman."

[gateley]

33. Perhaps "this imaginary woman" would be even more accurate. nt

[Beaverhausen]

39. "This woman" has already made her statement - story is untrue

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/10/11/161518/89


National Enquirer, Wonkette, bullshit bucket
by Jerome Armstrong, Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 04:15:18 PM EST

Rielle Hunter released the following statement through a spokesperson:


"The innuendoes and lies that have appeared on the internet and in the National Enquirer concerning John Edwards are not true, completely unfounded and ridiculous.

My video production company was hired by the Edwards camp on a 6 month contract, which we completed December 31, 2006.

When working for the Edwards camp, my conduct as well as the conduct of my entire team was completely professional.

This concocted story is just dirty politics and I want no part of it."

[gateley]

44. How did I miss that? I sure hope that gets the same amount of attention

that the accusation did. Thanks for posting this!

[Marr]

27. They want to be absolutely certain it's Hillary they run against.

[bobbolink]

31. Looks like the game plan.

Suppose we officially lost our country?

[EVDebs]

30. Wonkette : Rielle Hunter, and HuffPost connections 'plant' ?

http://wonkette.com/politics/possible-sex-scandal-dept'/did-john-edwards-sleep-with-this-lady-309751.php



"Someone gave Sam Stein (former Newsweek intern-turned-HuffPo Political Journalist extraordinaire!) the story of some TOTALLY MYSTERIOUS VIDEOS that disappeared from John Edwards’ website....

Hell, maybe John did fuck this lady! Or maybe she’s a nut who convinced herself they were having an affair! Or maybe the campaign cooked up this whole hoax to end all the gay jokes! We don’t know! None of this will be cleared up until all the tv networks start running anguished reports on how they’re not reporting on the story that the uncivil internet people cooked up."

Someone needs to call clueless Ed Schultz at Air America.

On a related HuffPost on the "story" by Stein, Jakie7 posts this,

""All pretty toxic. My guess is Sam Stein is just a kid trying to make a name for himself. What's interesting is the trolls. They're trying to light a fire here, no question. But the double whammy is they are GOP smear artists. They try to insinuate this is all coming from Clinton or Obama and they score a double hit.

This is the nature of this scum. ""

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/users/profile/Jakie7 (posted 10-11-07)

[EVDebs]

43. Also see post 39 by Beaverhausen. The lady in question denies anything happened. eom

Therefore, HuffPost has some 'splainin to do.

[deacon]

37. All congress has to do is hold him in contempt - that'll shut rove up.

[napi21]

46. I listened to Big Eddie yesterday, ranting about how John handled this

all wrong! I kept yelling at my computer stream "You're wong on this one Ed!" I understand Ed's reasoning, and it DOES apply in SOME cases, but NOT in politics! In politics, when someone throws a lie at you you INSTANTLY fight back! Things simply more too fast in the political game, and there's no time to WAIT for a lie to be proven wrong!