Politics is nasty business

[Neil D]

Pure Nastiness On the Right

Dear Friends:

The Republicans are pulling out all the stops in their quest to hang on to power, slinging mud at their opponents in vicious attacks designed to get the focus off of their own malfeasance.

In Tennessee, the Republican National Committee was running ads earlier this week against Congressman Harold Ford, who is African-American, playing off of the old Southern stereotype as a sex-crazed black man whose sole desire is the conquest of white women (watch the ad here) . When folks across the spectrum reacted with shock at the blatant racism of the ad, the Republicans pulled it, only to replace it with a radio ad which played "jungle drums" every time Ford's name was mentioned (listen to the ad here) and a TV ad which claimed that Ford took money from a Hollywood porn mogul and voted to give schoolchildren the morning-after pill. Ford has protested that the donation, which came via the internet, was returned as soon as its source was determined, and that he never voted for the morning-after pill for minors. To their credit, at least several Tennessee stations have refused to run the Republican ad until they cough up some proof of their allegations.

Meanwhile, in Maryland this week actor Michael J. Fox recorded a TV spot for Democratic Senate candidate Benjamin Cardin. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, pointed out that the GOP candidate in the race was against stem cell research, which scientists believe may hold promise for treating diseases such as the one which afflicts Fox. No sooner was the ad on the airwaves when Republican front man Rush Limbaugh was openly vilifying Fox as putting on an act in the political ad. Now if any of you have ever known someone who suffers from this degenerative disease you know the tragedy of seeing a once vigorous person lose control of his or her body. But how often have you seen a national media personality mock someone who suffers like this? You should take a look so that you will not soon forget (watch Limbaugh do his "parody" of Fox here ). When doctors and victims of this disease complained at this disgusting performance, Limbaugh quickly backtracked, offering a classic non-apology apology. in which he admitted that Fox was not acting but saying that Fox was using his illness in an exploitative fashion. In Limbaugh's twisted worldview, it is perfectly fine for billionaires to beg Congress for tax cuts so that their grandchildren won't have to work and it is okay for corporate lobbyists to apply pressure for more pork to be thrown their way, but a man can't advocate that the state intervene to save his life without being accused of exploitation.

All of this without a peep from the Religious Right, who are more concerned about the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling allowing gays to have rights like everyone else than they are to shut down the haters in their own party.

Wh at You Can Do

1) Contact the Republican National Committee and tell them so stop their shameful race-baiting attacks.

2) Contact Rush Limbaugh and let him know that you are offended by his mockery of a disabled person. (Click here for contact details )

3) Send the link of the GOP anti-Ford ad to every African-American in your address book and the shameful piece by Limbaugh to every elderly and disabled person that you know. Americans need to have no illusions about the meanness that is loose and in control of our society. They need to know the contempt in which they are held by the Republican leadership.

[Dr. Shane]

This looks like a chain-email sent out by a Democrat-supporting group. Thank goodness I have most of those idealougical groups blocks so I rarely get their emails any more. A lot of hot air and misinformation in this one. It really reinforces the reasons why we need to get our news from various sources otherwise stuff like this could really mislead us.

[Planey]

Good debating technique here, Shane.

If someone says something you either don't like or don't agree with, label it 'hot air' and 'misinformation'.

Graeme

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

the Republican National Committee was running ads earlier this week

An uniformed person may believe this but those that get their news from various sources would know that the RNC was not running these ads. Some independant conservative group, that recieved money from the RNC, was running the ads. HOWEVER although they recieved money from the RNC, campaign finance reform does not allow the RNC tell them what to do with it. So the RNC could not have told them to run the ads OR to now stop running the ads.

Quote:

Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, pointed out that the GOP candidate in the race was against stem cell research

Again, the uniformed person may be led to believe this. Actually Fox was mistaken, the GOP candidate is not against stem cell research. He is against the destruction of human fetuses. However not all stem cell research requires the destruction of human fetuses. Counter ads are now running to set the record straight.

Quote:

When doctors and victims of this disease complained at this disgusting performance, Limbaugh quickly backtracked

Limbaugh appoligized within minutes of making his comments not after doctors and victems complained. I know that and I don't even listen to the Rush Limbaugh show (well,,,, rarely do I listen to it and not recently

Quote:

What You Can Do

Contact the RNC, which by law cannot do anything about the ads being run.

Contact Limbaugh, who appoligized minutes after making his remarks.

Will the spin stop when the election is over?

[Bravus]

Clinton's adultery revealed his character, to his detriment. Limbaugh's actions reveal his character.

[Dr. Shane]

Limbaugh doesn't claim to be some big Christian. His most famous pose has him smoking a cigar. He made a comment which was a knee-jerk reaction to Micheal J. Fox's condition - which is not often displayed in public. He took a commercial break, some callers called in and told him he was out of line and he apoligized all during the same show.

Are we going to compare that to what Clinton did? It took months to get an appology out of Clinton and then it only came after the stain on the blue dress left him no other option. I don't see that as comparable to a political commentator having a knee-jerk reaction, that was in bad taste, to a political ad during the heat of a campaign and then apoligizing for it before the end of his show.

[Naomi]

Quote:

only came after the stain on the blue dress

not even going into the rest of the story, and not defending Clinton. OTOH, have you ever wondered just why someone would keep that kind of stain on a dress ,... without cleaning it, or something. Gross

: No, I'm not speaking of why they said she kept it, but the real reason.

I've heard of saving things 'for the memories' but that is just gross and silly. Or could it have been for the possibility of a

Back to your discussion ... I'll always wish we all knew the rest of the story

[Bravus]

Sorry, I wish I'd never mentioned Clinton. Let's get back on track. Someone who would ridicule a disabled person on air, including by mimicking his or her affliction, in order to score political points, has lost his/her moral compass. Apologising to avoid losing listeners/viewers is just butt-covering, IMO: but if he's genuinely remorseful then it's not his audience he needs to apologise to, it's Michael J Fox.

[D. Allan]

Politicians, oh dear, should we call them incumbants or recumbants?

[Dr. Shane]

Limbaugh appoligized. I tend not to dissect appoligizes. I take them at face value. The fact his appoligize came quite quickly is to his credit. We all say stupid things sometimes,,, well, at least most of us do. It seems to be the Left is really trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill or, as Ellen White would say, a planet out of an atom.

Micheal J. Fox is known to skip his medication before events where he promotes stem-cell research. That has been the main thrust of Limbaugh's criticisms. Personally, I don't have a problem with him skipping his meds to show how bad the dissease is. Limbaugh seems to feel that is some kind of deception. He has a right to his opinion, I disagree.

No matter how one looks at it, the email that started this thread was filled with misinformation and spin. That much is clear.

[Jeannieb43]

Micheal J. Fox is known to skip his medication before events where he promotes stem-cell research. That has been the main thrust of Limbaugh's criticisms.

And Limbaugh was proven to be lying, within 24 hours of his accusing Michael J. Fox of having skipped his meds. Michael was on CBS News the next day, interviewed by Katie Couric, with a full body shot of him. He says if he had actually skipped his meds he would have been almost paralyzed from the Parkinson's. What did happen was that he took too much meds, in preparation for making that TV ad, so his body became uncontrollable, but it enabled him to speak clearly.

Quote:

No matter how one looks at it, the email that started this thread was filled with misinformation and spin. That much is clear.

Sorry, Shane, speaking of spin... you have accused someone of just copying an email here. That's not true. Everybody knows what Limbaugh did.

====

The L.A.Times yesterday on the front page revealed that Rove is now dipping into Federal funds earmarked for other projects and sending that money to GOP candidates for Congress -- illegally using those funds -- just to try to get more GOP elected.

Rove is breaking the law. Where is the outcry from Democrats??!

As we know: Politics is a nasty business.

[Dr. Shane]

Micheal J. Fox admitted in his book, "Lucky Man: A Memoir" that he skipped his medication before testifying in front of Congress regarding stem cell research.

Quote:

you have accused someone of just copying an email here.

Regardless if it is an email or not is not the point. I see no difference between posting misinformation from an email or from a different source.

[Jeannieb43]

A long time has passed since Michael J. Fox testified before Congress, and his disease has progressed rapidly. He's in a different phase of Parkinson's these days.

I hope you never have to care for a family member with Parkinson's. It tears your heart out.

Oh that we can hasten anything possible in order to help get some research going, to find a cure for Parkinson's! Standing in the way of this research is akin to committing slow, agonizing murder of these poor sufferers.

[Dr. Shane]

OK, let's put it in context. Limbaugh is not a doctor so it is doubtful he knew much about Parkinson's disease. He made a tactless remark and apoligized for it. I don't see a big story there.

Quote:

Oh that we can hasten anything possible in order to help get some research going, to find a cure for Parkinson's!

I have a suggestion. How about we murder all the children taken away from unfit parents that obviously don't want them? If that could hasten a cure for Parkinson's would it be justified? How about ripping the fetuses out of a pregnant woman's belly? I mean, if we are going to do anything possible where should we draw the line?

[Neil D]

Quote:

Limbaugh is not a doctor so it is doubtful he knew much about Parkinson's disease. He made a tactless remark and apoligized for it. I don't see a big story there.

Of course you don't. Just because he appologised for his stupid tactless remarks makes it all better, right? Well, let's apply the same principle to Kerry's resent blunder...or are you gonna say something about that too? You seem to have a prolific posting hand.

Quote:

How about we murder all the children taken away from unfit parents that obviously don't want them? If that could hasten a cure for Parkinson's would it be justified? How about ripping the fetuses out of a pregnant woman's belly? I mean, if we are going to do anything possible where should we draw the line?

O good grief...No matter what is said in response to this, it is, in your sight, obviously wrong. The fact that the assumptions put forth here do not reflect actual practices let alone the rediculous rhetorical questions, speak more of ignorance than reason. 'nuff said.

[Dr. Shane]

Neil:

Quote:

Well, let's apply the same principle to Kerry's resent blunder...or are you gonna say something about that too?

I already did.

Cute

Shane:

Quote:

Just for the record, unlike some that will not accept Limbaugh's apology, I accept John Kerry's apology.

[Neil D]

Neil:

Quote:

Well, let's apply the same principle to Kerry's resent blunder...or are you gonna say something about that too?

I already did.

Cute

Shane:

Quote:

Just for the record, unlike some that will not accept Limbaugh's apology, I accept John Kerry's apology.

Had to say something, didn't you?

But somehow, your 'acceptance' still leaves a sour taste in my mouth....

[bevin]

Quote:

Some independant conservative group, that recieved money from the RNC, was running the ads. HOWEVER although they recieved money from the RNC, campaign finance reform does not allow the RNC tell them what to do with it

This has become a major RNC technique in the GWBush era for getting their lies and ad-hominem attacks onto the air. They know exactly what the group will say when they give them the money, and they know that more people will see the ad than see the retraction.

The Democrats are absolutely correct for calling the public's attention to this technique, and the public should be aghast at such lack of integrity in the RNC.

It has been a staple of GWBush campaign's since his days in Texas, where his campaign was supported by ads that lied about his opponent.

/Bevin

[Dr. Shane]

It's not a new technique and it's not just Republicans. Do we want to go down that road? We can start with the 1964 LBJ-Goldwater election if we want to go back that far.