A 30-second reality check ( about MoveOn.org's nazi ads)

[kentuck]

Someone would like to silence us....


(from Buzzflash link)
http://alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17546

<snip>
What made the contest draw the ire of conservatives was a pair of entries – neither of which made the final slate – that drew comparisons between Bush and Adolph Hitler and compared the fear-mongering, bullying tactics of Bush and his Cabinet to similar strategies employed in Nazi Germany. Both ads were organically quashed during the process of narrowing the field down to the final 14.


Even though the controversial pair of ads had already lost the contest, Republicans seized the opportunity. The Republican National Committee demanded an apology, and got one. MoveOn.org founder Wes Boyd said in a statement released Jan. 5, "We agree that the two ads in question were in poor taste and deeply regret that they slipped through our screening process." MoveOn.org pulled the ads from the site.


But Republicans are now demanding that all nine Democratic presidential hopefuls renounce the long-gone ads – and presumably MoveOn.org as well. This has yet to happen. The RNC claims that since the eventual Democratic candidate would benefit from the publicity surrounding the winning ad when it finally runs on television all nine of them should distance themselves from the contest and from MoveOn.org.

....more

[SeveneightyWhoa]

1. Its quite apparent that Republicans literally..

..FEAR moveon.org. I've seen nothing but smears and attacks leveled at the site, coming from the right. Moveon must be doing something right, and I hope it continues to do it.

[bryant69]

2. A taste of things to come if this particular scheme pans out

January 16, 2004 Today the RNC provided each Democrat Candidate with a 12 months supply of valium and said, "To demonstrate to the American People your connection with the Pharmecutical Industry that employs so many, we'd like to see you take these regularly, at least before each speech and debate.

January 17, 2004. Today the RNC, reacting to a post on the popular website Democratic Underground which called for the abandonment of Capitalism and the establishment of a state run economy, called on the Democratic candidates to denounce Democratic Underground and Democrats in general to distance themselves from ". . . those who would destroy the American way of life."

January 20, 2004. Reacting to a negative Post at Kicking Ass.Com, which attacked President Bush as being an incompentent nincompoop, the RNC called on the Democratic Candidates to renounce their membership in the Democratic Party and re-Register as Republicans or Libertarians.

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

[lovedems]

4. Ok,so now the RNC are official drug pushers. Is valium an addictive drug?

I would like the RNC to denounce the christian coalition.

[bloom]

3. "all nine of them should distance themselves...from MoveOn.org"

yeah - RNC would want to say that.

The best "spin" might be what Micheal Moore said. Something to the effect that there is a range of opinion out there in the country amoung however many million and that range includes these expressions of opinion.

Seeing as how the RNC and right wing would like to limit the expression of opinion - it seems that that is what should be the issue.

[xray s]

5. What the candidates should say

What is troubling is not that some folks went over the top in a political ad contest and compared Bush to Hitler. After all, some on the other side were more than willing to compare Bill and Hillary Clinton to Hitler, and even smear an American hero like Max Cleland by linking him to Osama bin Laden in the last election. Smear tactics are despicable no matter who does them.

However, what is troubling, is the fact that it was the policy in the 80's of the first Bush and Reagan administration, and members of the current administration, to support financially and militarily a man who was aptly described as "Hitler" by George W Bush; Saddam Hussein. It is troubling that the corporate interests of some who sit in this administration profited from that association with Mr Hussein. And it is troubling that they are now profiting from cleaning up that messy blow back, and that our men and women are dying in that process.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. The dem candidates should go tell the RNC

to stick it where the sun don't shine.

I will not vote for anyone of them that submits to this crap.