Here's why the Rethugs control all three branches:

[John_H]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-sen21.html

SPRINGFIELD -- For the past 10 days, U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama hasn't been able to go to the bathroom or talk to his wife on his cell phone without having a camera-toting political gofer from his Republican rival filming a few feet away...

It means Warfel follows Obama as he moves from meeting to meeting in the Capitol. And it means Warfel tails Obama when he drives to his campaign office...

Warfel interrupted Obama several times with heckling questions, but wouldn't respond when reporters asked him about who he was and why he was filming Obama's every move...."

The Dem response? Correctly pointing out that the filming is smarmy as hell. In other word, the Dem usual, whining at GOP thuggery from the moral high ground.

Compare that story with this one:

http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=29122

WASHINGTON - President Bush's campaign yesterday threatened to hold four days of campaign rallies to yank the media spotlight from Boston's Democratic National Convention if Sen. John F. Kerry delays accepting his party's nomination.

"Certainly, we would give strong consideration that there be (Bush) rallies all four nights of their four-day political rally in Boston, should Kerry decide to delay his nomination," said Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt.


Why doesn't the first story read, "In response to Warfel's videotaping, the Obama campaign has hired some cinematographers of their own. Three camera operators will not only follow and film Ryan, but also his wife, Bertha, and his college age daughter, Hilda..."?

The GOP doesn't care about the moral high ground. They care only about winning. Here's something for the in-charge dems to consider: The real moral high ground is secured when we are in power thwarting the GOP agenda. Let's do what we need to do to win.

[Atman]

1. Daschle, our feckless leader, is a p*ssy

I heard him on NPR this morning. Bill Frist has broken all Senate protocol and precedent, and has begun campaigning AGAINST Daschle in SD, for Daschle's Republican opponent. The rules of the game have always been that of decorum in the Senate, and you don't directly attack your fellow Senators, or campaign against them. Frist steps up to the plate and said, "screw tradition! Politics is hardball" (paraphrased). Senator Byrd gives a compelling speech about the grand tradition of the Senate, and how Frist is basically vile scum for changing hundreds of year of "rules" simply to advance his own political agenda.

What does Daschle say? Something to the effect that "Well, I find it unfortunate Mr. Frist feels that way." End of story.

Donkey's may have bigger dicks, but elephants certainly have the bigger balls!

[Alerter_]

2. Daschle doesn't want anymore anthrax sent through his mail

That's why he's afraid - he's got family. I'd be afraid too.

[toddzilla]

3. then he should resign

and let someone with a fucking set run the show.

[bryant69]

4. I don't know

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
Friedrich Nietzsche

The Democratic party could win by adopting Republican positions; but I assume we all think that's a bad idea. So why do we think it's a good idea to adopt corrupt Republican strategies? I'm not suggesting we don't fight the Republicans. But let's fight them where they are weakest--the failures of the neo-conservative movements policies (as enacted by President Bush). Let's show how their policies have failed, and why they have failed.

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

[John_H]

7. Political positions are not the same political strategies.

First off, we couldn't win by mimicking rethug positions since most people agree with us. The reason we've been losing despite that fact is because the GOP does what it takes to win while we quote Matthew.

In America 2004 policies are the end. Strategy is the means. You don't get to implement the policy if you get beaten. We can either have the moral high ground and lose, or win and then pass moral legislation. Which do you prefer?

The moral thing to do is get the GOP out of power, and to do that we have to win elections, even if we have to match their meanness.

Elections are not for the squeamish, never have been.

[bryant69]

13. I'd rather hold the Moral High Ground and win

You seem to be positing that holding the Moral High Ground is a synonym for failure (which is better than the usually argument that holding the moral high ground is a synonym for giving in to the Republicans).

Why can't we come up with a vigorous strategy that wins without having to stoop to this level of harrassment? Particularly with the Bush Economic and Foreign Policy in such obvious shambles?

Why also, don't we trumpet the sleazy tricks our opponents get up to. I mean if we are both in the mud, that doesn't work. But if we stay, as much as possible, out of the mud, than we can point out their rat-bastard-ness all day long.

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

[John_H]

16. I agree. Although the moral high ground lends itself to failure

when elections are concerned, especially if your opponents will stop at absolutely nada to win.

I was once at a meeting at which NC Gov. Jim Hunt, who had one a record four terms as NC governor, said something that stuck with me:

A dem candidate had been getting attacked mericelessly by his opponent. After finally responding to the attcks in kind, the Dem was now ahead. A well-intentioned staffter for that candidate said, "Now we can maybe let up on the counterattacks a little."

"No," said Hunt, "Now you step on his throat and push hard." They did, and they won.

The last time the Dems did a full bore counteroffensive was '98-99, during impeachement. We played it just as tough as the GOP, and we won that one too.

[Arianrhod]

19. We don't need moral high ground. We need genuine morality.

But there's no reason why we should give in to Republican thuggery, either. Personally, I'd like to see Obama play this up in the news: talk calmly about how the guy is stalking him (point him out often to reporters); give him a little "hello" wave before every speech; mention with a little laugh how he likes to follow him into the toilet; follow this last with wondering (almost, but not quite, under his breath) what the guy's real interests are.

Guarantee you, the camera will disappear. :)

[ikojo]

21. John H, I agree with you.

Being nice does not win elections. People don't really want a politician in office with whom they can have a beer. They want someone who will DO WHAT IT TAKES to represent and fight for them.

Right now we are woefully short of those who will FIGHT and FIGHT HARD for working people. Saying PLEASE to the ruling class DOES NOTHING. The ruling class just laughs and says, F-you and goes about their business of subverting the rights of workers.

The reason we have what few rights we do have left is because people TOOK TO THE STREETS back in the day. If the civil rights and labor rights movements were left up to the Americans of today, we'd still be working 60-70 hours a week with no weekends and no overtime (some do already work these kinds of hours) and blacks would not have the right to vote.

I don't think Dems and progressives need to exactly mimic the tactics of the right-wing but it sure would be nice if some spine and intestinal fortitude were exhibited on a very regular basis.

[noonwitch]

5. Isn't that stalking?

File charges against the guy when he follows you around in a state with anti-stalking laws.

[bleedingheart]

6. A repub politician here in PA had a Democrat stalked...and he lost

because people thought it was disgusting.

[John_H]

8. It's psychological warfare. Make Obama be too careful, stilted.

You can't count on the voters' disgust to win. If that worked more often than not, there wouldn't be a rethug in power. The Dems should stop the stalking now, and the most efficient way to do it is to give Ryan a taste of his own medicine.

[Justice]

10. Ryan has already apologized

Obama's comments in the story in the original post were perfect. He personalized it in a way that made Ryan look terrible.

Ryan's campaign came out and apologized and said they were removing the stalker.

To me, Obama handled it exactly right.

[John_H]

12. The words didn't really work though, did they?

The stalker has not been removed, only "pulled back" to a "comfortable" distance.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/roeper/cst-nws-roep24.html

Want to make it stop altogether? Start filming Ryan.

[Justice]

14. I Didn't See That - Thanks

yeks. I like the line about Ryan's own concerns about privacy and wanting to keep his divorce records private. Ryan keeps getting bad press from this.

[John_H]

15. Your point is well taken, though. The candidate should rise above.

Obama should distance himself from any attempt to retaliate, perhaps. Let an organization, Filmmakers for Fairness maybe, do the stalking. :)

[kimchi]

17. Start filming the stalker! n/t

[sangh0]

9. "Let's do what we need to do to win"

Great, so are you going to pay for it?

Do you know how much to costs to hire a full-time cinematographer for every repuke who is running for office?

[John_H]

11. I'd do it only when they do it to us n/t

[tom_paine]

18. They are going to keep pushing Free America until...

[ibegurpard]

20. The Obama campaign

should find a way to play this situation up so as to make his opponent look ridiculous.

[napi21]

22. I say fight fire with fire!

You can't win a war by fighting bombs with stones. I've said this for a long time now, and most of you have too when you say the Dems have no ba**s, or they just roll over and play dead.

I don't necessarily believe the end justifies the means, but you must fight the enemy with equal opposing force!

Forget this moral high ground stuff. Obama shouldn't do most of it himself. Get some surrogates to do the dirty work, but you gotta do it!