A current Right Wing Email that gives a small PREVIEW of the kind campaign we face in 2008. . . . .

[Faryn Balyncd]

I received today a forwarded email from a relative, (one of the female Republican voters to whom some say we must now reach out).

The email links to a right wing video which contains a small hint of the gloves-off, all out smear campaign the GOP plans to pin their hopes on in 2008. Is their no limit to what Republicans will do to divert attention from unending war, the assault on the constitution (and civil liberty), and the destruction of the middle class?

How do you think the best way to combat the politics of personal villification,the Rove/Luntz/Limbaugh/Fox/ClearChannel smear machine, and re-focus on the issues that threaten to destroy our open and democratic society?

(If I were to express (to this relative) my primary concern that some of our candidates are too warmongering, too corporatist, too hesitant to enforce the constitution (in short, TOO REPUBLICAN), it would be understood as easily as if I were speaking Chinese, or came from another planet.)

Here is an excerpt of the right wing chain email, and the video that is now circulating in right wing circles:

Fw:

"INDICTMENT OF HILLARY CLINTON"


"I would share the following link that came to me from a friend. Taking for granted that he's not particularly a Clinton enthusiast,
still the accompanying video is worth your investment of 13 minutes. Taken as a whole it is incredible nearly to the point of
unbelievability. I checked it out on Snopes but there is no reference whatever to this story, the Paul lawsuit, the 2000 $1.2MM
fund raiser, or any part of what you'll see. In light of the magnitude of the story, that fact alone is puzzling."

"Whatever, watch it and make up your own mind whether it's relevant to you and your potential choice for President of the United
States or not. Or even whether it's worth sharing with others who might find it interesting."

"I suggest you watch this immediately before the Clintons have it removed from the internet..."


Hillary_Exposed_Promo.mov


Hillary! Uncensored - Banned By The Media


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019&pr=goog-sl

I am afraid that in 2008 we will confront, not a Republican opponent & a battle of ideas, but a smear campaign that will make all of Karl Rove's historic campaigns seem like child's play?


How should we ready ourselves for this task?

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. One gets a pretty good idea of what smearing Hillary is all about

just by reading the posts by "progressives" on DU.

[Basileus Basileon]

2. Huh. What would give you that idea?

You don't suppose that after Whitewater, Blue Dress, Love Canal, Love Story, "I Invented the Internet," earth tones, sighing, 9/11, withusoragainstus, Cleland/Osama, swiftboats, purple hearts, San Francisco Values, Michael J. Fox, and Graeme Frost...the Republicans might not want to meet us with an honest battle of ideas?

[Dr.Phool]

3. "The Nation" has a good article this week on the new right-wing smear machine.

Forwarded e-mails.

www.thenation.com

[mn9driver]

4. Peter Paul is a career criminal

He sues everyone that he gets even remotely involved with--or else he steals from them and then sues them. Try replying this way:

The GOP has been reduced to using career felons to carry their message of hate, lies and distraction. They can no longer get honest Americans to speak for them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_F._Paul

[LibDemAlways]

5. The only way any Dem can deal with the smear machine is

to confront it directly and forcefully. By not fighting back against the swiftboaters immediately and with a vengeance, Kerry made a huge mistake.

In politics it's deadly to let an opponent define you. Smears must be met head-on and repudiated point by point with the sledgehammer of truth.

I admired Webb's campaign against Allen last year. When Allen tried to insinuate that Webb wasn't supporting the troops, Webb shot back that he was in Vietnam while Allen was vacationing on a dude ranch. It's that kind of tough, no nonsense comeback that puts these dirtbags in their place.