Hey GOP, Condemn Ann Coulter... Every Goddam Day

The ripple effect of the huge crime of 9/11, 2007, continues. That crime -- maybe the worst thing that ever happened in human history -- was that MoveOn.org suggested in an ad in the New York Times that Gen. David Petraeus might "betray us" with his testimony to Congress on all the "progress" we've made in Iraq. As pretty much everyone expected, Petraeus pushed a line of BS. Bush used Petraeus's report on Iraq to deliver an address to the nation that was, likewise, mostly BS. In that sense, Petraeus did betray us, and that was the sense in which the original question was raised.


But, as I said, MoveOn.org's ad was the worst thing that ever happened in human history. Never mind that Petraeus, who's expressed interest in a presidential run in '12, can already be considered a typical lying politician. Petraeus is currently a military man and, when you put on that uniform, you're flawless and above reproach -- it's some kind of magic thing, I think. He could've sat in front of Congress, insisted that Osama bin Laden shot Lincoln, and anyone who said that couldn't be true would be labeled a hater.

Which brings us those in the hater-labeling business -- former White House press secretary Ari Fliescher's front group, Freedom's Watch. After pushing a big "Huzzah for Bush and war!" campaign, they've gone on to attack MoveOn.org for their ad in the NYT.

Freedom's Watch press release, Sept. 13:

Today Freedom's Watch released a new television ad condemning the recent tactics used by the anti-victory group MoveOn.org. The Freedom's Watch ad specifically takes issue with MoveOn.org's accusation of betrayal against General David Petraeus in a New York Times print ad this week. General Petraeus was testifying before Congress on the success of the recent troop surge in Iraq.

"The reason we produced this ad is because like many Americans we are disgusted by the outrageous tactics MoveOn.org has employed," said Bradley A. Blakeman, President of Freedom's Watch. "Several news organizations and political leaders have already condemned the MoveOn ad. To question the character and patriotism of brave men and women who combat terrorism everyday is too much, it's in poor taste and it will not go unchallenged."

If that first sentence, with it's referral to MoveOn.org as an "anti-victory group," didn't get your BS sensors tingling, nothing will. As I say over and over and over and over, for the Bush White House, every problem is first, foremost, and only a public relations problem. They seem to believe that there's nothing propaganda can't do -- as if perception and reality are one and the same.

"Name calling, charges of betrayal it's despicable -- It's what Moveon shamefully does -- and it's wrong," FW's ads say. Coming from the right, this is piss-yourself laughable; they've been using smear, lies, and charges of treason for years. In fact, here's a fun bit from FOX News:

NewsHounds (link theirs, emphasis mine):

[FOX Host Neil] Cavuto began [a segment on Petraeus's testimony] by asking [Ann] Coulter, "how this is being reflected back to folks at home watching it."

Coulter said she hopes they're watching it...but it is "striking how different it is from what we've been hearing from the daily treason reports in the media. I mean, this is the first time, for example, I've heard how many of them we're killing. [Guess she hasn't been paying attention.] I mean, from what you can tell from reading about this war, you would think the only guy we've gotten on their side is al-Zarqawi."

"To hear what's actually going on you suddenly realize how completely treasonous the media is. And the Democrats, they want us to lose. They hate the troops. They think the troops are a bunch of illiterate, toothless, rapists from what I can tell from reading the media on a daily basis. And to listen to Petraeus, it's a completely different picture. Um, but Democrats want us to lose and I defy anyone to present any evidence that contradicts my thesis." (Coulter would herself present evidence later in her rant.) They "want America to lose. They're rooting for Al Qaeda."

FW wants people to "call their representatives and ask them to condemn the MoveOn.org Ad." Because it's so offensive and all. What would happen if the GOP were required to condemn every damned bit stupid-assed, simpleminded, and offensive spew that came from their side of the aisle? What if every time that Coulter -- or Pat Robertson, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly, Glen Freakin' Beck, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin, ad nauseum -- opened their mouths, every member of the GOP were required to issue a statement condemning them? There'd be several such statements issued daily. On the plus side, the Republican party would never have time to do anything else. On the minus side, they're still part of government and we need them to do other things -- like govern by representing the people who've elected them.

My advice to FW and Republicans is to cowboy up and stop your bawling. You people do this constantly and, when you suddenly get all sensitive about insults aimed at your guys, it makes you look like punks. If you don't like it, then you should knock it off. Like they say, don't dish it out if you can't take it.

Meanwhile, your tempest in a teapot isn't taking off. Americans, damned sick of this stupid, bloody, and pointless war, aren't biting. We've got other things to worry about than whether someone made Gen. Petraeus feel bad. We see your phony outrage for what it is -- just one more example of your hypocrisy.

--Wisco

Technorati tags: politics; Republican; war; Iraq; Freedom's Watch; Petraeus; Bush; propaganda; If dems need to apologize for MoveOn.org, then the GOP needs to take responsibility for Ann Coulter every goddam day