The momentum in the Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman shifted when the Franken campaign aired an ad exposing Coleman’s dishonest attempts to pain Franken as angry. The Coleman campaign NRSC took benign footage of Franken telling a story about Paul Wellstone and took it out of context to make Franken look like he was raging.
If you’ve never seen Franken’s ad, it’s still worth a watch.
The GOP, though, apparently doesn’t care about being honest. Shockingly, even after being discredited for these sleazy tactics once, they’re back at it with another ad showing the exact same footage of Franken.
This behavior by the GOP is shameful and pathetic. Franken deserves the chance to prove himself to Minnesotans without smear campaigns by the Republican party. It’s time for the GOP to accept that Franken won the election. At the very least, Franken deserves the basic decency of not being smeared with outright lies.
SORT-OF UPDATE: Ryan Flynn emailed me to remind me that the NRSC ran the initial sleazy Franken ad, not the Coleman campaign. That makes it all better.
Did I fall into a time warp? I thought that election is over. What do you expect as a response to that anyway? Am I supposed to now say, “Oh yeah, what about that ad that Johnson ran against Goldwater in ‘64. I little girl and a daisy as a nuke goes off. Real classy.”
For crying out loud, why dont you spend a little time trying to find agreement on something instead of always trying to fight the last battle.
Hey dude! Did you see the last link? The GOP is using ANOTHER deceitful ad against Franken.
Here is something even MORE disgraceful and pathetic.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124699680303307309.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Where is the outrage over this ILLEGAL act by Obama?
Just proves all the liberal..oops…”progressive” outrage was never about the issues….just about power.
Did you have a problem with this policy under Bush?
No. But I didn’t run around calling Bush a war criminal for supporting it. Now that Obama supports the Bush position (get used to hearing that) I suspect we’ll hear nothing out of those who bitched so loud before.
Well, what did you expect from the party that elected Michael Brodkorb as State Deputy Chair?
The election of “FEC Tony” Sutton and Michael “I am MDE” Brodkorb should have told everyone - loudly and clearly - that as down and dirty the GOP has played in the gutter in the past, was comparatively: the high road.
You know, “more of the same, only worse.”
Isn’t it odd.
The dirty tricks never stop from the right. Fictions.
They won’t let up. They’re still trying to redefine him in a negative light.
This is MINNESOTA?
I guess - after Cheney stuck his nose in to coordinate Pawlenty & Coleman.
We’re always supposed to renegotiate from the new spot in this tug of war,
even if its not on a level playing field!
But oh yeah, leave poor pitbull Sarah alone. Never mind what she tried to incite in her speeches.
Never mind she never apologized back to Letterman for her implications.
Sanford said a “Hail Mary” after disappearing on state $$$ for his rendezvous. All is good now.
Vitter apologized for the hooker. ACTUAL transgressions instead of invented stuff.
So you guys have your undies in a twist over a vidcap that made Franken look like a mad man. That’s what constitutes a dirty trick? Is this the part where I’m supposed to bring up all the dem slurs, photoshops, etc, or are we grown enough to accept that this is and has always been as part of politics.
LOL. Your answer is Doctor Smith?: “Oh the pain, the pain…”
What’s the purpose here? What’s their game?
Can we expect that the strib & pioneer press will address this
attempted character assassination of our new state senator?
Or is this the party tactic: will Coleman run against Franken for Governor?
Inquiring Minds want to know the nefarious plot.
I think it’s really just a viral campaign for a new fox news soap opera called General Guiding World Hospital where all the democrats are cast as evil bureacrats in washington and all the republicans are courageous doctors fighting the system from within the system and cops keeping the street safe as their marriages are torn apart by strippers, drugs and the job. MSNBC plans a similar series where all the roles are reversed called Guiding the Worlds Hospitals. The fall season should be outstanding!!!
This is news? Republicans continue to lie. Michael Jackson still dead. Sun rises in east.
I am curious if the media bothers to correct the Republican nitwits or if they have become so irrelevant that no one bothers.
Agreed, amuseinc, although I think what happened here still needs to be aired, as our hard-headed opponents here seem to still not get it (you listening Lloyd, guyg?)
I’ll spell it out
1. Republicans lie
2. Democrats call them on their lie, and prove it with hard evidence.
3. Some republicans acknowledge this, but most say nothing.
4. A few weeks/months go by.
5. Republicans REPEAT #1!
This is exactly what happened with Franken, as reported here.
So, you right-wing hypocrites, how about addressing this? And please, don’t try to change the subject (guyg) or hurl ad-hominems (Lloyd).
Ok, I hear you Pete. You want me to apologize for a party campaign ad that uses an image taken out of context in order to make Al Franken look like a mad man?
Jeez I’m sorry. It must hurt you something terrible.
I am now supposed to admit that a picture that makes Al Franken seem like a ranting maniacal dictator is a lie?
Ok. That picture is a lie. That is a picture of Al Franken but he wasn’t ranting like a maniacal dictator - he was actually expressing his love for Paul Wellstone.
(Little known fact: In many of the videos that show Hitler ranting to the large crowds he was actually expressing his love for furry little kittens*)
I now have to speak out against anyone party ad that uses Al Franken’s the images of Al Franken’s impassioned eulogy in vain.
Ok. Stop it you RNSC. You are bad bad evil people. Shaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeee on you.
Finally, I must never forget the horrible injustice done to all americans by using the distorted visage of Al Franken.
Ok. I propose we build a memorial to the truth of this distortion so that in 100 years, should anyone, from either party, ever, ever, ever even think of taking an unflattering image and using it in a campain they will know that history has long since condemned the practice.
Hooray!!!
Sorry for any ad hominems (examples please)
Thin-skinned much, Lloyd? I really pushed some buttons!
One point I forgot to mention in my post: Democrats don’t do what happened here.
Thanks for making it all so clear now. Democratic politicians are inherently good and virtuous, while the Republican politicians lie, embellish, and use whatever tactics they can to get their guys elected.
And here I thought calculated campaign strategists and the influence of party money existed on both sides.
Silly me.
Dtm, what gives? I thought you were an independent. Why employ the right-wing playground-level dialog of Lloyd?
I clearly pointed out a specific, despicable tactic of the right, and how it was used against Franken. And I also pointed out that the democrats don’t ever do this (and I defy anyone to prove otherwise).
And you get defensive and respond with a straw man argument?
Democratic politicians are inherently good and virtuous, while the Republican politicians lie, embellish, and use whatever tactics they can to get their guys elected.
I think you can do better.
Dan you want to point out the sleazy tactics and lies of Democratic politicians you go right ahead. I just think the GOP as an organized crime syndicate is a special example of sleaze and no Democrats are not near as sleazy.
So far it DOES seem like the Republicans have a lock on Rovian crap politics… that and putting their dicks in little boys and other places that it does not belong while loudly insisting they represent God, family values and everything good in politics. How can they kiss their wives with those lying mouths? Oh that right they don’t, they kiss their hookers and mistresses.
Look we progressives have been pointing out the hypocritical and down right, cold-blooded lies of the Republican Right wing for years. What do we hear in return, Kennedy let that girl die 30 years ago, Robert Byrd was a KKKer more than 50 years ago in his youth and everybody does it. Sorry but that doesn’t cut it because you have yet to see a Vitter diaper-wearing Democrat or a Foley “What a fine handsome young Man you Are” Democrat or a Sanford “I think I’ll skip the country for some Wango-Tango” Democratic governor. If you hypocrites had found the corruption and sleaze we have seen from the Republican side of the aisle… well we would of heard of it.
Guess what we haven’t seen it paraded in front of the media as fact. Lies and insinuations we get from you guys, just no facts. So quit with the everybody does it because everybody doesn’t do it… especially if they have a D behind their name.
Obviously Elliot Spitzer and his hooker doesn’t count. Barney Frank and the gay prostitution ring that was run out of his house doesn’t count. Bill Clinton and the cum on his intern’s dress doesn’t count. Who was that New Jersey governor that left his wife for a man a couple years ago? He doesn’t count. Those are just the recent Dem perverts that don’t count.
Now, there’s the corrupt Dems that don’t count like Milorad “Rod” Blagojevich, William Jefferson, Charlie Rangel, John Conyers, Jack Murtha and Bill Richardson.
But that brings us to all the Dem tax cheats that don’t count, like Al Franken, Tom Daschle, Tim Geithner, Nancy Killefer, Charlie Rangel and maybe even Sonya Sotomayer - if her law practice was indeed a tax dodge.
Why dont any of them count? As Amuseinc points out so well, they dont come from a party that supports family values, low taxes or ethics in government so they can’t possibly be considered hypocrites. The easy solution for the Republicans would be to just stop trying to have standards to live up to - but then they would just be Democrats and some people just have too much self respect to refer to themselves as that.
Oh Llyod how cute a defense of sleazy Republican tactics based on the “they did it too” argument. Sorry to say that just doesn’t make any sense. I suppose if all the kids were doing drugs it would be OK for you to do them? And remember the old saying about glass house because Republican leadership seems to excel at building them and handing out stones to Democrats.
Elliot Spitzer resigned because of revelations about his hooker problem, Republican Senator Vitter who likes to dress up ion diapers and evacuate himself with his hookers is still in the Senate because he felt no reason to resign. Hmmmm… for some reason having a little shame strikes me as better than being a brazen ass still insisting you represent Christian living at its best. Vitter is still trying to get the Constitution changed to strengthen his marriage… like it would matter.
Now lets look at Republican false outrage and well more lies. Barney Frank and the gay prostitution ring doesn’t count mostly because he had nothing to do with it. I suppose we could start blaming every landlord with everything done on their property but hey Congress didn’t in the Frank case. Bill Clinton and his adult intern having consensual relations is a problem between his wife and himself until Republican outrage wastes millions. A gay New Jersey governor resigns and divorces his wife… with never a speech by him insisting he was the paragon of virtue that is Sanford.
More outrage from Duke Cunningham supporters about Rod Blagojevich and William Jefferson, but then you throw in Charlie Rangel who has been accused but never convicted of anything. Bit of an over stretch there Lloyd. John Conyers problem is actually his wife’s but lets not worry about the details when acting as Republican judge, jury and executioner. Jack Murtha gets investigated and he becomes equal to criminals because Republicans don’t need actual trials to convict Democrats. Aides to Bill Richardson get investigated and all of a sudden Bill Richardson is a criminal.
Republicans mention Dem tax cheats without any actual cheating going on… like Al Franken. His accountant makes errors in a complex set of returns, actually pays more to the wrong states than he should before correcting it and bingo-bango the Republican outrage machine goes into over drive. The lies just keep coming along. I keep wondering if the hiring of illegal aliens and not paying the correct taxes on them is a Republican disease or just a wealthy persons disease?
All in all human beings make mistakes and are caught in lies and deserve some sympathy. It takes a Republican to make a speech on what needs to be done to strengthen his marriage by taking civil rights away from others, visit his dying wife in a hospital and then spend the night with his mistress. Hypocrisy your name is Newt Gingrich and you are an example of the Republican ideal.
Now that is rich. You ask for examples and when they are given you say I’m using the “they did it too” argument and turn around and use it yourself. Nice. If I cared enough I too would twist some logic to defend all the Republicans you cited but I don’t. They don’t mean enough to me to excuse their behaviour and even if they did, I don’t think I’d want to be on record trying to. If your comfortable with your selective outrage then that’s cool. I wont judge you.
In all I give you points on your rebuttal. I see your point on the moralizing in some circles of the GOP and it really bothers me too. I dont want anyone’s morality legislated to me. Not yours, not mine, and certainly not some hustler that gets sent to the the state house or to washington because he or someone more rich and powerful greased some palms to get him there.
But see, that’s the point, I don’t look at one party’s politicians as any less corrupt than the others. I have an enormous distrust for everyone in government because I believe it is a breeding ground for corruption. Naturally I support those politicians that seek to limit the size and scope of that breeding ground but I have few illusions that they will be able to change it before it changes them.
Apparently though, my contempt for virtually all politicians isn’t enough for you all. Nothing short of despising all Republicans and loving all Democrats will make you happy. How much do you think you will accomplish with that tack? Honestly, does this approach work for you in other aspects of your life? Remember the knock on Bush was that he saw things in terms of black and white, never any grays? What are you doing with your “Democrat Good”, “Republican Bad” statements if not setting up the same false dichotomies that Bushitler, the Chimp did?
In this economic climate - it would be nice if all the horses pulled in the same direction.
Without the outside agitators.
Instead we get the right jockeying for position.
Not enough of them have lost their jobs in this impending depression?
Republicans lie to the legacy media for the old-fashioned reason: because they can.
And that’s why the rightwing has spent so much money rolling up and merging and consolidating the legacy media; now it’s their mouthpiece.
On lying without missing a beat:
Its pathetic as a strategy, its ugly cynical about America as a tactic!
Pete. That’s what you have in response? Well played. The one saying it’s politics as usual, this has gone on for centuries, don’t make too big of a deal about it is being called thin skinned by the guy crying about a freakin tv commercial.
Yes, yes, well played Pete. Shall I prepare a response for the “I know you are but what am I” gambit or will you go right to the “Oh yeah, at least I’m not a mouth breathing knuckle-dragger” nuclear option?
If Pete forwards “dems don’t do what happened here” in a little “they are all the same” pitch:
I need to know what Republican value he sees in attempted character assassination
now that Franken is in office & the election is finally put to bed?
Does Norman Coleman intend on running against Franken for Governor too?
If that is the tactic - more of the same,
then are we to conclude they have NO positive message at all anymore?
Oooops. I meant to include Lloyd in that above post.
Its Lloyd who is the one I should ask an answer from!!!
Sorry Pete.
Lloyd - what have you refuted in your post?
If the Republicans are running this kind of crap - why???
Do they hate America? Do they think people are stupid?
How honroable are they?
np bird (I was scratchin my head on that one!)
Now that we see it was the NRSC that was behind this, our argument is obviously strengthened.
So get ready for an avalance of bullshit from the righties!
I’ll take that challenge MB but you may need to clarify it a bit. I should note that the post to Pete was ages ago in the discussion it just shows there at the end because I didn’t know how to work the reply button.
In direct response to your questions, I’m not sure I’ve refuted anything. I’ve simply pointed out that this sort of thing in politics is older than our political system so I’m not as bothered by it, nor feel the need for “tit for tat” nor feel any outrage for “tit for tat” as you all apparently do. Franken’s your guy and you love him. You think it’s unfair to show pictures of him screaming and that’s fine, you have that right. I thought the General Betrayus ad was pretty awful too but the only real problem I had with it was the discount they were given to run it, not that they said it. Likewise I think all of the Bush as a chimp stuff was horrible. There were a few Franken ads that bothered me too. I’m not whining about them because they are what they are. That’s politics today, just as it’s been for ever. (You do realize that it was WAY worse before right?)
Why do they do it? I can only presume they do it because it works.
Do they hate America? No, but I’m sure they love themselves more.
Do they think people are stupid? Of course they do. You can only inflate your own sense of self so much before you have to start diminishing others.
How honorable are they? Now that’s the question isn’t it. “They” are whatever “We” say “They” are as long as “We” dont give them names. “They” can be a wild pack of gay bashing abortion clinic bombers but that depends on who “We” are because “They” could just as easily be sex crazed druggies that want to socialize medicine so homeless pregnant teenage girls can get abortions.
As for the rest, you’ll have to read the last response to Amuseinc to get a sense of how I feel about party politicians but I’ll also add that I think we do ourselves a great disservice when we get into the Republicans this, or Democrats that discussions. It allows us to use strawmen when real people are right there in front of us trying to engage with us. Politicians are elected BY US, and their parties aren’t teams we that we play for just because we vote for them more than the other. They just more closely match our views. I’ve noticed that you seem to get this better than many of your leftist brethren and believe me I appreciate it.
A little history for perspective:
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/the-complete-history-of-dirty-politics-a-qa-on-anything-for-a-vote/