10.31.06
Corker complains that Ford is too good-looking, introduces gay-marriage issue
by Tom Toburn
As his support in the state erodes further, Republican Senate candidate Bob Corker complained to the press that it is to his unfair disadvantage that opponent Harold Ford is “too good-looking,” and said that by Ford “hogging the cover of Newsweek magazine,” he has been placed in a subordinate position with voters. “I could never hope to be that handsome. I have the pedigree voters want in every other way, but you’d be hard-pressed to find me impressing the ladies, or to voters attracted to sturdy, strapping, good-looking virile men, and I resent that.”
In an increasingly desparate campaign where little has been off-limits, Corker had to defend himself against charges that he was actually attracted to the Democratic Congressman in last week’s debate, and then re-iterate that he is opposed to gay marriage “between me and Mr. Ford, or any other two men.
“To me, (the gay marriage issue) is like imagining bestial relations,” he said as the debate descended further. “I have long been an admirer of lesbian couples, of course, though I am more comfortable addressing that in another setting.”
Laura Bush accuses Michael J. Fox of being a communist
by Paula Berrer
First Lady Laura Bush said today that actor Michael J. Fox is out of line for using his disease to press the stem-cell issue in the highly contested mid-term elections, and wondered whether he has Communist sympathies, in an interview today on CNN. “I know a lot of people, a lot of young people in this country, respect Mr. Fox as an entertainer, but I wonder if they remember him from the program where he played Alex P. Keaton, where he was a true communist in that nice household with that family,” she said. She was describing the 1970s television series, “Family Ties,” that starred Mr. Fox as a rebellious teen, though the series in fact depicted a conservative-leaning son in a household more sympathetic towards liberal views. “And playing a part on a television program might influence one to take on those views in real life, and I would not be surprised at all if Mr. Fox were to take on the views of this Keaton young man, and I think that is what we are seeing here in his working against Republican candidates in this election.” Mr. Fox has held that his views are not confined to a particular party but rather the agenda of advancing support for stem-cell research, and that his character on the show was not a communist sympathizer in any way.
Fox later complained to reporters that his views were misrepresented by Tony Snow when the White House Press Secretary disparagingly referred to him as “Mr. Michael J. ‘I hope the terrorists win-I hate the Republicans’ Fox,” and said Mr. Snow and anyone else should not refer to him in that way.
Republican House candidate calls Bush “a dangerous psychotic,” in effort to distance self from President
by Paula Berrer
Representative Doug Sterilson of Nevada’s 14th District today called President Bush “a dangerous psychotic,” in an effort to distance himself from the President’s policies, in a debate today in Reno. Though long expected to be a secure seat, it has come into play as his Democratic opponent, Terrance “Howdy Boy” McMasters has pulled within the margin of error in several recent statewide polls. In what became a battle of one-upmanship, in distancing their own policies from the President’s, McMasters, the Democratic candidate, ended the debate with a closing statement reviling the administration’s “stay the course” strategy in Iraq. Sterilson, the Republican incumbent, countered with a long rebuttal, wherein he stated that he was being long-opposed to the President’s policies, “long before you were, mister.” He then went through a litany of proposals that he said more strongly countered the present plans for quelling the violence in Iraq, including impeaching the President, who he labelled “a dangerous psychotic,” demanding the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld be placed on trial for war crimes, and placing Vice President Dick Cheney in a convalescence home. “In addition,” he said in closing, “let me separate myself from my opponent on the issue that he will raise your taxes, no matter what, if he is elected to the US Congress,” as the audience left the Reno gymnasium at the close of the debate.
10.30.06
Santorum and Casey debate positions on Iraq, Casey telling Santorum he is lying or has information processing problems
by Terri Firma
Senate candidate Bob Casey asked Senator Rick Santorum if he is lying, when he denies that there is more violence in Iraq, or has information processing problems, in the last of a series of debates today, to which the Senator replied “there is information, and then there is denial, and sir, I do not think you are qualified to discern the two!” Santorum had previously defended his votes on the Iraq War and the “Stay the Course” slogan many have used as a way of defining long-term strategy in Iraq, though the problems with the insurgency Iraq has become more entrenched and portracted since Santorum’s taking this stance.
“I listen to the commanders on the ground, and my heart, and my instinct,” Santorum said, “and Mr. Casey here seems unwilling to accept that, and would rather rely on news reports. That is all right with me, but don’t push your issues on the rest of us.”
10.29.06
Rove argues that GOP should win mid-terms “because we want to just this one last time”
by Paula Berrer
Facing his most uphill campaign since working alongside George W. Bush in Texas in the 1990s, Karl Rove has told supporters that his party will win this time too, not because they deserve it, but “because we need to, just this one last time, and then we’ll go away. I promise. I swear to God.” Though party regulars have mentioned the problems with progress in Iraq as an issue that resonates with voters, Rove told them “I don’t know why you think that. People normally think about happy stuff, like who’s going to be the winner, and that Iraq stuff is poopy, unhappy stuff.” Using a sports reference, he said “Referrees in a touch football game will sometimes let the team who last had the ball get one last score, and that’s all we’re asking for here. That’s not necessarily fair, but that is the way it has to be sometimes.”
He has denied in private that he has any “October surprise” in mind, or other underhanded methods for ensuring victory, but said “sometimes, when I really, really really want something, it happens, and I’m so glad when that happens, and you should be too.
“And I know it will be that way this time too. Oh goody. And I’ve been telling the President that too, and he is very happy about the way things look.”
Allen says Webb novel had a character who thought about hating religious conservatives once
by Paula Berrer
Virginia Senator George Allen, locked an increasingly heated re-election campaign against challenger James Webb, came out accusing the former Secretary of the Navy of “disparaging religious conservatives in his mind” yesterday, and said “This is not the mind of a man who should have any say on the direction of this country at this vitally important time.” He argued that one might conclude this from reading Mr. Webb’s novels, such as one where a former army corporal relates at one point, “I have thought unkind thoughts about Christians in my mind, from time to time, and I regret that.” Allen said “As a writer writes things, they think them, and therefore, this is a man who hates Christians, at least this one time.”
A reporter asked if, by this reasoning, one could also assume Webb believes he is a dog, as does one of the mentally ill characters in another of Webb’s novels, Allen said it is very likely, and questioned the patriotism of a man who would be willing to put America’s future, and the fate of the military in Iraq, in the hands of a dog. “It is a shameful example again,” Allen told the crowd to an eruption of cheers.
Later at the rally, he said the New York Times’ Review of books once called Webb novel “hackneyed,” and complained of an unsympathetic major character, and Allen urged voters to reject a writer of “hackneyed and unsympathetic characters.”
Webb’s office released a statement in response, that read, in part, “Mr. Allen and his advisors and supporters need to sort this sort of thing out with someone in the psychiatry profession, as soon as is practical.”
“Plus, a lot of the reviews have been pretty good,” the statement read. “Your supporters should read the books and decide for themselves. That was only one review. The Boston Globe had a very favorable review of that book. You can’t judge a book from one review only.”
Polls show Republican base rallying around the idea that bad news from Iraq “made up”
by Terri Firma
A new poll from the Washington Post shows that there has been little change in the overall dynamic as the campaigning for the mid-term election goes into its final stretch, other than an increasingly dogged determination by self-described Republicans that the reports of problems in Iraq are a media sham and part of a conspiracy to dupe them into voting for Democrats. Self-described Democrats and Independents continue to disapprove of the cureent administration’s handling of the war, the economy and national defense, and Republicans express overall support for the administration in these areas, but the number who now strongly agree with the idea “everything that doesn’t correspond to my beliefs is a lie by the liberal media elites,” has increased to 98% from a high in September of 89%, and the number who now say Iraq is a quagmire from the point of view of Jews, liberals and homeosexuals only, has also increased substantially since the last poll. Registered Republicans who now believe that the news reporting on news from Afghanistan, wildfires, the Jon Benet Ramsey abduction and Tom Cruise’s baby Suri are biased to reflect badly on Republicans tops 95% for the first time, but fewer now believe Oprah Winfrey and Katie Couric are part of a left-wing conspiracy that intends to teach their children to support same sex marriage (60% in September down to 54% this month).
“If they’d stop reporting it, it would stop being true, and then we could all be happy,” is a view that typifies this trend, expressed by Jill Tibbet from Ontario, Maine, a registered Republican, who voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004, and intends to vote the Republican ticket this fall. “Most people I talk to wish FOX News would stop with their liberal propaganda right now.”
Among likely voters, the support for the Republican candidate on a generic poll by registered voters is lower, but there are high percentage of voters in this group who said they would not answer the question because they suspected their poll answer would be used by the liberal press to place Republicans at an unfair disadvantage before the fall election.
10.26.06
Fox accuses Limbaugh of faking being a loudmouthed bigot
by Terri Firma
Actor Michael J. Fox made the outrageous claim today that he believes radio personality Rush Limbaugh is only faking being a loudmouth bigot, to garner attention and support for conservative and Republican politicians, and that he has seen the commentator in other settings where he has expressed remorse for the plight of disadvantaged or downtrodden Americans, and “it is all just an act.” “I wonder of he exaggerates to gain sympathy from angry, misanthropic people, and this is another example of these elitists talking down to us, acting like we’re idiots, trying to work our emotions. It’s all about his conservative political agenda.”
Fox cites, in particular, Limbaugh’s participation in a forum in support of the rights of the handicapped, when he told an audience “I like people, and I regret when I hurt people’s feelings, and that’s why I am here to defend people who suffering is not always appreciated by society. I myself have struggled with addictions, with weight problems, and I know how it feels.” Limbaugh retorted on his radio program, “I refuse to even dignify Mr. Fox’s claims with a response.”
Corker accuses Ford of reverse discrimination
by Tom Toburn
Senate Republican candidate Bob Corker has emerged withy criticisms of his Democratic opponent Harold Ford, Jr. for reverse discrimination, and is questioning Mr. Ford’s right to demand Corker’s disavowal and discontinuation of commercials that make allusions to Mr. Ford’s race.
The Corker campaign came under fire earlier this week for ads associated with the campaign that purportedly used race-baiting tactics, such as a one with a Caucasion model whispering Mr. Ford’s name sugestively, and a second that had jungle music playing while contrasting the image of Mr. Ford and Mr. Corker and their views on the issues. “Why should there be a double-standard?” Corker fumed to reporters. “Why can’t my guys throw a commercial up, in good clean fun, that has a little fun with the idea of prostitutes and jungle drums?”
The Corker campaign is entertaining the possibility of bringing a case to federal court defending Mr. Corker’s right to air the ads, and they have contacted the ACLU about taking up the suit.
Bush insists Republicans make better use of double standards
by Terri Firma
In a press conference Tuesday, President Bush doggedly asserted his right to use hypotheticals, define catch phrases, use speciously defined times to categorize others and allow for consideration of whether people are “playing the ‘blame-game’” or “flip-flopping” on their positions on major issues. Specifically he has asked that hypotheticals be restricted to possibilities related to Iraqis successfully attaining full sovereignity, and an economy that flourishes under the tax cuts enacted during his tenure. He does not want hypotheticals related to failure in Iraq or other policy misfires discussed. His definition of a simplified language for Democratiic positions on the war (he insists they are all variations on “cut and run”) but his own language (such as whether he has ever used the phrase “stay the course”) must not be parsed. He similarly does not want to see “the blame game” discussed in any context regarding Iraqi intelligence or government accountability for the Hurricane Katrina fall-out in New Orleans, but retains the right to blame botched preparations and security breakdowns in international affairs on past administrations. And he would like “flip-flops” restricted to situations other than his own nuanced changes on key positions.
This is similar to past assertions regarding leaks and whether they are “good leaks” or “bad leaks,” depending on their context and how they effect his rights as chief executive.
“I’m the decider and I often have to assert executive privilege as a function of my office as President.” He has used a definition of unitary executive, one defined in theory by chief counsel John Yoo and defended in practice by Attorney General and former chief counsel Alberto Gonzales, in the past in defending his rights as chief executive, but this is the first time he has tried to parse this right in defining how con
