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EMIL
FRANZI |
Embarrassments mount for both partiesSeptember 19, 2007 |
By now we’ve all seen
the infamous MoveOn.org New York Times ad asking
“PETRAEUS or BETRAY US.” This from those who
complain when Ann Coulter titles her books “Slander”
and “Treason.”
Republicans and a smattering of Democrats are outraged. I find the outrage earned, but I notice something worse. A childish lack of imagination. Think about the slugs that put this miserable pun together. Like the jerky fop who walked up to Cyrano de Bergerac and muttered about the size of his nose who was given a litany of things he could have said (best delivered by Jose Ferrer) before he was killed. MoveOn.org traded the chance to discuss its position rationally to push the envelope and appeal to the worst elements on its side of the Iraq War debate. In doing so the group provoked a large reaction, which it no doubt would consider a measure of success. Short term that might work — zealotry gathers more zealots. Long term it could cost the Democratic Party (which MoveOn is in the process of high-jacking) electoral losses. There are many opponents to this war who despise this president. Their vitriolic outpourings make Ann Coulter seem polite. Joe Galloway comes to mind — the co-author of the book “We Were Soldiers Once … And Young” with General Harold Moore, which became the finest of all Vietnam War movies. But I doubt even Galloway could push his differences on policy with Gen. Petraeus over the edge into “Betrayor.” Republicans got an opportunity to shoot back at Democrats cozy with the nutters and haters at MoveOn. Both Democrats representing southern Arizona in the House, Raul Grijalva in CD7 and Gabrielle Giffords in CD8, have taken campaign contributions from MoveOn.org. Both have been rather tepid in their response to the libel of Gen. Petraeus. Grijalva, with a safe Dem district, can afford to be what he really has never disguised. Raul is a leftwing zealot whose career is built around folks like MoveOn. Giffords is another story. She’s been trying to portray herself as a moderate sending mixed signals to both sides on a number of questions. Demands from the GOP that she return the $6,900 she’s gotten from MoveOn.org has been declined. “Tsk tsk” would apparently be the highest level so far of her indignation. You may recall that Giffords, again unlike Grijalva who is proud of his pork, refused to divulge her budget earmarks until pressured by the media. Most were related to military expenditures and some guessed she really didn’t want the leftwing of her base to know. Gabby, inquiring constituents want to know where you’re really at. The American military or MoveOn.org — pick one. Republicans also have their own local embarrassment in a shabby little man named Joe Sweeney. Sweeney has run for a host of offices in four different parties over the years, but he’s settled into being a GOP candidate for Congress the last several cycles in Grijalva’s CD7 against poorly financed GOP candidates and actually won the nomination in 2004. Many ignore him as a harmless kook, including the media who abdicate responsibility in not informing voters about the hateful messages he spews. His racism goes way beyond opposition to illegal immigration, which is hardly racist in itself. I shut him off the air some time back when he belched about the Jews owning all the media outlets. In 2004 I let him talk and ended up with a show promo with “harmless” Joe stating “wetbacks are just apprentice Jews.” Some Republicans wanted the party to denounce his candidacy — as they did David Duke’s in Louisiana — and all CD7 county parties but Pima did. The Pima County Party declined — they were worried over “getting sued” by Sweeney who runs the unaccredited Alexander Hamilton School of Law. Hamilton’s descendants should sue Sweeney. MoveOn.org. Joe Sweeney. Time for both parties to take out the garbage.
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