Friday, September 08, 2006

Is that the Foul Stench of Karl Rove that I Smell?

From the December 12, 1999 edition of the Dallas Morning News, entitled "Rivals again fault Bush over rumors":
The fallout over apparent attempts to smear GOP presidential contender John McCain has prompted comparisons with a similar dispute in Gov. George W. Bush's political past. In recent weeks, the Bush campaign has been accused of - and has denied - spreading rumors that Mr. McCain may be unstable as a result of being tortured while a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.

Several Senate Republicans, among them party leaders who favor Mr. Bush for president, have been identified in published reports as being responsible for privately pushing the allegations. Also, James B. Stockdale, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who ran as Ross Perot's running mate in 1992, said he got a call from a friend close to the Bush campaign soliciting comments on Mr. McCain's 'weakness.'
Has Creepy Pete Roskam now borrowed the "Smear the Vet" page from the playbook of Mr. Bush and Mr. Rove?

From Creepy Pete's website:



McCain "Unstable"... Duckworth "Unhinged"...

I'd dismiss it as a coincidence -- if Karl Rove weren't known for his "Attack Their Strengths" campaign strategy.

And the GOP have repeatedly executed Rove's plan as a "Slander Their Service" strategy against combat veterans -- first against John McCain, then against Max Cleland, then against John Kerry, and now against Major Tammy Duckworth.

The election season must be upon us, because Creepy Pete has launched his Swiftboats.

12 comments:

pathickey said...

Mr. Mayor,

My compliments on your stewardship of this campaign. Your posts continue to help a good candidate look better to the voters.

For Campaign Roskam has run he deserves to be consigned to the political'memory hole.'

Nice work - wish I could vote for the Major, but they do not allow me in those zip codes - it's the K-Mart shoes: Thom McCann's.

So-Called Austin Mayor said...

Mr. Hickey,

As a fella who has lived and worked all around DuPage County, I have to tell you: you and your K-Mart shoes would fit right in with some of us 6th District residents.

-- SCAM

Bridget said...

SCAM, you missed the second part of that little article that sticks out like a sore thumb...if you're female. "Shrillest language" has the connotation of sexism ALL OVER IT. To call a woman "shrill" is to basically call her a controlling, whiny bitch.

He's Hillary Clinton-ing her. How'd you miss that???

So-Called Austin Mayor said...

Bridget,

I saw that too.

That piece is so rich with topics -- including conflating Lou Dobbs' bloviating with CNN's newsgathering operation -- but I had to settle on just one.

-- SCAM

grand old partisan said...

I don't undertand, SCAM. This headline is posted in the same place on Roskam's site as his healtcare plan, which - accoridng to your previous post - is apparently inaccessible to the public. Why get so bent out of shape about something no one will get to lead.

Unless, of course, your previous post was just an inane bit of over-blown fault-finding on your part, and this healthcare plan of his (and, in turn, this "swiftboating" headline) are perfectly accessible to a wide swath of potential voters.

oh, and bridget, get off it. Stop trying to put your spin into people's mouth. BTW:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-kerry/shameless-but-the-real-s_b_22505.html

I suppose I can expect to see a post on your blog in the next few days denouncing Senator Kerry's "sexist" remarks about Ann Coulter's "shrill attacks."

Or do you only get outraged about certain words when Republicans use them?

So-Called Austin Mayor said...

GOP,

You should be happier.

Thanks to the attention, something finally comes up when you click on the word "healthcare" on Pete's site.

Of course his "plan" is still a big ZERO -- the same tired half-measures that the Republicans have talked and talked about since taking over Congress.

Maybe if I put up a post about Pete's "coming soon" in the "Lawsuit Reform" portion, we will finally find out how a dog-bite attorney would keep foolish lawsuits out of our courtrooms.

I'll bet that explanation will be a doozy.

grand old partisan said...

SCAM,

You're such a sore loser, it's sad.

BTW, please direct me to Duckworth's original, comprehensive plan for healthcare. From what I gather from her website, it's simply to continue a Clinton program and copy Blago's AllKids on a federal level - both only addressing children's healtcare, and both simply proposing more tax dollars be spend. No reform. No original ideas. Why not ask your candidate to come up with that before attacking her opponent's much more comprehensive, more detailed plan as "tired half-measures."

So-Called Austin Mayor said...

GOP,

I must admit, your name calling has begun to bore me.

- SCAM

grand old partisan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
grand old partisan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
grand old partisan said...

Wow, bored after ONE name. Imagine how "Creepy Pete" "Rubberstamp Roskam" must feel.

Why won't you answer any of my questions?

Isn't it true that between this and the immediately previous post, at least one is an trivial, inane "fault"-finding expedition?

Isn’t it true that Duckworth has absolutely NO original plans for healthcare, and it’s wildly hypocritical for you to attack Roskam’s comparatively detailed and comprehensive one as “tired half-measures?”

Isn’t it true that, despite being a PI attorney himself, Roskam has sponsored tort reform legislation in the Illinois Senate that would dramatically cut into his own profits? And that while Duckworth loves to slam “Personal injury attorney Peter Roskam,” all we have heard from her on the subject of tort reform is a vague, poorly-thought out statement by her manager about reforming advertising for PIs?

I enjoy being glib just as much as the next guy, SCAM. But when I’m confronted, I always put up, or I shut up. Can you rise to the challenge?

So-Called Austin Mayor said...

"when I’m confronted, I always put up, or I shut up."

And that is why you are one of my personal heroes.

Followers

Blog Archive