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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (30245)	10/18/2004 1:17:06 PM
From: James Calladine	Respond to of 173976

Trash Talk Posted by James Wolcott Roger Ailes--the good Roger Ailes--usefully reminds us that with all the fun to be had with falafel, the Bill O'Reilly sexual harassment case has a classic brutal overtone that shouldn't be ignored. Behind the breathy phone sex was the bare-knuckled threat to wreck any woman fool enough to cross him--"I'll make her pay so dearly she'll wish she'd never been born." I'm reminded of the caveman boasts in the Nixon White House about sticking Kay Graham's 'tit in wringer," and Karl Rove's shouting into the telephone about a political operative with whom he was not pleased, "We will fuck him. We will ruin him. Like no one has ever fucked him." Conflating sex with violence, such big shots pride themselves on their destructive prowess, sadism is never far from the surface. And other men get off on this. Last night on Topic A with Tina Brown, Jim Cramer became more aroused than usual at the prospect of O'Reilly, Roger Ailes (the bad Roger Ailes), and Rupert Murdoch bringing down their wrath on Andrea Mackris, destroying her. Watching the case unfold in the media, it's impressive how much supposedly informed people get wrong. On Howie Kurtz's Reliable Sources, Laura Ingraham, who received her law degree at Virginia Law School and clerked for Clarence Thomas, said that it was illegal for Mackris to tape O'Reilly without his consent; not so. And "expert" after "expert" hurls the $60-million figure Mackris was supposedly demanding as evidence of how ridiculous the case is. On Anderson Cooper's CNN show, Mackris' lawyer Benedict Corelli explained where the number came from. They were working out ballpark numbers as a basis for the settlement, and Corelli mentioned that a recent Business Week article put the yearly take from O'Reilly's various enterprises at $60 million a year; this was the basis for them to work from. He was not demanding every dollar O'Reilly makes in a given year. I think O'Reilly slapped that number on the screen during his Talking Points memo because he knew it was a sum everyone would find outrageous--highway robbery!--and make Mackris and her lawyer look like fortune hunters. As a public relations gambit, it's worked. But the legal system is a whole 'nother labyrinth, and as Steve Gilliard says, once Corelli is able to depose O'Reilly's present and past coworkers and subordinates, dig into his past at other stations, who knows what'll seep to the surface.? Most of the supersavvy legal experts and media watchers didn't think Martha Stewart was going to be convicted. Those who blithely declare Bill O'Reilly will tough this out and emerge bigger than ever may be equally surprised. jameswolcott.com

To: longnshort who wrote (30245)	10/18/2004 1:24:00 PM
From: James Calladine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 173976

The Power of GOP Moderates to Defeat George W. Bush By Michael Cudahy t r u t h o u t \| Perspective Monday 18 October 2004 If President George W. Bush is reelected, the direction of the Republican Party is likely to undergo a massive and fundamental shift. Long-held principles of liberty, integrity and respect for human rights - established by Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower - could be relegated to the pages of history books. Should the president win reelection we could see national identity cards, a continuation of irresponsible fiscal policies, and a foreign policy that rejects a decades long respect for multilateralism. These are positions that have defined the party for the better part of the 20th century and are deserving of this president's consideration. Ironically, the decision rests in the hands of the centrist or "moderate" wing of the Republican Party - the very people whose values will be devalued if this administration is permitted another four years in office. Representing only 18-20% of registered Republicans nationwide, they are in a position to supply Democrat John Kerry with the 3-5% points he needs to win an extremely close presidential election. During the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush mesmerized many of his party's centrist members with talk of "compassionate conservatism," and a desire for bipartisanship cooperation. "President Bush's rhetoric during the 2000 campaign held the promise for a significant change of direction," said Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI). "There was a strong bipartisan desire for mutual respect and cooperation - for the good of the country. We were exhausted by the bitter partisan infighting, but this administration's behavior has only made the problem worse." "We are seeing policy initiatives that are diametrically opposed to the promises we heard four years ago," Chafee says. "The president is advancing an extreme agenda that rejects everything from worldwide environmental cooperation to the banning of access to abortions for service members overseas." "Moderates were in a position to provide significant assistance to this president," says Chafee. "Sadly, he chose a different direction." The question that needs to be addressed is the commitment and courage of rank and file Republican centrists. Are they prepared to overthrow the neo-conservative Republicans that betrayed President George H.W. Bush in 1992, or has their will been broken by the strong-arm tactics of the last 12 years? "The problem with moderates," says Ann Stone Chairman of Republicans for Choice, "is that they are so moderate, so civil, and generally so silent. Nonetheless," Stone says, "only 38% of her membership will be supporting President Bush." In talking with Republican activists who have consistently supported moderate positions for decades, I discovered that none were willing to speak on the record. To a person they are intimidated by the extremely personal and well organized attacks by members of the Bush administration's political operation. "When I talk anecdotally to moderate Republicans, it's very hard to find one who is going to vote for Bush," said John Zogby, president and CEO of the polling firm Zogby International, in an interview with Salon.com. "On the other hand, it's not showing up in our polling." In fact, Zogby's latest polls show 87 percent of Republicans backing Bush. "I'm just watching and waiting and saying to myself maybe there's something going on here, because I'm hearing it." Consequently, it is hard to understand why respected and visible moderate Republican leaders like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator John McCain, and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani went to such lengths at the Republican Convention in New York to provide President Bush with important political cover. It is particularly difficult to understand when this administration has done virtually nothing to support their concerns. While some political analysts suggest it is a strategy to reestablish influence for the centrist Republican agenda, other observers question whether the benefits will be worth the price. "A second Bush term would be a disaster for American women," said, Evelyn Becker Deputy Communications Director at NARAL. "We would see an effort to pack the U.S. Supreme Court with ultraconservative justices in an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade, as well as continued and aggressive legislative moves to limit women's access to birth control, proper family planning and health care services," she said. The November election will also decide other major legislative battles critical to party moderates. We are certain to see the Bush administration set new standards in partisan politics. This extreme behavior could precipitate a serious conomic crisis, as a result of irresponsible tax policies and out of control government spending, while threatening the American tradition of free speech with measures such as the USA Patriot Act. We will find out in a few short weeks whether Republican moderates can be bought off by the occasional bone and a seat at the children's table, or whether they will regain their voice and become major players in setting the party's political agenda for future generations. Michael Cudahy is a political writer and analyst from Massachusetts. He was a former national campaign staff member for President George H.W. Bush, Executive Director for Elliot Richardson's Committee for Responsible Government, and National Communications Director for the Republican Coalition for Choice. truthout.org