Rand Paul Campaign: It Was a Secret Double Reverse Undercover Liberal

Wingnuts • Views: 3,126

In tried and true Paul family fashion, the Rand Paul campaign responded to the revelation that one of their staffers had been trolling Daily Kos by claiming that it was a double reverse conspiracy.

Whenever Ron or Rand are caught doing something underhanded, this is how they respond.

I posted yesterday that DailyKos appeared to have caught a Rand Paul staffer pretending, in the comments, to be a progressive with doubts about Jack Conway. Paul aide Gary Howard, however, tells me — and has evidence to back it up — that this was an even more complicated online game, and that the culprit impersonated the Paul staffer to embarrass Paul’s campaign.

Wow, now that’s tricky. He pretended to be a Paulian, pretending to be a liberal, somehow knowing he would be caught, in order to embarrass Rand Paul.

Sure, that sounds plausible. Not.

“Our evidence is based on the signup email — which can’t be scammed. The owner of that email has to verify it by clicking on a link to post on Daily Kos,” Markos Moulitsas emails, providing a different, and apparently real, email address for Kubica.

I’ve asked Howard to take a look at that data as well.

Notice in the comments for Ben Smith’s article about online impersonation: a comment from someone impersonating me, and a comment pretending to be from another LGF lizard, using what they think is a real name out of sheer malice.

Does anyone ever moderate the comments at Politico? It’s become a real cesspool of trolls.

Jump to bottom

98 comments
1 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:26:12am

Is this anything like double-secret probation?

2 AntonSirius  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:30:10am

People still read Politico? Why? Drudge is at least up front with his biases.

3 Haikugoalie  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:30:38am

In a perfect world
Republicans gain the senate
Without Mr. Paul

4 Gus  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:32:26am

Ron Paul, winner of the Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll. With no shortage on the tin foil supply it’s only apt that the Rand Paul campaign respond with a conspiracy theory.

5 Kronocide  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:32:44am

How deep does this run? It could be liberal acting as a Tea Partier acting as a liberal acting as a Randian. I’m just asking questions!

6 Political Atheist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:33:55am

I lurk there a lot. They do not moderate for squat. I think they should just end the comments, be a straight news/commentary site.

7 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:37:39am

What was that Mad magazine cartoon? Spy vs. Spy?

8 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:38:36am

My new 3:1 karma ratio, ch-ch-ch-check it!

Can’t wait for my free set of steak knives.

9 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:39:04am

re: #7 EmmmieG

What was that Mad magazine cartoon? Spy vs. Spy?

Yep.

10 laZardo  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:39:26am

It was the Stig.

/

11 laZardo  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:44:59am

Bedtime. Nighty.

12 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:45:16am

re: #3 Haikugoalie

In a perfect world
Republicans gain the senate
Without Mr. Paul

This is almost a haiku.

What perfect plan do you see the Republicans enacting if they were to take the Senate?

13 elizajane  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:45:29am

Not all of Politico has become froth-at-the-mouth troll city. It’s mostly Ben Smith’s blog, and I have wondered about that. Didn’t he cover the Democrats for Politico during the 2008 election season? Possibly he’s never been forgiven for that. I think the trolls consider him another form of David Weigel; at least, they are much more vicious toward him and everything he reports on. Was he a Journolister? That also brings out the trolls. I think that Ezra Klein’s comments must be very heavily policed at the WaPo blog, while Smith’s clearly are not.

Have I mentioned that I spend Too Much Time on political blogs??

14 Taqyia2Me  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:46:50am

re: #7 EmmmieG

What was that Mad magazine cartoon? Spy vs. Spy?

Yes!

15 elizajane  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:49:38am

re: #8 goddamnedfrank

My new 3:1 karma ratio, ch-ch-ch-check it!

Can’t wait for my free set of steak knives.

Hey Frank, Well done! I’ve been secretly aiming for that myself, although I was hoping for the free case of Chardonnay. The pen set when I passed 2:1 was quite exciting.

16 recusancy  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:52:47am

Politico is a real cesspool of trolls.

17 iossarian  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:53:24am

re: #12 Fozzie Bear

This is almost a haiku.

What perfect plan do you see the Republicans enacting if they were to take the Senate?

I think a Congressional Committee needs to be set up to investigate serious allegations concerning the President’s birthplace!

That, and charges of HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS!

18 stevemcg  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:54:31am

Not to mention a special prosecutor to investigate Michelle Obama.

19 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:54:59am

I can’t believe what I just read. They are actually attacking Amnesty International over at the stalker blog. Oh, and “human rights”.

20 Obdicut  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:55:12am

re: #17 iossarian

I think the few sane GOP politicians left are terrified of actually gaining a majority, because the call for impeachment hearings would start immediately.

21 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:55:34am

re: #20 Obdicut

are there any sane ones left?

22 iossarian  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:55:35am

Seriously, they got nothing. Everyone knows that.

Back when the healthcare plan was being discussed, they at least came out with a budget proposal (even though it didn’t have any numbers in it). Now, there are no policy proposals at all, as far as I can tell.

23 recusancy  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:56:26am

re: #19 tnguitarist

I can’t believe what I just read. They are actually attacking Amnesty International over at the stalker blog. Oh, and “human rights”.

AI is a huge target for the right. Just like Acorn. They don’t like any institution that helps the needy or imperiled unless its christian based.

24 Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 9:58:42am

Theoretically having someone impersonate you in order to make people think you said things that could defame your character is something that would fall under libel law, If you had the time and money and wasn’t too worried about any Streisand effect that may happen. You could give Politico and some of the people making those false representation of you a really hard time.

I know it’s probably not worth it to really dedicate time and effort towards it personally, but for something like the Politico, it can lead to a pretty massive liability problem if they’re not properly removing comments that are falsely implying they’re you.

After all, who has deeper pockets, Politico, or the morons making the posts? and who has the most to lose, certainly not some troll who has a bone to pick.

Note, I don’t think this is censorship in any way shape or form, I’m a big fan of anonymous comments and anonymous behavior on the internet, but if you’re going to break laws and defame people by falsely representing yourself as someone else, you’re stepping beyond the bounds of constitutional protection.

25 lawhawk  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:00:17am

re: #23 recusancy

AI has a nasty habit of singling out the US or Israel (especially Israel) in its missives and fundraising efforts. Same with HRW. That does undermine their efforts to improve human rights around the world when they cast a blind eye on other more pressing situations.

26 webevintage  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:00:55am

re: #13 elizajane

Not all of Politico has become froth-at-the-mouth troll city. It’s mostly Ben Smith’s blog, and I have wondered about that. Didn’t he cover the Democrats for Politico during the 2008 election season? Possibly he’s never been forgiven for that. I think the trolls consider him another form of David Weigel; at least, they are much more vicious toward him and everything he reports on. Was he a Journolister? That also brings out the trolls. I think that Ezra Klein’s comments must be very heavily policed at the WaPo blog, while Smith’s clearly are not.

Well the last time I looked at the comments for Klein (who I read but avoid the “obama will kill us all” commentors) there were a few journolist trolls that just would not go away.
Speaking of Kllein had a few good posts today:
Why elections matter in one graph
and
The Pro Business White House

The comments at Politico are a cesspool of crazy idiocy mixed with a few brave souls trying to throw some reality/truth in.

The comments at Wonnkette are made of awesome and always make me chortle….

27 lawhawk  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:01:28am

re: #20 Obdicut

You cannot impeach someone for a policy difference. That’s what talk of impeachment has boiled down to since Clinton was impeached. Now, it’s about settling scores, rather than for high crimes and misdemeanors.

28 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:01:46am

re: #20 Obdicut

I think the few sane GOP politicians left are terrified of actually gaining a majority, because the call for impeachment hearings would start immediately.

I hope they do it. It seems like a natural zenith for the crazy to reach, and a perfect illustration for the voting public that the GOP really has no plan other than to oppose Obama, as a person, rather than the policies of the administration.

Since dialing back on the insanity doesn’t seem to be in the cards, the next best thing would be for the GOP to put it on full display. Its not like its possible to get any legislation through the senate right now anyway. It may as well serve to make an object lesson out of idiots.

29 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:03:17am

I give the guy credit.

That’s a lot better than ‘the dog must have hit the keyboard and I ended up with an account at Kos’.

30 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:03:24am

re: #27 lawhawk

You cannot impeach someone for a policy difference. That’s what talk of impeachment has boiled down to since Clinton was impeached. Now, it’s about settling scores, rather than for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Watch them. I don’t think the bulk of the GOP really cared what the constitution says about acceptable reasons for impeachment proceedings. They will do it anyway if they can.

31 webevintage  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:04:07am

re: #19 tnguitarist

I can’t believe what I just read. They are actually attacking Amnesty International over at the stalker blog. Oh, and “human rights”.

It is crazy time 24/7.

So far this is my favorite story today:
GOP House Candidate On Civil Rights: ‘We Need To Get Our Federal Government Out Of The Way’

During the event, an African-American constituent named Robert Thompson asked Renacci what he would do on the issue of civil rights. Renacci’s response: local control. He called civil rights “local issues” and said the solution is “to get our federal government out of the way” because “it’s not the federal government’s job”:


[Link: thinkprogress.org…]

2 years ago no one would even have thought to say something like that.
Local control from civil rights…it leaves me speechless.

32 lawhawk  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:04:15am

re: #30 Fozzie Bear

Oh, I intend to watch - and to highlight that possible insanity if and when it rears its ugly head.

34 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:06:29am

re: #31 webevintage

It is crazy time 24/7.

So far this is my favorite story today:
GOP House Candidate On Civil Rights: ‘We Need To Get Our Federal Government Out Of The Way’


[Link: thinkprogress.org…]

2 years ago no one would even have thought to say something like that.
Local control from civil rights…it leaves me speechless.

Local issues? That is their canned response when they don’t know what else to say.

35 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:07:19am

re: #31 webevintage

yeah because we know Mississippi burning was a great movie about how civil rights were handled locally…

//

36 iossarian  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:07:25am

re: #33 Killgore Trout

Savage says “Jews like” Jon Stewart “cause antisemitism,” adds that Stewart has a “drug-addled mind”

Wait - I thought it was the LEFT that was anti-semitic?

How can this be?

37 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:08:36am

re: #32 lawhawk

Oh, I intend to watch - and to highlight that possible insanity if and when it rears its ugly head.

I guarantee that, if the GOP gets enough votes to do it, they will begin impeachment proceedings against Obama. It doesn’t matter what they use to rationalize it, really, they will do it. I would bet money on it.

38 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:09:09am

re: #36 iossarian

Wait - I thought it was the LEFT that was anti-semitic?

How can this be?

Stupid is equal opportunity.

39 Charleston Chew  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:09:24am

re: #3 Haikugoalie

In a perfect world, Republicans gain the senate…

…after admitting that use of coal and fossil fuels contributes to global warming, and realizing that no matter how rich you are, you still have to live on earth.

…and after admitting that their ‘philosophical’ opposition to government regulation and taxes on rich people was really just a thin rational for their own greed.

… and after admitting that every time they claimed to support freedom of religion they really meant ‘as long as it only applies to Christians’, and they’re sorry about that.

… and after realizing that ‘bombing them back to the stone age’ isn’t the only possible way to interact with foreigners.

… and after realizing that black and brown people are real Americans, too.

In a perfect world.

40 Charles Johnson  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:09:31am

re: #31 webevintage

It is crazy time 24/7.

So far this is my favorite story today:
GOP House Candidate On Civil Rights: ‘We Need To Get Our Federal Government Out Of The Way’


[Link: thinkprogress.org…]

2 years ago no one would even have thought to say something like that.
Local control from civil rights…it leaves me speechless.

That’s the modern GOP’s agenda — to rewind all the social progress of the last 100 years, and return to some idealized hyper-religious version of America that never existed.

The entire point of the civil rights movement was that states and local governments should NOT be able to determine these things for themselves, because there are some states that will choose (and DID choose) to violate the civil rights of minority groups. That was the pro-segregation rallying cry of George Wallace: “state’s rights.”

And now the GOP is trying to bring back these bad old days of racial discrimination. This is why I seriously doubt I will ever vote for a Republican again.

41 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:10:03am

re: #37 Fozzie Bear

I guarantee that, if the GOP gets enough votes to do it, they will begin impeachment proceedings against Obama. It doesn’t matter what they use to rationalize it, really, they will do it. I would bet money on it.

I don’t believe they’ll try because that would only make him a more sympathetic figure.

42 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:10:15am

re: #37 Fozzie Bear

I guarantee that, if the GOP gets enough votes to do it, they will begin impeachment proceedings against Obama. It doesn’t matter what they use to rationalize it, really, they will do it. I would bet money on it.

I’m with you. I really think they will.

43 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:10:22am

re: #37 Fozzie Bear

I am sure they will. It’s almost a given. Although I plan to vote for every democrat on the ballot I do kind of hope to see the GOP take over just so the crazy gets exposed even more. Will it suck? Yup. Will it screw us even more? Yup. But maybe it will finally wake people up.

44 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:12:28am

re: #41 researchok

I don’t believe they’ll try because that would only make him a more sympathetic figure.

I doubt they think that deeply about it. Their base will be calling for blood and they’ll be happy to deliver.

45 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:14:05am

re: #44 tnguitarist

I doubt they think that deeply about it. Their base will be calling for blood and they’ll be happy to deliver.

There is nothing to deliver. The GOP will only hurt themselves at the polls down the line.

Politics is very Darwinian. They won’t cut their own throats.

46 reloadingisnotahobby  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:15:41am

Ah, the old”Superduper ,double/double ,top secret,reverse,
back toss,end run,forward pass,decoy,dupe”
thing …A Chief??
Maxwell Smart

47 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:16:02am

re: #45 researchok

There is nothing to deliver. The GOP will only hurt themselves at the polls down the line.

Politics is very Darwinian. They won’t cut their own throats.

Really? They won’t?

48 lawhawk  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:16:11am

re: #45 researchok

You might have the Bachmann types going into overdrive and making calls for impeachment, much like Conyers did against the Bush Administration when the Democrats took over the House in 2006, but it wont amount to anything more than that. They’ll throw some red meat out there to their rabid base, but wont go in that direction. Same thing with the incessant and nonsensical call for investigations.

49 iossarian  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:16:45am

re: #45 researchok

There is nothing to deliver. The GOP will only hurt themselves at the polls down the line.

Politics is very Darwinian. They won’t cut their own throats.

They do have to face primaries though. In the end, the Democratic voters who were seriously calling for impeachment proceedings against Bush were a pretty small group, and even most of those recognized that that they would do better by nominating mainstream candidates (the definition of mainstream obviously varies by geography).

On the Republican side we’ve already seen a significant number of people that I can only describe as “nutters” taking out the mainstream guys in primaries.

50 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:17:25am

re: #48 lawhawk

They have nothing else but bread and circuses. Eventually they’ll have to do something besides just say no to everything and impeachment will be one of those stunts.

51 CuriousLurker  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:18:23am
Sure, that sounds plausible. Not.

I don’t think most people are ware of how insecure the internet is.

Judging by the article they seem to be unaware that IP addresses can be spoofed. Or that an IP address, even when legit, shows the location of the server through which the person is connecting to the internet via their ISP. Sometimes my IP address is located fairly close to where I live in NJ, other times it can be as far away as south central PA.

As for the contention that the sign-up email can’t be faked, that requires a certainty that access to the email account in question hasn’t been compromised. More than one person could be using the account without the legitimate owner ever being aware of it.

In addition, if an unencrypted (or poorly encrypted) wireless connection is being used to access the account, the contents of the packets flying back & forth could be sniffed. The vast majority of email is sent in plain text, so anyone intercepting the packets over an unencrypted connection could easily view the entire contents of every email, including the verification link.

52 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:18:32am

re: #47 tnguitarist

Really? They won’t?

I don’t believe so.

Sleazy pandering for votes is one thing, committing hari kiri is another thing altogether.

53 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:19:07am

re: #50 Dreggas

They have nothing else but bread and circuses. Eventually they’ll have to do something besides just say no to everything and impeachment will be one of those stunts.

I’m not even saying that they’ll follow through with it, but it will be more than a whisper.

54 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:19:55am

re: #51 CuriousLurker

I don’t think most people are ware of how insecure the internet is.

Judging by the article they seem to be unaware that IP addresses can be spoofed. Or that an IP address, even when legit, shows the location of the server through which the person is connecting to the internet via their ISP. Sometimes my IP address is located fairly close to where I live in NJ, other times it can be as far away as south central PA.

As for the contention that the sign-up email can’t be faked, that requires a certainty that access to the email account in question hasn’t been compromised. More than one person could be using the account without the legitimate owner ever being aware of it.

In addition, if an unencrypted (or poorly encrypted) wireless connection is being used to access the account, the contents of the packets flying back & forth could be sniffed. The vast majority of email is sent in plain text, so anyone intercepting the packets over an unencrypted connection could easily view the entire contents of every email, including the verification link.

It’s a brave new world.

55 webevintage  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:19:59am

re: #41 researchok

I don’t believe they’ll try because that would only make him a more sympathetic figure.

HA!
Issa is already looking into impeachment.
King and Bachman are on board.
Yes, they are that nuts.
(of course it would all depend on Bohner, if he was speaker, to let anything progress)

It is all about shutting things down so that the country is in even worse shape in 2012 and they can take back the White House.

56 tnguitarist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:20:54am

re: #55 webevintage

It is all about shutting things down so that the country is in even worse shape in 2012 and they can take back the White House.


Bingo.

57 lostlakehiker  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:21:26am

re: #12 Fozzie Bear

This is almost a haiku.

What perfect plan do you see the Republicans enacting if they were to take the Senate?

The perfect plan would be to cooperate generously with the president on anything he needs to govern and do his own job, seeing to it that the laws are enforced etc. It would be to go ahead and fund projects that are already started, so as to not make too much of a snarl of the government’s financing and contracting.

It would be to take a back seat on matters of foreign policy and on military questions. BUT

put a lid on tax increases and spending.

And vet appointments carefully.

Anything more ambitious would be an overreach. A mid-term gain in seats is not a mandate, after all.

58 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:22:12am

re: #55 webevintage

HA!
Issa is already looking into impeachment.
King and Bachman are on board.
Yes, they are that nuts.
(of course it would all depend on Bohner, if he was speaker, to let anything progress)

It is all about shutting things down so that the country is in even worse shape in 2012 and they can take back the White House.

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I will predict that if there really was an effort to impeach, the GOP would lose the House and Senate for at least a couple of cycles.

Sooner or later they are going to have to clean house.

59 webevintage  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:22:20am

re: #33 Killgore Trout

Savage says “Jews like” Jon Stewart “cause antisemitism,” adds that Stewart has a “drug-addled mind”

It is like a special gift to Jon Stewart all wrapped up in a big bow…..

60 iossarian  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:23:09am

re: #55 webevintage


It is all about shutting things down so that the country is in even worse shape in 2012 and they can take back the White House.

I sometimes wonder whether they consciously make this calculation, or whether they genuinely believe that their non-policies actually work.

My optimistic side forces me to side with the latter view, but events have shaken that belief pretty hard.

61 McSpiff  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:23:18am

re: #51 CuriousLurker

That’s why I laugh when some here used screenshots with the “logged-in green” as proof a poster took them. I can make my screenshots look like I’m logged in as anyone very easily.

62 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:23:25am

re: #59 webevintage

It is like a special gift to Jon Stewart all wrapped up in a big bow…

As in ‘Lobbing a softball..’

63 CuriousLurker  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:23:40am

re: #54 researchok

It’s a brave new world.

Heh, yeah, it can be pretty terrifying once you begin to understand how things actually work.

64 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:24:27am

re: #57 lostlakehiker

They’ll never do that.

65 Big Steve  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:24:56am

For years I have maintained a criticism of Islam that goes like this: Many state Islam is a peaceful intelligent religion that has been hijacked by extremists. I have responded, “then the moderate elements should police their religion better.”

Now I read about the idiot pastor who is going to burn Koran’s on Saturday. So I know realize that Christianity is no better at policing its extreme elements either.

Therefore referring to my original criticism of Islam…..consider my tent officially folded.

66 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:25:06am

re: #63 CuriousLurker

Heh, yeah, it can be pretty terrifying once you begin to understand how things actually work.

I’m a techno know nothing.

I don’t even want to know.

67 Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:25:18am

re: #45 researchok

There is nothing to deliver. The GOP will only hurt themselves at the polls down the line.

Politics is very Darwinian. They won’t cut their own throats.

But you’re forgetting that right now the Republican party is all about the short term. Their entire point is the here and now. Who cares if it screws the Party or country over long term. We’ll worry about that in 3 years or 5 years or 10. After all, as we can see, the memories are short so why worry about what people are going to think down the road?

And in this environment, all they have to do is tar the opposition enough so that the independents don’t vote. and their energized base will come out and vote. They have nothing positive to offer, and why should they? The think they have a winning strategy right now.

And who knows, maybe it’s going to win and they’ll be in power and the economy will tank more and they’ll continue to blame Obama and the Democrats and we’ll have President Palin or Huckabee or Romney with strong Republican majorities in Congress. Don’t you get it? they don’t think they’re cutting their own throats.

The Republican Party is willing to burn America to the ground if it means they can rule over the ashes.

68 Winny Spencer  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:25:38am

re: #33 Killgore Trout

I love that the comment is from the 27th of August. It serves to illustrate how irrelevant that particular loon is. Nobody listens to him anymore.

69 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:25:39am

I hadn’t realized Jon Stewart was Jewish.

It wasn’t really important, actually, it was his business.

70 Decatur Deb  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:26:39am

re: #3 Haikugoalie

In a perfect world
Republicans gain the senate
Without Mr. Paul

In a better world
Republicans fall like leaves
In November wind.

71 Kragar  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:26:43am
72 researchok  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:27:36am

re: #67 bloodstar

But you’re forgetting that right now the Republican party is all about the short term. Their entire point is the here and now. Who cares if it screws the Party or country over long term. We’ll worry about that in 3 years or 5 years or 10. After all, as we can see, the memories are short so why worry about what people are going to think down the road?

And in this environment, all they have to do is tar the opposition enough so that the independents don’t vote. and their energized base will come out and vote. They have nothing positive to offer, and why should they? The think they have a winning strategy right now.

And who knows, maybe it’s going to win and they’ll be in power and the economy will tank more and they’ll continue to blame Obama and the Democrats and we’ll have President Palin or Huckabee or Romney with strong Republican majorities in Congress. Don’t you get it? they don’t think they’re cutting their own throats.

The Republican Party is willing to burn America to the ground if it means they can rule over the ashes.

I just don’t see it.

I can say if the GOP keeps pandering they;ll be frozen out in the medium to long term, at least until they clean house.

As to committing political suicide, I believe these guys are more interested in surviving.

73 Randall Gross  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:28:17am

re: #40 Charles

That’s the modern GOP’s agenda — to rewind all the social progress of the last 100 years, and return to some idealized hyper-religious version of America that never existed.

The entire point of the civil rights movement was that states and local governments should NOT be able to determine these things for themselves, because there are some states that will choose (and DID choose) to violate the civil rights of minority groups. That was the pro-segregation rallying cry of George Wallace: “state’s rights.”

And now the GOP is trying to bring back these bad old days of racial discrimination. This is why I seriously doubt I will ever vote for a Republican again.

Yes, this neoconfederate agenda is their most important item too, which is exactly why we should not tip the balance of power to the GOP. It’s why I will vote straight D instead of Straight R for the first time in my life this coming election, and it’s why I found myself actually retweeting Markos’ comment on this today.

74 reloadingisnotahobby  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:28:30am

re: #65 Big Steve

For years I have maintained a criticism of Islam that goes like this: Many state Islam is a peaceful intelligent religion that has been hijacked by extremists. I have responded, “then the moderate elements should police their religion better.”

Now I read about the idiot pastor who is going to burn Koran’s on Saturday. So I know realize that Christianity is no better at policing its extreme elements either.

Therefore referring to my original criticism of Islam…consider my tent officially folded.

I don’t believe I’ve heard one Religious figure aplaud what this Idiot is doing!
EVERYONE has condemned….or am I missing something?
If the media were to boycot airing any footage of this clown
they would have my respect!

75 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:29:10am

re: #57 lostlakehiker

The perfect plan would be to cooperate generously with the president on anything he needs to govern and do his own job, seeing to it that the laws are enforced etc. It would be to go ahead and fund projects that are already started, so as to not make too much of a snarl of the government’s financing and contracting.

It would be to take a back seat on matters of foreign policy and on military questions. BUT

put a lid on tax increases and spending.

And vet appointments carefully.

Anything more ambitious would be an overreach. A mid-term gain in seats is not a mandate, after all.

There is absolutely no reason to believe that what you describe here is possible, given the GOP’s openly stated goal of preventing the administration from accomplishing anything meaningful.

Cooperation with Obama might strengthen the DNC, and the GOP will not allow that to happen. Our failure, as a nation, is the GOP’s success. They know this. They will use it. What happens to us, the voters, isn’t even secondary to that. It’s not even a consideration at all to the GOP anymore.

76 CuriousLurker  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:29:34am

re: #61 McSpiff

That’s why I laugh when some here used screenshots with the “logged-in green” as proof a poster took them. I can make my screenshots look like I’m logged in as anyone very easily.

Exactly.

77 Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:31:18am

re: #72 researchok

I just don’t see it.

I can say if the GOP keeps pandering they;ll be frozen out in the medium to long term, at least until they clean house.

As to committing political suicide, I believe these guys are more interested in surviving.

But what if we’re wrong, and they’ve tapped into a nativist majority in America? one that’s willing to embrace the worst in us because of fear of the outsider, fear of economic failure, fear of the other?

I really really want to be wrong, but until I start seeing some evidence that support for the ‘conservative’ movement in it’s current incarnation is ebbing, I still see the nativists on the upswing.

I think the war for the conservative soul of America has been lost to nativism and Fear.

I just hope I’m wrong.

78 CuriousLurker  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:32:22am

re: #66 researchok

I’m a techno know nothing.

I don’t even want to know.

You really don’t. Trust me. I slept a lot better at night when I was blissfully unaware.

79 Charles Johnson  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:34:24am

Ben Smith did delete the impersonators’ comments, by the way.

80 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:37:19am

re: #19 tnguitarist

I can’t believe what I just read. They are actually attacking Amnesty International over at the stalker blog. Oh, and “human rights”.

That was buzzsawmonkey’s line of crap over here. ‘Human rights’ baaaaad.

81 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:37:48am

re: #77 bloodstar

Exactly. People don’t want to face the possibility that the crazy people are in fact the majority now, but it is a very real possibility. Recent polling bears this out. Majorities of Americans now believe all kinds of demonstrably untrue things.

It’s not a huge stretch to imagine the rise of a fascist movement in the US in this environment. I think it has already begun, but nobody is really taking it all that seriously. This happens every time fascism has reared its head: nobody wanted to admit what was happening until it was too late to turn back.

82 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:39:25am

re: #33 Killgore Trout

Savage says “Jews like” Jon Stewart “cause antisemitism,” adds that Stewart has a “drug-addled mind”

Let me guess. Jon is ‘too clever by half’?

Never has any other group of people been so hated for being wiseasses.

83 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:39:59am

re: #36 iossarian

Wait - I thought it was the LEFT that was anti-semitic?

How can this be?

The meme doesn’t give a damn if you’re left or right, and the meme is ‘anti-Semitism is caused by Jews who disagree with me politically’.

84 tradewind  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:39:59am

re: #79 Charles
Was just going to say that they do moderate comments.
It’s a ginormous site, bet it’s a nightmare to patrol. Since its content doesn’t exactly skew conservative, I’m surprised they get that stuff.

85 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:41:06am

re: #83 SanFranciscoZionist

The meme doesn’t give a damn if you’re left or right, and the meme is ‘anti-Semitism is caused by Jews who disagree with me politically’.

Its basically a parallel argument to “she was asking for it”,

86 tradewind  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:41:30am

re: #74 reloadingisnotahobby
I don’t know. You can really tell a lot just from looking at the guy. A definite throwback from another era.

87 tradewind  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:44:57am

re: #67 bloodstar

The Republican Party is willing to burn America to the ground if it means they can rule over the ashes.


That’s some pretty inflammatory rhetoric….

88 Fozzie Bear  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:46:24am

re: #87 tradewind

That’s some pretty inflammatory rhetoric…

The truth often seems inflammatory to idiots.

89 Randall Gross  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:51:07am

re: #87 tradewind

Pish - it’s no worse than what Limbaugh’s said about Dems for years and now it’s him talking down the economy to regain power. The fat hypocrite.

90 wrenchwench  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:53:08am

re: #86 tradewind

I don’t know. You can really tell a lot just from looking at the guy. A definite throwback from another era.

Definition of prejudice.

Listening, however, is another matter.

91 tradewind  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:54:55am

re: #90 wrenchwench
Since I was listening to him in the news clip at the same time, that probably influenced me a lot, yeah.
But the visual, as politicos like to say, was not good.

92 tradewind  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:55:49am

re: #89 Thanos
There’s talking down, and there’s burning down.
One’s a pain in the ass, the other’s a felony.

93 garhighway  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 11:02:35am

re: #57 lostlakehiker

The perfect plan would be to cooperate generously with the president on anything he needs to govern and do his own job, seeing to it that the laws are enforced etc. It would be to go ahead and fund projects that are already started, so as to not make too much of a snarl of the government’s financing and contracting.

It would be to take a back seat on matters of foreign policy and on military questions. BUT

put a lid on tax increases and spending.

And vet appointments carefully.

Anything more ambitious would be an overreach. A mid-term gain in seats is not a mandate, after all.

You describe a responsible opposition party. Why would it behave that way next year when it doesn’t do so this year?

(And remember: the House, where the majority is more likely to flip, doesn’t do confirmations.)

94 simoom  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 11:22:03am

This actually happened in reverse, to some extent, with Ashley Todd (the McCain staffer who claimed to have had a backwards ‘B’, for Barack, carved in her cheek). One of the defenses floated was that, as she had formerly worked for the Paul campaign, she was some sort of Paulian plant causing mischief :P.

95 Randall Gross  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 11:45:53am

re: #92 tradewind

There’s enough miscreant far right paranoid militia members out there that burning down is a real worry.

96 WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.]  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 11:48:01am

re: #55 webevintage

HA!
Issa is already looking into impeachment.
King and Bachman are on board.
Yes, they are that nuts.
(of course it would all depend on Bohner, if he was speaker, to let anything progress)

It is all about shutting things down so that the country is in even worse shape in 2012 and they can take back the White House.

and then they can finish it off, hah

97 Jimmah  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 11:58:39am

re: #61 McSpiff

That’s why I laugh when some here used screenshots with the “logged-in green” as proof a poster took them. I can make my screenshots look like I’m logged in as anyone very easily.

Are you talking about Bagua’s posts that appeared on one of the stalker sites? That was Bagua himself - he really is that stupid.

First he sent them to the stalkers under another name. After he was busted here, the stalkers changed the wording to hat-tip him. At the time he sent it, he was hoping to crawl back in here after his banning. Now he posts all his idiotic, obsessive, hate filled rants with other like minded morons over there.

98 HappyWarrior  Wed, Sep 8, 2010 1:25:48pm

Personal responsibliity except for when it involves us, then it’s those damn liberals.


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