I have friends, if you permit that "friends" includes people who forward neocon propaganda to my email inbox. Hence, I have access to electronic missives from RNC Chairman Mike Duncan. Of course, these emails give us a picture of what neocons believe their followers need to hear to keep them under their ever-shrinking tent:
The Democrats cannot stop trying to micromanage the War in Iraq, despite the fact that they still have no plan for victory. First, they put forward their 'slow-bleed' withdrawal strategy, which would have gradually reduced resources for our men and women in uniform while they were still in harm's way. The resulting uproar from around the country forced them to backtrack.
For more on the RNC's latest misinformation campaign against its own people, there's more....
Other Daily Kos diarists have noted some of the rhetoric coming out of DC, including Panic in Neoconia by DarkSyde, chronicling the Republican's use of the micromanaging meme, and Dan Boren: F*ck the troops by dov12348, showing one Blue Dog's complicity in spreading the Right's propaganda. Of course, this is how the RNC encourages their numbers:
Even some Democrats are concerned with the Pelosi-Murtha attempts to force a withdrawal from Iraq. According to the Washington Post, Democrat Representative Stephanie Herseth responded to the latest Pelosi-Murtha plan by saying "There's a fine line that I hope will not be blurred between micromanaging the war and assuring accountability." Democrat Representative Dan Boren said, "It's still micromanaging the war."
("Democrat Representative." This is one situation I don't mind the nonstandard English. After all, I'm not sure to what party those people claim to be members. It's not my Democratic Party, and so I'm glad they're not being called "Democratic Representatives.")
We've always known the true reason for ending the lives of American soldiers in Iraq was to secure oil resources. Clearly, al Qaeda is no garden club, but now the Republicans are projecting their own immoral aims upon al Qaeda's operatives:
If we leave too soon, we will be leaving Iraq in the hands of vicious terrorists. Not only will they terrorize the Iraqi people, but they will turn Iraq into a base of operations. It will be like Afghanistan was before we defeated the Taliban, with one major difference: Iraq has oil, which would mean unlimited resources for our enemies. (emphasis mine)
Of course! The worst thing that could happen is if we allow an occupation of Iraq for the purposes of securing oil resources! (Oh, and let's take a quick jab while we're at it and assure everyone that the oil resources there are unlimited! No need to reduce your oil usage, consumers! Fill 'er up!)
Oh! And did you see that humorous reference to the defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan? I mean--they've got to be kidding, right, considering that the Taliban have just announced that they have 8000 to 9000 troops, and are ready to oppose a NATO offensive? (On a side note: doesn't a NATO offensive imply that the Taliban was not defeated, and are dug in and capable of defending territory?)
While that was certainly not funny, another portion of the email certainly is: the implication that Speaker Pelosi and Representative Murtha were cowardly attacking a defenseless President Bush:
This week, Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha waited until the President was out of the country before announcing their next attempt to take over the duties of the commander in chief....
What do they think their supporters must be thinking? Perhaps:
Yeah, how dare they work when our beloved President is in South and Central America! That's not at all like the good old days with our gloriously compliant Republican Congress!
Apparently they don't have telephones down there! That must be why they're all coming up here. Thank God(TM) that our President is down there taking care of those darn illegal aliens!
The President is incapable of defending himself against the evil speechification of two of the 435 members of the House of Representatives when he's away from his desk in the Oval Office. Clearly, we must grant the President broad new powers to defend against such un-American activity! I'm sure the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board will support the President!</snark>
So, there it is: the most recent talking point memo from the RNC, all ready for mindless repetition all across the country. Try to read it without thinking too much. The shooting head pain just isn't worth it.