Motor City Blue had a
diary a bit earlier today on how the GOP plans to begin Swift Boating Harry Reid in Las Vegas tv ads. It quickly fell off the front page but I want to bring it back to light as a call to action by reiterating my post in this diary. We have the power to stop these sorts of RNC dirty tricks -- we did it in Virginia for Tim Kaine and we can do it in Nevada for Give Em Hell Harry.
The Las Vegas Review Journal has a story on the new RNC ads but the full context of Reid's actual quote is still missing.
"This advertisement shines a bright spotlight on the man from Searchlight's hypocritical and defeatist approach in Iraq," said RNC spokesman Danny Diaz. BS Danny! This ad shines a bright spotlight on the fact Republicans cannot bring themselves to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
The problem and the action I recommend are on the flip...
PROBLEM
The "quote" the GOP pulled from CNN to swiftboat Reid with is, of course, a half-quote... They took the meat off the bones. To wit, the GOP ad includes only this small portion of Reid's quote:
"Saddam Hussein, in effect, has thumbed his nose at the world community," Reid says in the ad, in video taken from a Sept. 18, 2002, CNN "Inside Politics" show. "And I think that the president's approaching this in the right fashion."
But, the CNN transcript clearly shows Reid's context of seeking international support and debating the very idea of going to war:
WOODRUFF: Senator, on the subject of Iraq, the president is wanting a quick vote in Congress. Secretary Rumsfeld today called for a quick vote. Are Democrats apparently all just jumping on this bandwagon? Or there is going to be a real debate, the kind that the American people deserve on this?
REID: As you know when his father went into Iraq, we had a very good debate. Some said one of the best debates in the last 40 years in Congress. We're going to have a debate. But I think we have to acknowledge what's gone on in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, in effect, has thumbed his nose at the world community. And I think that the president's approaching this in the right fashion. He's now trying to get the international community to join. Secretary Powell is basically living in New York, working with international community. And we have made progress.
(Emphasis mine: italics = portion the GOP is extracting; bold = portions the GOP is ignoring)
.
ACTION
Amazing what a little context will do! Write the Las Vegas papers to let them know this ad is only telling half the truth -- go figure...
Las Vegas Review-Journal (source of the article above)
Letters: letters@reviewjournal.com
Phone: (702) 383-0211
Fax: (702) 383-4676
Address: 1111 W Bonanza Rd Las Vegas, NV 89125
(letters to the editor to: P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125)
Las Vegas Sun
Letters: letters@lasvegassun.com
Phone: (702) 385-3111
Fax: (702) 383-7264
Address: 2275 Corporate Cir Dr, Ste 300 Henderson, NV 89074
(Mailing address: P.O. Box 98970, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8970)
Las Vegas Weekly
Letters: lvweekly@gmgvegas.com
Phone: (702) 990-2400
Fax: (702) 990-2424
Address: PO Box 230040 Las Vegas, NV 89123
And here's the League of Women Voters media guide for the state of Nevada.
Please help put a stop to the conservatives' swiftboating ways by letting the truth shine on this dirty trick. Half-quotes are no better than outright lies. A lie is a lie is a lie.
From the LV Review Journal:
Only letters that include a legible signature, return address and telephone number will be considered. Shorter, concise letters will be given preference. Names will not be withheld for any reason. All letters used in the printed edition are subject to editing.
Letters should be addressed to "Letters to the Editor"