So the DCCC put out a hard-hitting
ad (diaried
here by GiveMeLibertyOrDeath) that has the gall to show a brief image of flag-draped coffins and a field grave as evidence that "things have taken a turn for the worse."
Elizabeth Dole, in her role as head of the NRSC, just sent out a hysterical email shrieking about the Democrats' "deplorable use of our fallen men and women in uniform to raise money for a political campaign."
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Follow me below the fold for the rest of the email and an analysis.
"We all know Washington Democrats are desperate to take control of Congress, and over the past few months we've seen them do some pretty outrageous things to achieve that goal. But in all my years in public service, I have never been more offended and outraged than by their latest campaign-season scheme.
Never? Not even when some protestor burned a flag? Oh wait, that doesn't actually happen. Never mind.
Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sent an e-mail fundraising plea to their supporters containing a video. That video featured images of flag-draped coffins containing the remains of fallen American soldiers, an image of a helmet perched atop a rifle stuck in the ground (a symbol for deceased soldiers), and a cryptic, yet unmistakable reference to September 11th. The despicable and deplorable use of our fallen men and women in uniform to raise money for a political campaign is beyond the boundaries of taste and credible discourse.
If referring to September 11th is off-limits in political discourse, I think the entire 2004 campaign should be disavowed, particularly the decision to host the RNC in New York. And if soldiers are off-limits, perhaps the "Mission Accomplished" stunt should be pushed down the memory hole, along with all of Bush's other propaganda appearances on military bases. Or perhaps it's only images of dead soldiers that the Republicans are worried about--and perhaps that's because it was their policies that lead to those soldiers' deaths.
It is shocking that the Democrat leadership would think using deceased soldiers to raise money for their campaigns is acceptable. Their choice of images displays either a complete disconnect with reality, or worse, a disregard for the honor and memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Or perhaps the disconnect with reality lies in the minds of Republicans who send soldiers to die and believe that their decision is unimpeachable (in the non-constitutional sense of that word). Perhaps the disconnect with reality lies in the minds of politicians like Karl Rove, who have never seen a war yet impugn the honor of soldiers like Jack Murtha simply for committing the thoughtcrime of disagreement with the administration's policies.
Politics is a rough business, and in 40-plus years I've taken a few lumps (and delivered a few). But as a Senator, I am a public figure and understand it goes with the territory. Our soldiers are not public figures and did not sign up to be pawns in a political chess match. The families of the fallen should not be subjected to such behavior-to have the memory of their loved ones desecrated in a crass attempt to raise money. The Democrats responsible ought to be ashamed of themselves-as should anyone (Democrat or otherwise) who defends it.
As a Senator representing North Carolina's more than 100,000 service members, I think of the many families and veterans in my state who would be so appalled by this example of politics at its worst. I am so proud of our heroes, and of what they are doing to help promote freedom abroad, and protect it here at home. I know you folks feel the same way, and that is why I simply cannot understand why the Democrats would go so far simply to raise a little political cash. Yet the reality is unmistakable. It seems they are willing to do anything and everything to placate and energize the angry anti-war left of the Democrat Party.
I've got news for you, Senator Dole: the DCCC doesn't need to do anything to energize the angry anti-war left. We've been energized since Bush diverted resources from a necessary war (Afghanistan) to an unnecessary exercise in cowboy diplomacy.
We've been energized since troops were sent to Iraq without body armor or up-armored Humvees.
We've been energized since "bring 'em on."
We're also energized by the other images in the ad: skyrocketing gas prices, polluting power plants, Katrina and its aftermath, closing businesses, the indictment of the House Majority Leader, the Abramoff scandal, etc. None of those things are going to go away in the face of a little bit of manufactured outrage.
Memo to the NRSC: we don't need to manufacture our outrage. You do that job for us just fine.
Hopefully, the DCCC and Congressional Democrats take the opportunity to right some of the wrongs they've committed by donating all of the proceeds raised through the video to charities that support Veterans and the families of soldiers who lost their lives defending this country. While such a gesture would not erase the damage caused by the video, it would give the Democrats the chance to show our men and women in uniform that this was an egregious mistake and not done with malicious intent towards America's fallen heroes and their families.
Ah, at last the true purpose of this message comes out. The Republicans have enjoyed a fundraising advantage for quite some time now, and they're running scared that it won't be enough. So they want to extend their lead by forcing the Democrats to give some money back. Yet the ad doesn't ask for money. To give (miniscule) credit where credit is due, the NRSC email doesn't explicitly do so either: but there is a link to their website, with its prominent "Contribute" link, at the end.