I saw this happen once before - And it was on that day that I realized just how good the republicans were at PR, slogans, Media. It was the day that Condaleeza testified in front of the comission and gave her newest version of a BS fabricated slogan along the lines of "no one could have anticpated...." and she kept repeating over and over again:
"The president was tired of swatting at flies."
Damn it was good - It was so good they even put it in the Path to 9/11 - Even I was like, ok, the president was tired of it...it just felt good to hear it - and I am no Bush fan. And then finally someone stood up. Someone stood up to all of the spin and sound bites and PR and slogans like cut and run and stay the course and retreat and defeat and someone stood up like the kid in the emperors new clothes and said hey - what does that mean ??
I think is was Kerry? No not that Kerry...bob Kerry - Can someone confirm? And he said something to the effect of:
DR. Rice - Name me one fly the president swatted? And then I realized it all. I realized, like maybe some are realzing every day, and maybe some are still yet to keeping approval ratings above 30%, that this has all just been a PR presidency - Full of images, soundbites, slogans, and nothing more.
She had no answer, first trying to laugh it off, then falling back on the idea that it was just an expression. If someone can find the full transcript I would love to read it again.
But the big problem is that its so simple. The simplest question is the easiest one to ask - is it jochams razor maybe (if I could spell).
NO ONE has been asking the simple questions, and when someone finally does they get spun, marginalized, degarded, ignored, or stalled out until the next crazy story about Mel Gibson or John Mark Karr can role around.
Clinton finally did ask the simple question on Sunday - and just like everyone else he is now marginalized - He was crazy and steamed and combative and so on -
But he gave us an opening - He held up the slogans and the questions to ridicule by asking the simple questions -
Why didnt Bush do anything about the Cole?
Why did you fire Richard Clarke?
and perhaps most importantly:
Why dont you ask the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and his staff why they didnt do these things, instead of me? Especially because THEY ARE ALWAYS ON YOUR SHOW BECAUSE THIS IS FUCKING FOX NEWS!!!
Democrats I have given you dough, I have caimpaigned for you, I have read all your pithy diaries on Daily Kos, Slaughter, Kerry (yes that Kerry), and on and on telling me about how I should be up in arms about something I have already heard about and am alreay pissed off about.
Your name gives you a free ride into the top 10 recommendation list here at KOS, but your name also give you something more important:
Credibility and access to the Press.
Please do something - Grab your balls, borrow some from Fiengold or Murtha, find a new pair - but please - do not let this go unchallenged - You have a golden opportunity to ask the simplest question.
DR. Rice: what did you do after the FBI certified the USS Cole was attacked by Al Qaeda until 9/11 to fight terrorism?
You say you did "at least as much" (man it is so fly-swatty)- so what did you do?
Clinton has given you a chance - Dont write any more diaries here about the minimum wage or election reform or military tribunals that the average american doesnt even understand. Dont write any more diaris about local elections that are supposed to be about a pivotal issue and really just ask me for money for your campaign (Carter, carter, carter) - Just fight for me - If you do you will have more $$ then you know what to do with.
You would have to worry a lot less about campaign money, and these other issues if you fought back like you had some balls - because democrats like me would follow you. And we would carry on the fight in every coffee shop and bar and pick-up football game and wedding. We would fight for truth and common sense and what america should be, but sometimes we just need a little help, and a little balls.
Sometime we just need you to ask the simple questions - So go - ask them - today and tomorrow and every day until the election. Grab your balls and ask them. Dont write any more diaries about how something is an outrage or we should be up in arms about XYZ because security and Terror is what has won the last 2 elections. And if you cant fight back here then I will ask the simple question:
Why should I support and fight for a party that doesn't even have the balls to fight for itself?