I learned today that I must be a "San Francisco Democrat."
I find this more proof that the right-wing nutjobs who prefer a one party state are reality challenged.
I live in the Puget Sound, not San Francisco. But when has reality mattered much to the Bush-Sali Republithugs?
This is what the supporters of Bill Sali's campaign have come to -- attacking the son of the candidate, Larry Grant, and using the empty chair debate tactic to do it too. Excellent play from the Karl Rove playbook.
Clayton Cramer said this about me today:
Anyway, over at Adam's Blog, one of the commenters claims to be Ron Grant, Larry's son, who feels that Adam Graham has engaged in "creating false statements" by quoting accurately what Larry Grant wrote for a newspaper. However, once the blood was pumping, Ron Grant proceeded to open his mouth and reveal the moonbat within:
At a time where 100 US troops are dying in Iraq, an administration full of chicken hawks lies to justify starting a pre-emptive war, the Republican party protect pedophile legislators, a 9 trillion dollar debt, the most mal-distributed tax system since the beginning of the US Tax system, and unfunded Federal mandates such as "no child left behind," it's good to know that Candidate Sali's supporters find "under God" to be the most important issue here on Earth right now.
I proceeded to blow giant holes in each of these claims.
Argue if you want that the Bush Administration was wrong about WMDs in Iraq (a mistake that every other major power's intelligence service also made), but to claim that they intentionally lied is simply false. Even many of Hussein's generals believed that their government had WMDs--although always assigned to a brigade next to theirs.
We now know, from the Final Report of the Iraqi Survey Group, that Hussein's top officials believed that Hussein had worked to create the impression that the WMDs existed to keep Iraq's neighbors afraid.
There is also this little problem that one of Hussein's air force generals, Georges Sada, now says that at least 58 Iraqi Airlines flights to Syria just before the war were flown to move chemical weapons out of Iraq. Oddly enough, the Israeli government at the time noted the unusual level of air traffic from Iraq to Syria. There was also an attempt by al-Qaeda forces in Jordan to launch a chemical weapons attack on the capital of Amman using about 15 tons of chemical weapons--that were brought in by truck from Syria.
Mal-distributed tax system? Huh? Over here you can see a table showing what happened to the share of income and Social Security taxes paid by the Top .1%, Top 5%, Top 20%, and Bottom 20% of income earners in 1979, 1999, and 2003. Yes, the Bush tax cuts made it less progressive than it was in 1999--but still far more progressive than it was in 1979. The Top 20% (my group) paid 58.28% of the tax burden in 1979, 68.17% in 1999, and 67.47% in 2003.
If anyone is going to complain about No Child Left Behind, I'm not sure it is wise to characterize this in partisan terms. One of the principal authors of NCLB was that well-known conservative Republican, Teddy Kennedy.
Now, maybe Larry Grant really is part of the adult supervision wing of the Democratic Party. His son, however, is part of the San Francisco crazy wing--and I find myself increasingly wondering if the apple did not fall far from the tree.
http://www.claytoncramer.com/...
Notice what's missing here? Well, I'm not seeing any holes in the following facts:
1) 100 US Troops Dead in Iraq each month.
2) An administration full of chicken hawks
3) The Republican party leadership protects pedophile legislators
4) A 9 trillion dollar debt (do I really need a link for this?)
5) Candidate Sali's supporters find "under God" to be the most important issue here on Earth right now
6) How that makes this, or the next life better
7) It was Jesus who said, in response to a question about the icon of Caesar on a Roman coin, render unto Cesar what is Cesar's
8) If Jesus instructed you to do the same, what behavior are you showing here that demonstrates that?
Also, what else is missing here? Nowhere on Clayton Cramer's blog is there an ability to submit a response.
Mr. Cramer is debating an empty chair.
As has been blogged better elsewhere, Republicans have to debate a straw-man in an empty chair, as that is the only way to find any support for their failed six years of controlling Congress, the Executive and the Courts.
This behavior proves to me one thing that supporters of Candidate Bill Sali believe -- no debate. I guess only the "Decider" has anything to say that should be transcribed and distributed to tax paying voters. People who rail against Cuba, China, the Taliban and the former Soviet Union have no problem rolling out the tactics from those one party states. It has worked so well too (that's sarcasm).
And I don't want to forget to mention the tactic of the big lie of putting words in your enemies mouth and then repeating them as if true -- invented by the successful one party rule of the National Socialists and Joseph Goebbels.
I don't know Candidate Sali, but I do know that his hometown newspaper, staunchly conservative, has concluded the following about him.
Grant best choice for Congress
Summary: Bill Sali's lack of ethical integrity offensive, his inability to work effectively with fellow Republicans would hurt Idaho's influence on Capitol Hill
The 1st District congressional race between Bill Sali and Larry Grant should be easy to endorse.
Sali represents solid Republican views that closely represent his constituency.
In any given election, the Idaho Press-Tribune would likely recommend Sali rather than his more-moderate opponent.
But that's not possible this year.
Bill Sali does not have the quality of character required to serve Idaho voters.
P.S. Clayton, if you don't mind me calling you Clayton, feel free to respond here. Like Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, not only do I believe in the The Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom," but I also share his values about free and open political debate. B.T.W.: I learned about Thomas Jefferson, at quite a young age, from my father.