Why Aren't We Attacking?

Okay, another right wing email is making the rounds. It talks about how Democratic Senators voted against adding an amendment to an Immigration bill last year that would have added an "English as the official language of the U.S" amendment to the bill and painted any who opposed as being "loyal to illegal aliens."(complete text of email after the fold)

Here's the email I received:

TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND READ THIS LETTER.  THESE ARE STRONG, POWERFUL AND COURAGEOUS WORDS COMING FROM A RETIRED COLONEL.

AND READ WHAT LINCOLN HAD TO SAY AT THE END.

WOW!

33 Senators Voted Against English as America's Official Language onJune 6, 2007.

On Wed. 6 June 2007 23:35:23 - 0500  Colonel Harry Riley,USA, Ret. wrote:

Senators:

Your vote against an amendment to the immigration Bill 1348......to make English America's official language is astounding.

On D-Day, no less, when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock, character and principles of America, I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens.

I don't much care where you come f rom.  What your religion is.  Whether you're black, white, or some other color...male or female......Democrat, Republican or Independent....... But I do care when you are a United States Senator representing Citizens of America....and Vote against English as the official language of the United States.

Your vote reflects Betrayal.
Political Surrender.  Violates Your Pledge of Allegiance.  Dishonors historical principle. Rejects Patriotism.  Borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator...impeachment... Recall........Or other appropriate action is warranted or worse.

Four of you voting against English as America's Official Language are Presidential  Candidates:  Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd and Senator Obama.

Four Senators vying to lead America, but won't or
Don't have the courage to cast a vote in favor of "English"  as America's Official Language when 91% of American Citizens want English  officially designated as our language.

This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as "policital
Hacks"...... Unworthy as Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as President of the United States.

If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a backlash so stunning it will literally "rock you out of your panties"......... And preferably totally out of the  United States Senate.

The entire immigration bill is a farce... Your action only confirms this really isn't about America.....it is about self-serving politics......despicable at best.  It has been said:

"Never Argue with an Idiot. ...They'll drag you down to their level!"

The following Senators voted against making English  the official language
Of America:

Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE) (Wants to be President)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY) (Wants to be President)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D- MN) wants to be president
Domenici (R-NM) coward. Protecting his senate seat
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-win) - not unusual for him
Feinstein (D-ca)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-hi)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy - (D-ma)
Kerry (D-ma) (tried to be president)
Kohl (D-WI))
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (I-CT) Disappointment here.....
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL) (Wants to be President)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader
As Lazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-M

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or Hanged!!!

PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING AROUND THE UNITED STATES TILL THE ELECTION!

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. The anti-Hillary/anti-Obama emails are in full force as well, grinding away at our candidates and mobilizing their base. Last one I got was a photoshopped image of Hillary and Obama, naked in bed. I'll spare you the image.

Before that, was a Powerpoint presentation that had beautiful images and beautiful music lulling you into a feeling of meditation, then a comedic twist as you reach your state of bliss, asking you "Now visualize whose head you'd like to be holding under these beautiful waters?"  Fade in Hillary's face.

I think their viral campaigns keep their base fired up, angry and motivated, so my big question is, why aren't we doing the same?  Why aren't we fighting back in the same way?  Blogs are great and they've made a great difference, but how come I never see left-wing emails slamming McCain, especially since he has so many flip-flops, contradictions and such a spotty political record?

So, I've made a vow. I'm going to create a left-wing SLAM email and send it to my progressive and liberal friends with a plea to send it along, using basically the same line as the email cited above, "Please keep this going around the United States till the election."

The ground is fertile. The amount spent on the war. The lack of armor for the troops. The terrible conditions at Walter Reed. The lies that led us into the war in Iraq. The defiance of Congressional subpoenas, the "Mission Accomplished" moment, the Hurricane Katrina fiasco, Osama Bin Laden still on the loose - the list is endless.

So, here's my suggestion. With the Diary title, "Cut and Paste Email," let's create our own emails and fill the internet with our own viral talking points tearing down McCain, the Bush legacy and all the right wing insanity we've been facing.

I'll have my first "Cut and Paste Email" up by the end of the week.

Hey, folks, it's gotta start somewhere. Why not here?

•  I say we fight back

  And hit them with the big guns.

  by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:18:38 PM PDT

  •  LOL!

    Because we're not preaching to a choir of wingnuts who's only idea of "news" is Fox and who think that intelligent political discourse (okay, they don't use words that big) is what Rush Limpbag does.

    why aren't we doing the same?  Why aren't we fighting back in the same way?

    by Mr X on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:32:04 PM PDT

    •  You're underestimating the technique

      and assuming superiority. Having a cohesive set of talking points isn't reserved for propagandists - it's a tool that can also be employed to keep the truths out in front of our people - to unify our message and to create a drumbeat.

      They're using it to spread propaganda. Let's us it to spread truth.

      by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:41:02 PM PDT

•  Because...

  We are too busy fighting with each other.

  by rian90 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:20:14 PM PDT

•  Viral e-mails only work on the dumbest of people

  And only when they fit to what they would like their pre-conceived notions to be. That is, it only works on Republicans. And only when it is republican propaganda.

  by greatn on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:20:36 PM PDT

  •  And why not counter propoganda with truth? n/t

    by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:38:39 PM PDT

    •  the people who believe this crap

      aren't voting Democrat, anyway.  They're too stupid and/or too cowed by fear to ever vote for anything but facism.

      by YatPundit on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:53:11 PM PDT

•  should be laughed about...

  and called what it is, nutball-ism.

  by Shahryar on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:21:34 PM PDT

•  One of Lincolns quotes.

  Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or Hanged

  One of McCains votes.

  McCain was one of only 13 senators to vote against adding $430 million for inpatient and outpatient care for veterans. [S Amdt. 3642 to HR 4939, Vote 98, 4/26/06]

  by Broken Skull on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:22:38 PM PDT

  •  This is not specious - it is factual

    And should be spread around.

    I think the right-wing's tactics, especially in radio have been effective.

    I honestly think this issue needs more thought and dismissing it out of hand is not the answer.

    They've kicked our asses consistently until recently and you can't argue with that.

    They own the corporate media and helped to deep-six both Edwards and Kucinich.

    And I think repeating and spreading real information and contrasts such as that cited by broken skull can help to motivate lefty voters.

    And what is it going to hurt?

    I think Democrats are entirely too timid.

    by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:33:21 PM PDT

•  There are no republicans on this website...

  ...to attack.

  by Salo on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:23:20 PM PDT

  •  I'm talking about contstructing talking points

    and arguments against their candidates and spreading them via email to keep OUR base fired up. And to get the facts of this regime - and a (shudder) future regime by McCain out there to percolate through America.

    by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:35:27 PM PDT

    •  er...

      ...this place will become useful in october, but it mainly a primary shop.

      by Salo on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 03:29:53 PM PDT

•  this quote sums it up...

  "Never Argue with an Idiot. ...They'll drag you down to their level!"

  Self-understanding is an asset rarely found among such folk.  Heh!

  by bubbanomics on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:23:33 PM PDT

  •  They're not idiots

    They kicked our asses. They're running the country. They block virtually all good legislation and loot the economy. They own the media. Try this instead:

    "Never underestimate your enemy"

    by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:36:47 PM PDT

•  We do fight back

  But not like that. We have stuff like Colbert, Maher, Daily Show. We have the best graphic design, we have almost all the musicians (they can keep Toby). We change the culture by inventing it. They try to score "points" with sad little screeds that have all the acumen of an ill-drafted Mad-Lib.

  Case in point:
  

  Does this sort of thing cause you to tremble in fear, or you cringe at the sheer awfulness of it?

  by The Raven on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:25:02 PM PDT

  •  Re: Toby Keith

    Toby's actually a self-described Democrat that comes across more as a politically clueless goofball.

    See: http://en.wikipedia.org/...

    Starve the corporate beast, buy local!

    by EthrDemon on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 02:30:13 PM PDT

•  anyone can start a viral email. if you have a

  message start one send it out and ask everyone to pass it on. it's not rocket science and any of us have all the tools we need to start one.

  by Tanya on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:29:18 PM PDT

•  I'm often surprised at who sends them

  Those absurd emails let me know who to avoid at the next family reunion.

  And I get to convince everybody the truth, when I hit "reply all" with some useful information.

  by Deadicated Marxist on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:30:25 PM PDT

•  It WOULD be nice

  to have a boilerplate email response when we get these things. Like maybe a simple list of McCain's statements contradicting himself, or the picture of "The Hug".

  Just a little something to say "Thanks, I enjoy getting spam; here's the antidote".
  

  by Bob Love on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:34:44 PM PDT

•  We Vote, We Win Period.

  All we have to do is get out and vote, protect the integrity of the Voting machines and democrats can not lose!  It is quite obvious that people are fed up with all this bullshit political hackery and are ready to make a CHANGE!

  by NoCryingInPoltics on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:35:55 PM PDT

•  That's Funny

  I wasn't aware we were at war with people because they don't speak English.

  What a senseless rant.

  by Ex Con on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:41:19 PM PDT

  •  Senseless to you

    but by dismissing it out of hand, you allow it to fly under the radar. We need to counter it with real arguments about immigration.

    by moosely2006 on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 01:43:52 PM PDT

•  The following Senators voted...

  to repeal the First Ammendment of the United States Constitution, which states:

  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

  Alexander (R-TN)
  Allard (R-CO)
  Baucus (D-MT)
  etc.
  etc.

  by bogbud on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 02:34:47 PM PDT