We watched the Republican National Convention last night and tonight expecting the usual lies and distortions, and of course, speaker after speaker delivered.
Fred Thompson, fully awake and engaged for once, spouted an especially outrageous lie, saying Democrats in Congress had threatened to cut off funding for our troops. That never happened, it’s just the way Republicans demagogued what Democrats were trying to do.
We watched pundits on MSNBC, CNN and PBS discussing the evening’s events and speakers, and none took exception to that lie or any of the others, which figures.
Tonight, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin presented a cornucopia of right-wing lies and distortions, to the obvious delight of the crowd.
Refreshingly, Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn produced a roundup of Palin’s prevarications followed by the facts. Here’s a sample:
Palin: ‘There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate.’
The facts: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.”
There’s much more and we urge you to read it all.
How can someone serious about seeking national office stand in front of a huge crowd and even larger TV audience, spouting lies and twisting facts, when some reporters are sure to point out the facts?
We think it’s part of a cynical but proven-effective GOP strategy. We’ll have more to say about that in an upcoming post.”
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am
The unremitting barrage of lies reminds me how vital it is to defeat the Repugs this year. It’s like a poisonous fog that obscures every effort to make the country better. And the media’s complicity is the most disgusting aspect of all.
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I only watched a few clips on the 11 o’clock news. That was bad enough.
One twisted distorted soundbite after another, and a crowd of drones eating up every word. And you watched the whole thing??? I hope you had a hefty supply of your favorite drug on hand.
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Oh dear, Obama has only written two books? Tsk. I understand that Bush read a good part of one book once, sounding out all the unfamiliar words by himself.
I’m glad you watched, SW, so that I don’t have to.
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
In a battle of bases, the GOP will lose.
I was very offended by Palin’s speech. And I thought Giuliani’s speech was childish.
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Dear Editor:
I am never surprised during any presidential campaign when lies and distortions begin to issue from the lips of the repugnant party, nor even the pundits, because let’s face it, they just want to stir the pot, that’s what they do. And both the right-wingers and their right-zingers are as well-managed as the media’s pretense that they are reporting the news when we know that they are creating it.
But here is a list of the distortions of the other night:
Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is “God’s task.” She’s even admitted she hasn’t thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, “I’ve been so focused on state government, I haven’t really focused much on the war in Iraq.”
Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to “keep up the good work” and “wished the party luck on what she called its ‘inspiring convention.’”
Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn’t made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact.
Palin doesn’t believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, “I’m not one though who would attribute it to being manmade.”
Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP.
Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn’t even support abortion in the case of rape or incest.
Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She’s said she will only support abstinence-only approaches.
As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, “news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving “full support” to the mayor.”
She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said “thanks, but no thanks” to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks “while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.”
The plain fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin did a bang-up job delivering a Karl Rove-style political attack speech last night. That makes her a skilled politician but it doesn’t make her views any more palatable for voters. Americans don’t really want another far-right, anti-science ideologue in the White House.
Sources include Move-On.Org
Sincerely,
Nicholas Campbell,
Atascadero, CA
Definitely not a McBush supporter, and Palin…she is arrogant and definitely NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME as a potential president. So, using the usual repugnant party slogan: BE SCARED…BE VERY VERY SCARED!
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Chris, I really like the “poisonous fog” description; it fits.
Tom, I just kept my serum caffeine level at optimum level. Us masochists like our PITA experiences unbuffered.
Jeff wrote: “. . . I understand that Bush read a good part of one book once. . .”
If I’m not mistaken, that was “My Pet Goat,” on 9-11.
Anthony, our beloved country is many years overdue for a shift in the dominant political base. I hope with everything in me your prediction comes true Nov. 4.
Regarding the Palin and Giuliani speeches, both spewed depressingly predictable rot.
Nick and Mike, thanks for the blow-by-blow specifics. I think it particularly ominous the GOP gave us the worst administration ever, made up of two dishonest men straight out of the oil industry, and now wants to give us drill-happy McCain and Big Oil’s playmate of the century, Palin, for a follow up.
on Sep 5th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I sure would like to hear you opinion on click LA Progressive
on Sep 5th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Let’s Talk, the LA Progressive item is interesting. But I was put off by so many claims and allegations with so little real attribution. The Kilkenny letter about what Palin is like has more credibility, IMO, because the writer put her name to it.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I agree with AP that Rude-y Juveniliani came across very much like a taunting middle school bully. I also found Palin’s speech offensive and ingenuous in that she came across to me as being smug and arrogant, while at the same time being a bit childish and lacking in subtlety.
“How can someone serious about seeking national office stand in front of a huge crowd and even larger TV audience, spouting lies and twisting facts, when some reporters are sure to point out the facts? ”
When she knows that she and her handlers can claim “media persecution” now nearly any time someone calls her or McCain on what they say, it’s pretty easy to stand up there and spout that kind of crap. The GOP has somehow ingrained into our nation’s conventional wisdom that the mainstream media is “liberal”, that it is mean and that is “bad”. I saw them starting to harp on that myth in order to distract people away from the party’s distinct lack of substance, and it looks like people might be buying into that sorry crapola one more time.
on Sep 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Indeed, GOP crapola is selling like the proverbial hotcakes, with CNN Radio reporting this morning McPander and Obama are tied at 48 percent each. P.T. Barnum underestimated how many fools are born every minute.