Max Cleland was unpatriotic. John Kerry was a coward. Al Franken, a champion for women's rights,

[ProfessorPlum]

is a heel. Al Gore, who helped to create the internet, claimed he invented the internet. Hillary Clinton, an excellent sec of state, conspired to kill Americans overseas while sec of state.

This is GOP ratfucking 101. You go right at your opponents strengths, with attacks so over the top and preposterous, that people are at first stunned by your audacity and then conned by the (inevitably weak) response of the Democrats.

(hint: it almost always works)

[rzemanfl]

1. K&R. n/t

[LisaM]

2. K&R

I am beside myself, I'm so livid.

[SHRED]

3. Our self righteousness...

...Democratic leaders and Senators have brought this on us.

[Duppers]

4. K & R

It has RW think tank mentality written all over it and our gullible leaders fell for it without a frickin investigation!
F F F F!

[MiltonBrown]

5. Disappointed in leadership but disappointed by Al too.

Either say it ain't so and stay or admit wrongdoing and go.

Bottom line for me is that he should have stayed and fought.

[Kimchijeon]

12. Yes, he should have

[NewJeffCT]

18. I honestly think he doesn't know

he said he doesn't remember groping these women, and it's possible that out of thousands and thousands of photo ops over the years that he inadvertently groped some women. It seems strange to me that the women that knew him from SNL and from his office in the Senate all signed on to letters saying that Franken was a good guy who treated them with respect. But, several women at photo ops where a husband, boyfriend or friend was likely taking the picture (these were before selfies became common) seems like an odd place to start groping somebody - what happens if the husband or boyfriend notices and clocks Franken? Or, the woman turns and slaps him? I mean, if he's a serial groper, isn't it likely it would have happened at least once to him? (getting slapped and/or clocked, or at least an attempted clocking) Or, somebody behind Franken or near him notices the grope?

[mountain grammy]

40. I keep thinking those same things.

[pangaia]

27. He did say some of the accusations were not true and others he either didn't remember

or remembered differently.

I believe every word this man says.

[rainin]

51. I listened to it twice

and it was very clear to me he denied wrongdoing. He stopped short of calling them liars because, I believe, he is considering the larger conversation, but saying you remembered it differently is all you can say short of calling someone a liar. He also said some of the accusations were false.

Maybe he's a victim of being a gentleman. Our society rewards Moore and Trump for calling the women liars.

[Egnever]

54. That is the message that seems to be sent by this

Call them liars guilty or not. Do not show respect or you are doomed.

Everything the metoo movement says they want was just proven to be detrimental to anyone accused.

[angstlessk]

6. Straight from the expert of propaganda.

“It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise.”
― Joseph Goebbels

“Think of the press as a great keyboard
on which the government can play.”
― Joseph Goebbels

“That propaganda is good which leads to success, and that is bad which fails to achieve the desired result. It is not propaganda’s task to be intelligent, its task is to lead to success.”
― Joseph Goebbels

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.”
― Joseph Goebbels

[tenisfin]

7. It ALWAYS

works. . . . . . .

[musette_sf]

8. My internal earworm this morning

was to the tune of "Ragg Mop":
R-A-T-T F-U-C-K
Rat Fuck

[BamaRefugee]

9. waiting for the accusations coming against the Dems who pushed SENATOR FRANKEN out, gonna be rich

and there better be resignations within THREE MINUTES after the first accusation

[Bengus81]

17. Yup...my thoughts too......

We'll keep all of you in our thoughts...........

[treestar]

25. They keep saying multiple accusations mean it must be true

So we don't know exactly how many it takes. But it takes fewer for a Democrat.

[LakeArenal]

30. for accusations far less serious...

ass grabbing in public.

[wallyworld2]

35. The thing is

With Roy Moore, reporters found the reluctant victims.

They were vetted and researched and validated by multiple sources.

That didn't happen with Franken and like you said more and more 'witnesses' turned up.

They all seemed more annoyed rather than traumatized.

The one who claimed Al said, 'I'm an entertainer and I am entitled', just killed me.

I would not be surprised if the accuser didn't start with, It was a dark and stormy night!

Franken's ouster stinks to high heaven to me.

Not that anyone should not get upset by unwanted physical touching, they should.

I just do not think that Franken, a champion of net neutrality, woman's rights, healthcare, and many other good social services, should be removed from office.

That's my two cents.

[bigbrother05]

47. That "entertainer" one kills me

The version I heard was that she hosted Al on a radio show and he attempted an unwanted kiss then uttered the entitled entertainer comment.

Breaking it down, he must have been on some promotion or tour to be on a local radio program. As a person in show biz, he's probably gotten used to the usual smooch one sees on tv during the host's greeting. Assuming that the woman recoiled at this unwanted familiarity, suspect Al probably remarked something about it being commonplace in the entertainment business and let it go.

While that's my rationalization, the woman clearly didn't want him to kiss her and took any comment he had as being a justification for his action and she felt he acted entitled.

For comparison, let's suppose we review the Access Hollywood tape. We hear Trump's locker room talk as the bus pulls up. Trump & Bush exit the bus and approach a young woman sent to escort them into the studio. With no formal intro or any indication of them being acquainted, the Donald "moves on her like a bitch". Now, we don't know if the woman wanted or expected to be kissed, but she didn't appear to have any choice in the situation and based on his assertions in the previous few minutes, he wasn't going to wait to be asked. When are the women of the GOP ask for him to step down?

[bronxiteforever]

10. Greatest page recommendation! Kick and Recommend!

[NoMoreRepugs]

11. No argument w the professor's assessment.

[Owl]

13. Exactly. K&R

[NurseJackie]

14. Thank you.

[Scruffy1]

15. I believe the whole thing was orchestrated by Hubbard Broadcasting.

This whole thing reeks to high heaven. Hubbard is a billionairewho used to own dish TV along with his major TV and radio station in the twin cities, which he inherited. Locally he is famous for his right wing craziness. I remember when he posted Billboards all over the twin cities opposing the light rail system as "social engineering" as if freeways weren't. Sad day and another reason to quit feeding the corporate media.

[eppur_se_muova]

16. Karl Rove said to attack their strengths, not their weaknesses. R's have.

Dem's strength is that they actually care about sexual harassment and abuse of women. Repugs simply don't care, so they wield the weapon of shame knowing that Dems are voluntarily susceptible but Repugs are stone cold immune to the whole concept of shame.

And Dems refuse to learn, no matter how many times the lesson is repeated.

[trof]

19. How in hell did 'we' become so stupid and foolish?

Last edited Thu Dec 7, 2017, 07:49 PM - Edit history (1)

[pangaia]

29. WE didn't.. :))))

[FailureToCommunicate]

20. K n R

Sad, but true.

[Different Drummer]

21. K&R. n/t

[lunamagica]

22. K&R. So true

[Leith]

23. I Remember All Those Lies They Told

Even Max Cleland. He had a leg blown off in Vietnam, ffs! They all said he screwed up, he did it to himself, yada yada yada.

They do nothing but lie. They lie, distort, shout louder and louder, until the dupes don't remember that there is completely different truth behind it. And they get rich doing it.

[The_Casual_Observer]

26. Actually it isn't the public that are the dupes, it's the media. It becomes a matter of

"The people say" , "there is a poll that says" and "This is an outrage..."

[Hekate]

39. Actually, Max Cleland had two legs and an arm blown off in Nam. And he got smeard just the same.

[treestar]

24. Why it works so well I'll never understand.

And why it never works in reverse too! Bush and his questionable military service - never hurt him. Donald of Orange, no matter what it was, and no matter how much of it, never hurt him. Why are they like teflon?

[Cattledog]

28. With a little help from your friends.

:large

[LakeArenal]

31. And Al standing there but

I feel like it is me personally....

Al Franken 2020

[Paladin]

32. K&R. Hannity's practically going into on-air spasms over R. Mueller's supposed transgressions.

I wonder if Democrats will ever get a handle on a strong, effective counter-response to these chicken-shit GOP maneuvers. Lord knows they've given us plenty of opportunities.

[Initech]

50. I would love to take down Hannity.

But he seems bulletproof for the moment. Maybe we can start going after his advertisers and letting them know the kind of hate that they're sponsoring?

[COLGATE4]

33. K&R this 1000 times

I don't understand why we always fall for it. Talk about Charlie Brown and Lucy with the football!!!!!!!!!

[klook]

34. One big difference: I don't recall 30+ Dem U.S. Senators piling on with Republicans

and a couple of left-leaning Independents to condemn any of these other Democratic leaders.

[ProfessorPlum]

42. No, they only voted to kill ACORN

Et cetera

[rainin]

52. Opportunists..every one. n/t

[ThoughtCriminal]

36. I am seeing plenty of of posts here that are joining the Right-wing Ratfuck

Congratulations to them, they have helped the worst of them win again.

[Persondem]

37. Exactly. K & R nt

[Hekate]

38. ...And I am so godsdamned sick of Democrats falling for it

The GOP declared war on us, and we can't seem to hold that thought longer than two minutes straight.

They are evil, but we are idiots.

[mountain grammy]

41. It works because we let it.

[SunSeeker]

43. K & R

[mentalslavery]

44. It really does...so weak...

[workinclasszero]

45. Fucking SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sammythecat]

46. Great post!

GOP ratfucking 101. Your definition should be in the dictionary and I'm going to try to remember it because that is EXACTLY what they do and what is happening now.

[Denis 11]

48. Al Gore's did aid in the early stages of the internet

I have an old college text book that defends Al Gore.

[ProfessorPlum]

53. that's what my post says

He really did the work on the government side to get it up and running with darpanet, etc.

[angrychair]

49. To this day

The brutal attacks on Cleland and Kerry are burned into my brain and the hate and injustice of those attacks undeniable.