Karl Rove on Steroids
16 January 2010 6:28 pm by Taylor Marsh
I am disgusted and I thought they couldn’t top the World Trade Center gaffe.
Into this Pres. Obama will walk tomorrow. Like I said yesterday, it’s just too raw for the President to put himself in the middle of this mix. It diminishes him, especially with the latest from Greg Sargent. It is the same law that people used against Joe Lieberman, with the tactic straight out of dirty politics 101. (Using Brown’s vote against him, which is fine, that would have disallowed the usage of the morning-after pill to rape victims in emergency rooms, but there’s got to be a better way to do it.) Now, I love a good political fight, all things fair and all, but someone should tell Democrats that you draw the line on using rape victims in a mailer. Or maybe that’s just my delicate sensibilities.
If this is what is being sent out by Democrats in Massachusetts to obviously help Martha Coakley bring affluent and suburban women, regardless of parties, to the polls on Tuesday. She’s finished, whether she wins or not.
Let’s just hope the White House had nothing to do with this, not even giving a nod, though I wouldn’t put anything past David Axelrod.
I just can’t believe this. Have we really sunk this low?
Ugh – hate to see democrats this desperate – especially, in of all places, the dark blue state of MA.
You are right about Axelrod, Taylor – nothing is beneath him as he proved with the “Clintons as Racists” smear in the primaries.
It’s truly despicable, psychodrew, just stunningly bad judgment. The answer being YES.
I know, cchicago, this low in MA, no less.
I sent this tweet to Coakley’s people:
http://twitter.com/taylormarsh/status/7843417565
The Dems have a history of not knowing how to promote women candidates.
BAC
Ha Ha ha … The Democrats are quickly turning into Republicans …
First they fail to enact the promises they made that got them elected in majorities, now they are stooping to the levels of the Rovian himself ….
Whatever happened to just losing !?!
Frankly I think LOSING will be the only thing to drive into the thickheaded likes of Rahm and Co. that running away from your base NEVER wins you an election …
Why do they think the GOP are so adept at winning elections with the horrible track record they have at actually making policy …. !?!
i think coakley losing wont teach dc dems a damned thing. they will say oh we need to concede even more to the gop or just not push anything else. dc dems will blame all of it on coakley not on kaine, dnc, dscc. obama comes tommorrow but he faces the same problems he did in nj. what is obama going to tout as accomplishments in boston? what?
Has no one ever heard of Louise Day Hicks? Or James “Whitey” Bulger who headed the Irish, Winter Hill Gang and his brother Billy who was the President of the Massachusetts State Senate? “Whitey” was a PI for the FBI who allowed him to kill dozens of his enemies including many members of the Italian mob and never said boo to him. His little brother Billy saw to that. Politics in Massachusetts is a full contact sport and has been since the Boston Tea Party. You folks need to grow a pair or do your politicing in Chicago or New York where it’s a kids game. Peace
like i said when u hear dc dems are being sent to “save” a race expect what u see now.
Truly the first time I have ever heard politics in my home town described as a “kids game” Imhotep.
Chicago politics is not for the faint of heart and it spawned the likes of David Axelrod.
true c chicago.
this is axe for sure. i read today fmr obama wh folks are now with camp coakley on messaging.
c chicago, what works in Chicago and New York is the good old bribe. That’s nothing more than old time ward politics. The kind of politics that they also practice in Philadelphia and other sissy places. You know where the ward captain or the borough chief passes out dollar bills to get the vote out. In Massachusetts if you don’t get the vote out and the vote isn’t “right” they find you at the county landfill with flies buzzing around your lifeless body. In Chicago they only bump off mob guys, union leaders and newspaper men. Politicians in your fine city have always been a protected class. Peace
Had you not told me I would never in a MILLION years havr recognized those buildings in the background as the World Trade Towers, a MILLION years.
But if they are it was a screw up. But in all honesty I don’t see it as a big deal. Had they used the towers after or during the attack that would be something differant. But to get all riled up about the image they used in richous indignation? Methinks someone needs a reality check.
I don’t for the LIFE of me see what’s wrong with the adds referancing his stance on the morning after pill?!!!!!
It would be better for these women(are they the actual women in the add? Their faces look pretty indicipherable to me)if this stealth wingnut is sitting in the Senate?!!!
Come ON folks. If these adds accurately state his words and stated intentions why on EARTH is pointing that out turning into republicans?! HOW on earth is that Karl Rove on steroids?
NO WONDER the repugs kicked Democrats asses for so long. You all want to bring a pen knife to an artillary exchange.
texan is so right…Lord…Lord…Lord was it ramsgate who said recently that “it is like a death spiral”.
Just went and re-read the thread header and text. Ms. marsh, I lovez ya, ya knowz I doz. On THIS one, you have me scratching my head.
I know many, MANY women who have been raped, including my WIFE! She just made the statement “Are they CRAZY! OF COURSE the Democrats should tell people this.”
I have a feeling based on her reaction and my own alot more folks in the electorate would like to know this when concidering their votes. ALOT.
blue mass exclusive- brown rants about obama born of wedlock? hah cooky
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/diary/18410/bmg-exclusive-scott-brown-thought-maybe-obama-was-born-out-of-wedlock
Coakley is a terrible candidate. Face it. Democrat Hector One-Inch should have been able to retain Ted Kennedy’s old seat. Especially running against a guy who wants to torpedo Vickie Kennedy’s health care bill. Coakley couldn’t find her own backside with both of her hands without a roadmap. Peace
Ahem!!
First of all, the ad claimed that it was released by The Mass. Democratic Party why is everyone so quick to blame Axelrod and/or the WH? I have seen absolutely nothing on their part so far to suggest any hint of such ruthlessness or toughness. These people want to kiss Republicans. Moreover, they rarely “go after” anyone.
Second, yes this is a brutal ad. My only quarrel with it is that it came so late in the day. So late that it reflects the candidate’s desperation. In that vein it could be perceived as a mistake. At this point in time they should have been cruising home on a positive note.
For years, I have been hoping for, praying for a more aggressive and robust Democratic party. A party that fights back, a pro-active party willing to give as good as it gets, instead of one that was constantly on the defensive reacting to Republican onslaughts. How many times have we watched our candidates pummeled by the evil Republican thugs and their allies in their swift boats, as we stood idly by begging them to fight back to no avail. They’d take a swing and that would pass for a fight.
So I am not bothered by an tough ad that tells it as it is. Let’s give ‘em hell. The problem is that Dems are not accustomed to blood on the floor, so now that she has taken tough action, once the brouhaha begins, she may begin apologizing for doing the right thing, and then she may lose more than she gains. WE will see if she stands her ground.
Like I said we deserve the leaders we have.
politico- sexism a factor against coakley in ma. as one teamster says “im not voting for a broad.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31579_Page2.html
Democrats need to stop suffering from Stockholm syndrome.
For decades Republicans refused to get their blue noses out of women’s panties.
If this ad helps to defeat Scott then let it happen. Yes Coakley appears a corporatist, but people can deal with the Democratic Libertarian Council by going to http://www.democratz.org
“Imhotep says:
16 January 2010 at 8:02 pm”
Jackass seems such a little word to discribe this level of stupidity and basic trollyness. But, yeah, jackass about covers it.
Massachusetts politics is very very retail. Coakley’s run a fait accompli campaign in a state that expects retail. Gatherings and sight of the candidate. Every town here is still run by Town Meeting for example.
As for the Democrats learning from losing. That’s a definition of insanity: “repeating the same set of actions expecting a different outcome”. The Democratic party has been a loser since 1968. They’ve had three lucky wins: Twice with Carter and Obama by being the only option after an incredible self immolating Republican fiasco before them. Clinton’s win was a statistical windfall because of a split on the right between Bush and Perot. Each time the Dems found a way to squander historic opportunities.
The Democrats have NEVER been able to profit from being cast into the political wilderness the way the Republican party has. No Goldwater moments for us, no. Just forty years of utter uselessness and self-inflicted toolbaggery.
texan4hillary says:
16 January 2010 at 8:27 pm
How much of a factor can sexism be when Hillary won MA in 2008?
From exit polling in NJ and VA – Hey it was only a couple months ago.
This campaign cycle has seen its share of negative advertising in both Virginia and New Jersey.
In Virginia, Deeds is viewed more as the attacker – 65 percent said he has attacked McDonnell unfairly. 51 percent thought McDonnell attacked Deeds unfairly.
Over in New Jersey, the Democrat is also seen as more on the attack. 73 percent of voters said Corzine has attacked Christie unfairly; though 62 percent viewed Christie as attacking Corzine.
Below is the link:
http://tinyurl.com/yh6bcqb
“As for the Democrats learning from losing. That’s a definition of insanity: “repeating the same set of actions expecting a different outcome”.”
So, let me see if I have this straight. The Dems have become the repugnantklan because they have started actually fighting back with fact based hard hitting spots since the repugs always use hard hitting spots based on LIES.
And the fact that Dems are actually fighting back for a change, acting DIFFERANTLY and expecting differant results means they’re insane.
So the Dems are the same as the repugs…no matter WHAT they do. AND the Dems are CRAZY, no matter what they do.
Who ARE you people and what fu*king PLANET do you live on?
My take on this cheap political attack by Martha camp….”Politics can be ruthless”…What she is doing to Scott is tamed compared to things Republicans have unleashed on Dems…I don’t like dirty politics but it is, what it is…Life goes on!!!
secularhumanizinevoluter (wow, hard to type!)speaks for me here. I can’t see anything wrong with the ads–compared to some of the lying crap Rs routinely put out especially. Maye we should have put it out earlier, but damn, it is true and it is important.
And the buidling thing, in the other ad–so what? Not only did I not recognize the building, but I also presume most who see the ad won’t.
How about some investigative journalism as to just who did produce the ‘rape’ mailer?
Before you blame Coakley for the mailer, pls note that Greg Sargent states as fact that the Coakley campaign didn’t write the ‘memo’=mailer. See
theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/saturday-roundup-clinton-robocalls-for-coakley/
Meanwhile, the state GOP sends over a statement ripping the Coakley campaign (which didn’t author the memo) as “negative,” “flailing,” and “malicious.”
The first page is so crazy that I suspect the MA Dems didn’t do it either.
Taylor, the first image says “1,736 women were raped” but the picture shows only about 80 faces. I don’t think these are pictures of the actual victims. It’s just a made-up image that might be used for any ad about women. No one would go to the trouble of seeking out actual victims’ photos (and risk being sued BY a Republican victim).
The text on the first image is crazy. Brown doesn’t want [all] hospitals to turn them all away. He just wants some hospitals to turn away some women — ie those women who want emergency contraception.
The main statements on the second image are substantially correct.
“Scott Brown would allow hospitals to ban emergency contraception birth control even after women are raped.”
His 2005 amendment did allow a hospital to refer all rape victims wanting emergency contraception ‘to another facility’.
“sponsoring a law to let hospitals turn away rape victims in need of emergency contraception”
That is what his 2005 amendment allowed: refer ‘to another facility.’
The text in the image may be misleading about the time frame if it is referring only to Brown’s failed 2005 amendment. If Brown is currently sponsoring such a law, I haven’t heard about it.
The main image shows a woman (posed not a real victim I’m sure) in a hospital gown and wheel chair who would have difficulty and discomfort being transferred ‘to another facility.’ Actually the picture understates the mailer’s case. It might have shown the woman on an x-ray table or in a hospital bed connected to tubes and in traction. No matter the woman’s condition, per Brown’s amendment the hospital could still insist that if she wanted a morning after pill she would have to be taken ‘to another facility.’ In fact of course this means she would be confined in the first hospital with no access to the morning after pill till she was well enough to get out, by which time it would be too late.
” Marie205 says:
17 January 2010 at 2:03 am
My take on this cheap political attack by Martha camp….”Politics can be ruthless”…What she is doing to Scott is tamed compared to things Republicans have unleashed on Dems…I don’t like dirty politics but it is, what it is…Life goes on!!!”
HOW is this a “cheap political attack”?!!!!! HOW is 5his “dirty politics”?!!!!!!
Did the rightwing, dishonest wingnut take these positions?! THEN IT’S AN HONEST INFORMATIVE SPOT!
THE MOFO IS ALL FOR, EVEN DEMANDING women be denied their rights because of HIS superstitious beliefs!
PEOPLE and in particular VOTERS should know this! MY complaint was voiced in an earlyer post, WHY on EARTH did the Cloakley camp wait so long to start running this?!
I suspect the image with all the faces was a single piece of clip art. Assembling and sizing all those faces from separate sources would take a lot of time and some expertise.
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!!!!
“Scott Brown Voted Against Giving Help To 9/11 Recovery Workers
One month after the September 11th attacks, Scott Brown was one of only three Massachusetts State Representatives to vote against a bill to provide financial assistance to Red Cross workers who had volunteered with 9/11 recovery efforts, we’ve learned.
The Brown campaign acknowledged the vote to us, claiming the measure would have taxed already-strained state finances.
The 9/11 attacks flared as an issue in the Massachusetts race today. The NRSC sharply criticized Democrat Martha Coaxley over a DSCC ad, first reported by Politico, that flashed an image of the Twin Towers. Rudy Giuliani, who stumped for Brown today, also slammed Coakley over the ad, saying it was “unthinkable” and “offensive.”
On October 17th, 2001, Brown voted against a bill that would authorize “leaves of absence for certain Red Cross employees participating in Red Cross emergencies.” The bill gave 15 days of paid leave each year to state workers called up by the Red Cross to respond to disasters. At the time, state workers called for such emergencies were required to use sick and vacation days.
The bill was initially filed before 9/11, and after the attacks, it was made retroactive to 9/11, covering the time spent by state workers who’d assisted with 9/11 recovery work for the Red Cross. Brown’s vote against the measure came a little more than a month after the attack.
You can read the bill and the roll call right here.
Brown spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom justified the vote by pointing to the state’s fiscal straits. “At the time, the state was in a fiscal crisis and facing a deficit, and there was no money to spend on additional pay and benefits for state employees,” Fehrnstrom emailed.
Special thanks to reporter Beth Marlowe for the research help.
***************************************
Update: DSCC spokesman Eric Schultz responds:
“On a day with Scott Brown bringing in Rudy Giuliani, he ought to give the people of Massachusetts an explanation as to why he voted against relief for 9/11 workers. We knew Scott Brown was a shill for Wall Street and corporate interests, but I cannot imagine what excuse he comes up with for this vote. He ought to be ashamed of himself and he ought to apologize to the Mayor of New York.”
posted over at rawstory.
I suppose some here would get apoplectic if the Dems DARED to make a spot pointing THIS lil bit of empathy and caring about the 9/11 vols huh?
For that matter the second image, of the woman in the wheel chair etc, looks like some existing very professional advertising image that the flyer makers pulled out to put their clumsy text on.
Folks, come on, secularh, 1950democrat (nice to see you, by the way), this is how this works. It’s called 6 degrees of campaign deniability, if you will.
OF COURSE Coakley didn’t produce the mailer; and her campaign didn’t respond to my tweet on it either. I’m not surprised. It would be death to her if she had put it out. It’s done by Dems separate of Coakley to drop a nuclear message that would cream the candidate if she did it, but makes the point.
Are you also suggesting there isn’t a way to talk about Scott Brown’s offensive vote without using rape victims? And clip art? Who cares?
When you see mailers this late in a campaign that are this inflammatory it proves the internals show the candidate the nuclear negatives are meant to help has lost momentum, with the opponent pushing hard into election day.
I am dissapointed that Clakley wouldn’t be up front about pointing this vile aspect of her opponents voting record out to voters. I am tired of namby pamby don’t want to get down on the dirt floor knife fight that politics was, is and always will be.
Where I draw the line is telling the truth. If it is TRUE hammer them UNMERCIFULLY with it early and often right up to the election.
You are right, this IS a sign of unease, desperation if you will by the Cloakley team and or supporters. But I think it is a completely legit angle to take.
“Are you also suggesting there isn’t a way to talk about Scott Brown’s offensive vote without using rape victims? And clip art? Who cares?”
Apparently you yourself and some of the posters here do, quite a lot it would seem.
Ted was there like FOREVA. But Mass isn’t quite the Liberal, Democratic stronghold folks have infered from that. How many repug Governors have they elected? How about Mayors and other elected officials?
Cloakley appears to have assumed it was a given she would get the nod from voters. She has been awoken to the reality NOTHING is a given. Hopefully not TO late to pull off a win.
The far more interesting thing to me is the self distructive/suididal venting of burn down the housedness of some of the posters here.
Have they REALLY forgotten already just how horrific it was just a year ago?
Do they REALLY, SERIOUSLY equate President Obama and his administration with the 8 years of utter lawlessness under the Bush/Cheney crime family?
To me THAT is by far the most amazing part of this whole magilla.
I’m suggesting that you don’t need to drop a negative mailer that is so offensive the campaign of the candidate can’t touch it.
You can stand up on principle against his votes and positions, illustrating you’re a champion for women up front.
THIS is the problem with Democrats. They won’t stand up themselves and say what needs to be said, especially on women’s civil rights issues, because they think it’s all just too dirty.
Instead they drop this crap. It’s why we end up with things like Stupak.
The shame of it is Coakley started out just the way you suggest. She took a strong stand on women’s rights immediately after she announced saying she would not support a HC bill that harmed women’s rights. She talked about the Hide amendment not being consistent with current law. Where did that Martha Coakley go and why did she leave? Was she advised to tone it down? Then just recently she said she would be the 60th vote for the flawed bill,no mention of women’s rights. I can’t help but believe she was under strong pressure from the WH and the DNC to do what she did.
It also appears that all involved took this election for granted from the WH to Coakley’s people on the ground.Shouldn’t someone from Obama’s famed campaign team have been assigned to such an important election?
I’m not sure how these things work but it sure seemed like Rove had his eye on all Repub elections.It seems like the President’s political people are only concerned what impacts him directly,even though in the long run this one will.
I agree with secular that negative information about her opponant should have been out there early to define him to the people of MA.
Where the heck is John Kerry?
I don’t think Coakley should be blamed for someone else’s use of clip art . We can’t assume that EVERYTHING ANYONE puts out is really her fault.
For all we know, maybe a Brown supporter (or Joe Kennedy) printed it and signed it “Mass Democrats”, just to make the Dems look bad. Has anyone found solid evidence of where the ‘rape’ mailer actually came from?
If a repug put this out to make Cloakley “look bad” I would like to shake their hand and say THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!
Lake Lady, Coakley said she would not vote for a HC bill with the Stupak language. So, they are taking out the Stupak language in favor of something she will accept.
This is using her power in a realistic way.
If Brown is elected, Reid and Obama can still pass their HC by various methods — including bribing a GOP Senator or two to miss the filibuster or push the wrong button! So imo we need to look at the larger picture and support whichever candidate whose policies we want in the Senate for the next two years.
secularhumanizinevoluter says:
16 January 2010 at 11:28 pm
First dude fuck you. LoL you fuckin lunatic asshat tool! roflolcopter.
Second what fuckin planet have YOU been on the last forty years? What fuckin planet for the last YEAR?
The Democratic Party has degenerated into a full out Confederacy of Dunces. Dude dose a little, meds, blue pill, chill pill, whatevah. lol.
“autumnal says:
17 January 2010 at 6:29 pm”
Why you silver tounged sweet talker you. I’m sure with such self control and eloquence you’re a regular pied piper of political discourse. Must convince alot of folks to see things YOUR way I’ll betcha!
As for your last point, if you’re a Democrat I could see where you would have alot of credibility regarding judgement calls on dunces.
secularhumanizinevoluter says:
17 January 2010 at 9:45 pm
aww commentin on my silver tongue when it was you, dude, you who launched off with the f-bomb. I just proportionally responded. awww.
You’re either dumb or yet another “republican” using the “dem” in drag moniker
how ya like THEM apples! lol
Actually hadn’t Coakley’s campaign been talking about Brown’s rape contraception amendment for quite a while before this non-Coakley mailer came out?
Maybe they should have talked about it more earlier, but that doesn’t make them responsible for someone’s trashy clip art.