What’s with the non-denial from Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office? Is one of his aides indeed coordinating with wingnuttia for the attacks on a 12-year-old boy and his sister and their family? From ABC News, via Digby:
“This is a perverse distraction from the issue at hand,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Reid, D-Nev. “Instead of debating the merits of providing health care to children, some in GOP leadership and their right-wing friends would rather attack a 12-year-old boy and his sister who were in a horrific car accident.”
Manley cited an e-mail sent to reporters by a Senate Republican leadership aide, summing up recent blog traffic about the boy’s family. A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declined to comment on Manley’s charge that GOP aides were complicit in spreading disparaging information about Frosts. (emphasis mine)
In my experience, if you are not participating in something, you deny it outright to kill the story.
Mitch McConnell is the Republican Minority Leader in the Senate and sponsor of the Orwellian-named “Families First” legislation which would actually decrease the number of kids covered for benefits. Classy. Is someone in his office coordinating a dirty tricks PR advance against a 12 year old child? Have they been helping the story along, doing oppo on this child and his family and feeding it out through the wurlitzer to their corporate media buddies so their hands appear publicly clean while the wingnuts launder their slime tactics for them? As Digby asks, has the Senate Republican Minority leaders office frequently been used as a laundering point of contact for wayward freepers and random wingnuttery at large? Yes or no.
The NYTimes parses the disgusting all-out spitefest against this family, and coughs up another quote from a “an aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell” — gee, they sure do get around, don’t they?
Ms. Pelosi on Tuesday said, “I think it’s really a sad statement about how bankrupt some of these people are in their arguments against S-chip that they would attack a 12-year-old boy.”…
Republicans on Capitol Hill, who were gearing up to use Graeme as evidence that Democrats have overexpanded the health program to include families wealthy enough to afford private insurance, have backed off, glad to let bloggers take the heat for attacking a family with injured children.
An aide to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, expressed relief that his office had not issued a press release criticizing the Frosts.
But Michelle Malkin, one of the bloggers who have strongly criticized the Frosts, insisted Republicans should hold their ground and not pull punches. (emphasis mine)
Smells like a political bait and switch maneuver to me, with the GOP leadership leaving the skeezy tactical bag holding to the more than happy to hold it foaming at the mouth wingnuttia denizens. News flash to Sen. McConnell: if you had anything to do with this, the slime stops at your door as well. Attacking minor children for political gain is craven and wrong. Period. Was this coordination on attacks against a 12 year old done with Sen. McConnell’s approval — or is his control over his staff so lax that he had no idea this was being done? And, either way, how does this qualify as “leadership?”
Is anyone in the media going to actually dig into this and find out how involved the McConnell oppo shop has been in all of this? Because I would love to hear a yes or no answer on any of the above questions.
UPDATE: The Baltimore Sun has a piece on how all of this nastiness is impacting the Frost family. (H/T to Marie Roget for the link.) This from a RedState commenter is particularly appalling:
“Hang ‘em. Publically,” the contributor wrote. “Let ‘em twist in the wind and be eaten by ravens. Then maybe the bunch of socialist patsies will think twice.”
They left this up in their public comments section?!? Vile.
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Zed? YES!
Good morning Christy!
yo
short answer to Christy’s question about the MSM looking into the slime coming for repubs offices, NO.
Couple this with that fucking pig Billo’s suggestion that the victim in the Missouri enjoyed his captivity. These scumbags will stop at nothing.
raven @ 5
Billo was Keith’s WPITW last night.
Good morning Christy and the early morning pups!
“Families First”? That piece of propaganda pisses me off badly. The only way it is appropriate in this situation is if the Repugs mean it in the context of “We’ll attack your Families First”.
I sent an e-mail to Harry Reid’s office yesterday requesting that the Democratic leadership call upon Bush and the Republicans to repudiate this smear. So far, the response on our part seems to have been pretty tepid. I believe Democrats owe the Frost family a full-bore response aganst this vileness.
If McConnell’s office can be tied to the smear campaign in any way, we should be demanding his resignation.
Good morning Christy. Anyone heard a response from the family on this compassionate conservative assault?
Since they set the kid up you are absolutely right. And even if they hadn’t.
This is how Mr. Chao believes politics should be conducted. Everyone & everything is “fair game”. After all, it is the republiclown way.
This type of reprehensible conduct serves as a warning to the best and the brightest-keep out, this is our game. We can and will do this to you and your family if you choose to enter the political fray. This is why we have such trouble finding good candidates to run, whom wants the grief? Who doesn’t have something that they would prefer to not have drug across the front pages of America?
Christy, you guys can reach out to Olbermann can’t you?
He’s a Friend of the Lake, having appeared here for a Q&A some time back. He did a small piece on it last night, I think. But with Mr. Elaine Chao’s involvment, I’m sure he might do more…
I agree with Doc, the leadership used this child to counter Bush’s veto, fine, now they need to stand up & defend the integrity of this family.
Jo Fish @ 11
He’s a Friend of the Lake, having appeared here for a Q&A some time back. He did a small piece on it last night, I think. But with Mr. Elaine Chao’s involvment, I’m sure he might do more…
good idea Keith Olbermann would love to grab onto this story
I’m just having my first cup, so I might not be thinking clearly. But, my first thought at reading this article is that someone must have told them to go pick on someone their own size.
But, the Frost’s far larger than they in matters of integrity.
Also, maybe the Frosts fit the bill for showing just how Wrong Bush was when he said 83 thousand (isn’t) Pore!
Shameful!
Michele Malkin would qualify for Keith’s “worse person in the world”
Morning Christy and pups. I missed most of the Graeme-fest but what I’ve read about it makes me sick to my stomach. I’m presently in my last throws.
The Republican Party comes close to being a criminal organization. It’s leaders are morally bankrupt, and will stoop to anything to stay in power. One hopes the press will eventually cotton on to their game. There seems to be some slight progress, but it’s painfully slow, and their are legions of right-thinking persons who still think it’s all such an entertaining game, that no one should take seriously.
They should put themselves in the place of the family being smeared.
What a party of brutish thugs.
I have no doubt that your hypothesis is correct, Christy. This type of swiftboating allows McConnell to stand above the fray all the while letting others do the dirty work. After all, it is the same routine that Bush and Voldemort do all the time.
Just when i think they can go no lower something like this happens I’m outraged again.
Great post Christy. I like your righteous indignation. Morning Egregious et al. Good to be at the lake today.
You’re asking if the traditional media will dig into the slime of the Republican Party? When pigs fly.
What I was actually thinking is that this little boy stepped up for us when we asked his help to do the right thing, and that’s why we owe them.
I utterly reject the premise that we “set up” the family or “used” them. That’s the kind of semantics that Republican vermin use to justify their thuggery (please understand I’m not being disrespectful to the commenters here who used those words. I just don’t want us to buy into the concept).
Hey Jim, congrats on the zed. How are you doing?
egregious @ 20
I finally got to see Edwards in person at a small gathering near here. He’s as good in person as on the tube. My stepson got a picture with his uncle, a Democratic state Senator and Edwards. I was a proud Papa.
raven @ 9
good point… especially since it seemed so important to protect a grown up general from the damage done to him by a single ad (on his professional conduct, not his personal life) in the nyt.
There is a real similarity here with the case of the child actor in The Kite Runner,
whose family is also harrassed and threatened by fundamentalists
because he appeared in a movie with an unfavorable portrayal of the Taliban.
Doc @ 19
If you disagree that’s fine. You are telling me that this kid is the one who decided to “step up”? I don’t like it when adults are used to make political points and I damn sure don’t like it when kids are.
Replace Michelle Malkin’s name with that of Move-on and see how quickly fox and other news channels pick it up. I’m sickened that right wing blogs continue to get away with crap.
Via a link, I just read Malkin’s defensive diatribe about the right to attack sick and injured children if Democrats are going to use them as poter children, as she puts it. (And how typically Bushcheneyrovian that one must register in order to comment at Malkin’s blog!).
So, according to Malkin, it is manipulative and “asking for it” if one puts forth sick or injured children as examples of who a program specifically meant to help sick and injured children would help.
Hmmmm…I do love right-wing logic. I guess Dems should put forth sick and injured adults in order to make arguments for a program that assists sick and injured children. Curious indeed.
Also interesting was Malkin’s accusing Democrats of hiding behind this child by having him testify before Congress. Uh-huh. Versus Bush’s hiding behind a general by having him testify before Congress.
Malkin’s front page now is a raging meltdown of self-righteous victimhood, and of course the requisite claim that because people are criticizing and call her out on her SCHIP position, they are trying to “silence the right.”
Snore.
Hey Michell, why don’t you pull a Rush and liken the Frost boy to a suicide bomber!
Typical bully: can dish, cannot take.
Distraction and deception.
Like bullies on a playground tormenting the geeky kid.
Or the brute at the beach kicking sand in the face of the skrawny kid.
They are showing their true colors. Running scared. Maybe the dismal Republican debate the other afternoon (!) has got them melting down.
The truth sometimes hurts.
Doc @ 19
i thought the “set up” comment was meant to be taken as snark?
We are now a fourth world country.
Jim Clausen @ 21
Way to go! Did Edwards speak, would love to hear more about this encounter, thanks.
Doc @ 19
Who is “we” anyway?
I would like to see Michelle Malkin silenced.
[Mod: We trust you mean in a nonviolent way]
I think in a democracy people ought to be able to help make political points. Once we start to see citizen participation as just another marketing ploy we are heading down the dark road the Republicans have paved for us.
Yeah, Graeme and his family chose to be part of this. That’s a strength, not a problem. That kind of courage is the reason our leaders better get out in front to help them out now.
One other interesting thing I noted while reading Malkin’s blog:
Malkin asserts that the Frost family’s claim that private insurance would cost them $1200/mo. is false and that she found a plan for them in the $600 range (as if that’s chump change for people living on a combined income of $45K too!).
In the comments section, a (presumably) Malkin defender contradicts Malking – seemingly without realizing or intending to do so – by stating that she and her husband are paying $27K/yr. (Yo! Michelle! That’s over $2k/mo.) to cover their family of six and that “It’s hard but has to be done.”
I think right wingers really don’t listen to themselves.
Good morning Christy and residents of the Lake,
The answer to your question? The blogosphere will end up doing it. After all, the story wouldn’t be in the New York Times this morning if bloggers hadn’t held their feet to the fire.
IMHO, YMMV, and Michelle Malkin should be ashamed of herself, but I don’t think that’s possible for someone like her…
-S
“Who is “we” anyway?”
True, I don’t comment here at FDL often. I consider myself a progressive Democrat. That’s kind of what I meant.
and maybe i’m being overly sensitive (i’m sure you-all will tell me if you think so *g*)… but no matter how much i despise someone, i think don’t think it’s a good idea to refer to any human being as “vermin”.
there’s an unstated implication that vermin are for extermination… and indeed this is the kind of eliminationist rhetoric that david neiwert warns us about.
just something for us to be aware of…
Good morning CHS…Thanks for the post.
What occurs to me is that it does not matter one whit what the RWNFs say or do as they know the Dems are impotent. With reid and hoyerpelosi in charge they will find some way to not override the veto and claim that they tried hard but just didn’t have the votes.
The Dem leadership (hah!) is part of the same corporation as the goops, they are bought and paid for and will do what they are told to continue the status quo. No SCHIP, an even worse FISA, OK for the Iran war, more and more money for the Iraq murder spree, OK on torture, ineffectual investigations, no impeachment and if all that wasn’t bad enough now they give us fuc**ng Hilary. I despair.
Anchor baby. Gotta love Trex.
So, he’s up for re-election. That fact hovers in the background of all the “outrages” (state of SCHIP, anti-labor China boosterism, Congressional obstructionism) this particular individual generates between now and Nov. ‘08. So, what happens by then? A Democratic candidate replaces him? And what good will that do, pray?
Doc @ 33
There seems to be a philosophy among the Right that people going public with issues – be they 9/11 widows, mothers of dead soldiers, or families with sick and injured children – that that make those people “fair game” (for assaults and vicious attacks).
Why is everything about combat to right wingers? Even their language is full of bellicose verbiage.
Strategerie @ 35
Self-righteous authoritarians and/or totalitarians never feel shame. Did any of the Nazi executed at Nuremburg feel shame? Only defiance and regret that they lost.
Doc @ 36
Gotcha, just wasn’t sure.
I’ll stop soon but I just don’t think Graeme should have been front and center. The parents, fine, but not the kid.
This is a carefully orchestrated attack a la swiftboaters, Max Cleland, Schiavo,etc. It is meant to be so horrific that you are shocked and cannot react quickly. This is Rovian and he uses his authoritarian thugs to do it. Ring the bell and they drool, snarl and charge just like a pack of hyenas. It is meant to terrify and horrify. It is carefully planned to make the next person think twice and not support things they oppose, or they will be savaged. This is from the fascist playbook. This clearly to end all descent on behalf of the their masters in the insurance corporations. It is all about money as always. Of course it is being orchestrated out of McConnell’s office and the White House. This is what they are paid to do.
Strategerie @ 35
We are the free press now.
BeBe @ 44
Sorta supports my point. If you know this is coming why put your kid up there?
I used the word vermin because I’m still very angry about this after 3 days . I guess I can sympathize with the attitude against eliminationist rhetoric, but it is certainly manifest that Malkin and her cohorts not only do not respond to courtesy, they perceive it merely as weakness to be exploited.
It’s also important to realize that their kind do not represent all Republicans.
katherine Graham Cracker @ 32
Duck tape should stop her quacking
[Mod: Let’s back away from this kind of threat toward others please]
Graeme is a very bright articulate child.The school he attends is for the brightest. Im sure his family didnt exploit him.
What do the wingnuts expect? That the Frosts sell their home, both parents work and I expect Baltimore isnt cheap.
I hope Pelosi makes a statement.
People who ascribe to the authoritarian mind set do not use logic in their judgement. They also are incapable of empathy. They only see their own agendas and do whatever it takes to keep it going.
That being said, I agree that we, meaning those who are not With Them, have to keep their feet to the fire.
As long as we exist and keep pointing out the extreme unfairnesses when they happen, we are doing our part for truth.
Hi Christy, Thanks for teaching us to spotlight, and for all your efforts here. Wasn’t too tough, and the feeling you get after you hit send is great. I just hope to see the term “tipping point” around here again real soon. Gotta love the lake, Peace bluejeansntshirt
Doc @ 47
And which Republicans are publicly denouncing the right wing slash and burn tactics?
How about a group effort to get Keith Olbermann to do a segment on this. Or at the very least he could place Michele Malkin in the “Worst person in the world” segment. Although she is so scary she might like it.
Contact Keith
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/
The wingnuts are brave enough to attack a vulnerable family, but notice that none of them are fighting this war they spent so much time masturbating about.
Cowards, every single one of them.
Kathleen @ 53
Maybe we should nominate Jon Stewart?
How surreal this all looks from half a world away.
But look on the bright side: the repo strategy might end up with ‘blowback’ when people understand this is a case of virtual child abuse …
Charles Giacometti @ 54
Now THAT I agree with!
Agreed that the Democratic leadership had better ramp up an effective push back – NOW.
Didn’t they anticipate this? Can’t they provide the family with:
- Legal counsel to evaluate any of the harassment and see if it can be prosecuted criminally or civilly?
- How about providing a private security firm to monitor any potential trespassing?
- Can one of the activist groups – Code Pink – perform some civil disobedience like a sit down blockade in front of the radio station Rush or the other spewmiesters works at?
And instead of Reid’s SPOKESMAN, maybe we could have the leadership itself step up and counter ram this back down the idiots throats. Honestly, what an opportunity. WHERE ARE THE CANDIDATES ON THIS – HELLO? This is a poster opportunity to call these sickos out AND frame health care at the same time.
If the Democrats have used these people and now will (it’s NOT CAN’T) not support them, protect them, or back them up – then what are we to say about our support?
raven at 46 — Up until now, children were off limits in these kinds of attacks. Dems did not attack the 9 year old kid that Bush used to front out his failed social security reform, even though he dragged that kid to those staged rallies all over the country with him. They didn’t attack the kids that were held up as snowflake babies when he vetoed stem cell research. No one has gone on the attack against children that Bush used in his press conferences on SCHIP the last couple of weeks.
Watertiger had a whole series of photos of kids that the right has used for photo-ops in the last few months that no one has gone after like this. It just is not done — and the same has been true up to now for kids that the left has included in political rallies or hearings to make specific legislative points where children were the ones being affected by the legislation. The reason? Because it is wrong to do so, plain and simple.
Anyone who says that this sort of attack against a child was expected has not paid attention, or has been so coarsened by the usual attacks on adults as to expect it. But that is not — and has never been the case — when it came to minor children. The rare occasions when something started up about a child, it was squelched almost immediately by political leadership — this time something very different is going on, and it needs to be spotlighted and disinfected.
This is flat out wrong, no two ways about it.
wilson @ 58
Love this idea! Turn Blackwater against the R’s.
The slime has long since extended past mcconnell’s door; he’s been covered in it for years. His is one of the faces (including stevens, issa, delay, hastert, shrub, et al) that make me physically ill when I see them.
Asked in the prior thread if anyone had heard of any dims standing up for the family………and will ask it here again. I haven’t. Am kinda with raven on this one……….those who invited them to participate in this ad *are* in effect using a young boy who certainly doesn’t have the power to defend himself if they don’t speak up.
And I’m really disappointed in Keith for not making a bigger stink about the despicable behavior on the part of the reich wing since he’s the only voice we have other than our own.
(note: I use lower case to indicate disrespect for republics only…..I try to refer to firepups using the case they’ve chosen to use for their screen names.)
snowbird at 48 — She did — there’s a quote in the NYTimes article that I included above. Just because the media isn’t reporting full on statements doesn’t mean they aren’t being made.
Good morning from L.A. Front page online in this morning’s Baltimore Sun:
Frost Family Draws Ire of Conservatives
nomolos @ 38
That is EXACTLY how I feel. They have been bought and our interests are being sold to the highest bidder, and it ‘ain’t’ the progressive voters. I too, despair.
BeBe @ 44
I like Hunter’s characterization over at the Great Orange Satan: ‘protofascists in neckties.’ This is a rough tussel and it is going to get rougher as we wind down towards the general election. Courage, all, and protect each other’s back.
egregious @ 45
Isn’t this the truth?
Good morning, egregious!
-S
Anyone who says that this sort of attack against a child was expected has not paid attention
Was or wasn’t expected?
raven @ 46
Maybe because our leaders keep forgetting that we live in brownshirt times.
Good idea, Kathleen.
I just sent an email to KO.
And,
You are right, Christy, we don’t use children.
It’s not nice and it’s not right.
Remember as kids we used to say How Low Can You Go?
Doin’ the limbo is the basement–good times demi.
Putin: Iran not building A-bomb
Wed, 10 Oct 2007
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.a…..on51020104
Perino mum on Israeli nukes
Wed, 10 Oct 2007
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.a…..id=3510203
However Thomas was in no mood for Perino’s weaseling, asking flatly again that, “you don’t know whether any other country in the Middle East has nuclear arms? Or do you refuse to say?”
“I’ll just refuse to say it,” was Perino’s
final answer.
Scott Ritters latest
http://www.informationclearing…..e18529.htm
Oil, Israel, and America: The Root Cause of the Crisis
By Scott Ritter
10/09/07
raven @ 55
The Spotlight project will email MSM people by name. It’s easy to hit the button above under the main post next to the word comment. Although in the interest of full disclosure, I have had a lot of difficulty following the links.
There were also constructive proposal made on previous Frost post. Ok, in the interest of full disclosure, I made one.
But I am not comment pimping. The question there and here is:
Can we not organize our outrage somehow either in support of the Frosts or against McConnell’s aide?
demi @ 69
I went ahead and contacted, Keith, Matthews and the Diane Rehm show. You never know
Christy Hardin Smith @ 62
I forget that the media doesnt report. I fear for the family and want them protected. And you are right,the left doesnt personally attack the children Bush uses as props so they might not have expected this kind of an attack
Kathleen @ 73
That fucking idiot Tweety would probably put Malkin on so he could look up her skirt and go HAAAAAAA!
Marie Roget @ 63
That comment from the “redstate” said it all. Frightening…this persons probably goes to church on Sunday too. Scary times
cc:
Ugh, too early in the morning to imagine all of their basement activities. Brings to mind some of what the Rude Pundit writes.
I agree with Kathleen at 76. The Red State comment was truly frightening–and cowardly of course. Maybe the FBI should track this person down.
raven @ 75
This part of Matthews personality is disgusting.
Kathleen @ 76
Red Stater was just quoting Jesus, as those moral/family/Christian values right wingers are wont to do.
Impressive how they’ve pegged Christ, isn’t it?
Kathleen @ 79
This part? every bloody part of that lump is disgusting
Pelosi speaks out, from the Baltimore Sun article:
It is dangerous hate speech to rile up unstable people who do horrible hateful things
and then people like Malkin try to back away
Pay Buchanan’s even crazier brother went after someone with gun after the Bigot falsely claimed something on Tweety’s show in 1999
Christi is of course correct in that children have been off limits in the past. There has been increasingly hateful and violent language used by the Bushies , I will not include all Repubs and all conservatives because they certainly do not all act or talk like this. Three years ago this would have been so off the wall that people would have been confused by it, but it has slowly and carefully been building. Remember they just attacked wounded soldiers who do not toe the line, so handicapped children are next. This language is to incite hatred, blame the poor, the sick, or whatever. I wager that they go after Mr or Mrs Frost next for injuring their own children in a car wreck so it is their fault and they should sell all of their assets and live in a travel trailer to atone for their sins. Or something like that.
Marie Roget @ 63
The Frosts say they stand by their support of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
“I’m just trying to understand this moment of nastiness,” Bonnie Frost said. “The nastiness caught me by surprise.”
OK, the family had no idea. This is even more reason that the chicken shit democrats better step up and help them!
From the article (emphasis apparent)
“But what on the surface appears to be yet another partisan feud, all the nastier because a child is at the center of it, actually cuts to the most substantive debate around S-chip. Democrats say it is crucially needed to help the working poor — Medicaid already helps the impoverished — but many Republicans say it now helps too many people with the means to help themselves.”
egregious @ 82
So do something already!
Kathleen @ 76
Am glad the author used the quote near the beginning of the article….pretty well says it all about the mentality of the reich wing.
And if that’s what a half-million dollar house looks like where they live, it sure ain’t the lap of luxury.
raven @ 57
They also have no problem pouring a trillion dollars into a war (and killing and wounding Iraqi children) that never should have happened in the first place and has been disastrously prosecuted.
Yet they want more.
Their fear that a few tax dollars might go to some middle class families to help pay for healthcare, in a system that has (like Iraq) gotten out of control) is typical of Republicans now in its utter lack of proportionality.
Halsey has a go-t and Bonnie has tat’s on her feet. Obviously commies!
“It’s really frustrating,” said Bonnie Frost, 41, who stated she is upset by the angry Internet posts, e-mails and telephone calls targeting the family. “The whole point of it for me was that this program helped my family, and I wanted it to help others. That’s the message, and I can’t believe the way the spotlight has been taken off of that.”
“It’s a distractive technique,” said Halsey Frost, also 41. Speaking from their cluttered front room yesterday, the Frosts said they would continue to advocate for government-funded health care.
—————————–
We need to click, call, e-mail for this family. Many people find themselves in similar circumstances.
Just look at that house apartment that they live in they are just so f—ing wealthy. How absurd that they are being attacked, but what would you expect from people who were willing to take Max Cleland out, based on lies and hate.
Those attacking this family should be ashamed, but shame is for people who have a conscience.
“should sell all of their assets and live in a travel trailer to atone for their sins. Or something like that.”
well that is how we treat senior citizens who need assistance –”Call us when you have nothing.”
raven @ 85
Agree!
Yet they want more.
We call them thugs.
Which Bogart movie was it where Lauren Bacall asks E. G. Robinson what he wants and Bogart says He wants more. Doncha Rocko?
Michelle Malkin ” THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD”
OK, maybe I don’t expect Nancy Pelosi to use the word “vermin”, but terming this whole thing a “sad statement” is hardly firing back.
demi @ 93
Key Largo (Also, J Silverheels “Tonto” from the Lone Ranger is one of the two Seminole brothers in the flick.)
Does Malkin think this family should now foot the bill to hire security to protect them from people who want to kill them because they’re trying to get medical care for their children?
Somewhat OT
http://blogs.abcnews.com/polit…..s-not.html
Nancy says we need to be patient. Bush has the veto.
I agree, Nancy, Bush has his veto, but you control the checkbook. Put your money where your mouth is.
kdh22 @ 98
Yes he has his veto. Make him use it. Let the whole country see who is stopping progress. Don’t let the R’s paint the D’s as “do-nothing.” Do SOMETHING and make Bush veto it. Do everything you want. Force it through and make Bush veto it!
Not to diminish the awfulness of this, but it does indeed look orchestrated and the story is getting legs. Any chance we’re being played?
Any possibility this is a big fat diversion from FISA (and the immunity for telcos issue)? That is moving at *breakneck* speed. Are the basket warrants just a red herring to be traded off for immunity in reconciliation?
No way ATT isn’t the biggest thing on many plates right now. No way the admin doesn’t care a lot more about ATT than SCHIP.
Thanks Raven.
Children are our most precious gift.
Sometimes when I’m feeling angry and scared for this country and driving my son to school, I pass a nursery school and see the tots playing and racing their little tricycles around the trees in the play yard, I smile and feel better.
For a minute.
As others have noted, I think it’s about ‘intimidating the witness’. Why are people often afraid to testify against a perpetrator of a crime, especially if that perpetrator has scary friends who have been known to retaliate? Because they fear for their lives or the lives of their families at the hands of the associates of the perpetrator.
When soldiers and vets speak out to say how they are being hurt by the policies of this administration, they are attacked by the likes of Rush as phony. When this family allows their child to speak about how they will be hurt by the loss of SCHIP, they are attacked by Malkin and other friends of the administration as being phony (as in ‘not poor’). Oh, and not to forget Rather.
The message seems to be that there are no victims, that the people who say they are victims are not really, and if you are a victim, you’d better not speak up, because they will try to destroy you publicly or scare the hell out of you privately.
When people try to protest the policies of this administration, they are called traitors or unpatriotic. We, the people, the Americans, are all victims of this administration, and more and more, we are told we are not Americans. Don’t get me wrong, the entire world has been harmed by this administration, but they are focused on silencing the victims here, because we are the only ones who can put them in jail.
And I continue to think that there is a hell of a lot of blackmail (and threats real or implied) going on against our representatives, from the public version (telling them there are imminent terror threats when FISA votes are under consideration) to the private version, some of which may involve the data mined from abusing the existing FISA laws. Really sad for this country that few (Harmon did) in Congress will stand up and try to call them on it. When will the “Sir, have you no shame?!!” moment come? If it does, who other than Jon and Keith would report it.
I hope Rather’s lawsuit can start to shine light on the control of the MSM message by the administration. It’s all tied up together….we are all victims, but until the MSM allows the masses to see enough trees so that more people start to recognize ‘hey, we got a forest here’, it’s up to the citizen journalists on the progressive blogs to keep shining the spotlight on the trees. Thank you FDL for shining the industrial-sized Maglite beam…it is a blunt instrument of truth.
ATTACKING THE MESSENGER
Sy Hersh’s
Overactive Imagination
War with Iran has now been imminent for at least 18 months.
by Thomas Joscelyn
10/09/2007
http://www.weeklystandard.com/…..6aemvk.asp
raven @ 89
Sitting on their rowhouse stoop trying to figure out what the hell hit them.
So agree w/your other post, raven. Dems owe this family some cover. Right now.
BTW, two friends & I emailed Baltimore network news affiliates & faxed the FDL & TP posts to the Sun yesterday. Looks like we weren’t alone in our disgust @ the winger pile on. Baltimore media need to jump on this story about their locals.
Emma
Believe it.
BeBe at 84 — They already made those accusations on Free Republic in a couple of threads — the accident being the parent’s fault, “black ice” being an excuse, why wasn’t the mother cited and fined, horrible parents, blah blah blah. It’s already been done.
SunnyNobility @ 100
That is a really good point. And it has been done before. Although watching what happens here at FDL and other blogs, this crowd can handle many issues. A few e-mails phone calls to encourage Keith to spotlight this issue does not take up too much time.
You bring up such a good point that there are obvious priorities. FISA, “retroactive immunity for telecoms, Iran, the war in Iraq etc.
Someone should rewrite that NYT article.
snowbird -
How went your weekend at JCC?
When this family allows their child to speak about how they will be hurt by the loss of SCHIP,
Ok, I said I was going to stop. I totally support these folks but you are going to tell me that a 12 year old knows how his medical care got payed for? He may know that he was in a bad way and that he has gotten better with the help of doctors and nurses but he can speak to the insurance ramifications?
katherine Graham Cracker
Too true that. It seems to be a belief among many authoritarians that only they should own property. Anyone else is gaming the system. This is the mentality that fueled the changes in the bankruptcy laws. Everyone is a deadbeat but me type of thinking. They basically come from two schools of thought: Never had financial problems because they were unusually fortunate or inherited wealth, those who have hard time and thought they did not get enough help or thought they were dissed when they asked or got help. It is a strange mindset.
I totally believe they have info that they are using to blackmail reps with.
So, what’s the worst thing anyone’s done? If we acknowledge our past failings, then they can’t be used against us.
Who can cast the first stone?
Craig’s a creep and he gets nominated for the Hall of Fame.
We all know the sins of the Bush Administration, but are they ashamed?
Sunny at 100 — You mean the four posts we did on FISA yesterday, the calls we’ve been pushing, and the FISA post I have coming up next are just us getting played? I think we can do more than look at one issue at a time. And, fwiw, I’m running on 4 hours of sleep trying to chase all this shit down that is hitting at once — they are certainly doing it for a reason, but more likely as a shiny object on SCHIP because there is a VERY REAL possibility that the veto will be overridden.
Make those calls to your representatives, folks.
Verizon, AT&T broadband policies allow for censorship of unfriendly opinions
Nick Juliano
Published: Wednesday October 10,
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._1010.html
Proposed FISA update would not give telecom companies legal protection
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._1009.html
Christy Hardin Smith @ 113
I don’t think Sunny meant FDL us, I think he or she meant America us?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 113
Thank you for the reminders and all that you do
I wish this country would wrap their arms around the concept of power and control. This is a set of behaviors meant to keep someone in submission. These are the behaviors that batterers use against wives and children, these are the behaviors used in military and police training. These are the behaviors used in cults. I once analyzed Reagans communication and found that he used a considerable amount of power and control techniques. I haven’t analyzed bushco…but you can judge for yourself. Malkin is using power and control. It works It’s non-violent but leads to violence. Hitler used power and control. Bush uses power and control.
Our people need to recognize the behaviors of tyranny, and learn to reject messages that are wrapped in this code.
Here’s the list of behaviors associated with power and control.
Intimidation: loud, angry voices, cruel words, size and money intimidate.
Name calling and mind games: any name calling or behavior that is meant to put someone else in a down under position.
Isolation: Keeping those who have submitted from hearing other views and ideas, keeping people from information that would tell them that they are being abused or mistreated. (fox news, media control)
invalidation: Minimize, deny or blame where violence occurs. It was no big deal, it didn’t happen, or if it did happen it was your fault–you deserved.
treating people as objects: racism, sexism, using children.
King of the castle: It’s mine…so I can do what I want.
financial abuse: controlling assets in order to keep people stuck or immobile.
coercion and threats: If you don’t do as I say, you will pay. Something bad will happen to you. (al-queda anyone??)
Power and control works. If you use it to fight back the fight always escalates. The people who abuse power and control will always escalate to a level that most people would not comfortably go. They are willing to hurt people, to go all the way to gain control.
The solution…uncover it, and refuse to be moved by it. It must stop working. America needs to understand this dynamic. Any collusion makes it bigger and more effective. You may fight back but only if you are certain you can win.
Don’t give in to it, call it what it is, shame and discredit anyone who is using it. I have the power wheel on my fridge. We work hard at my house to avoid those behaviors and my children now know and understand what it is.
Christi I cannot stand to look at that site, so I guess I am behind on the venom pipeline. This is showing a very dangerous escalation in groupthink. They are upping the violence level in the rhetoric and it becomes a frenzy. They feed on each other in a closed circle. They cannot empathize or relate to people outside of their group. This is why gangs are usually separated in prisons. Every perceived insult or disagreement becomes all out war. This is also how they are acting with Iran. Most people can see that it is nuts, but if everyone just rolls over and accepts this crap it will become the norm like all of the other venom has become. They need to be shown as dangerous and violent, which is what they potentially are.
Isn’t is a fact that republicans see politics as “war” and there are no rules except the ends justify the means.
They have shown to be liars, prevaricators, phonies, cronies, incompetents, underhanded, Machiavellian and whatever it takes to further their selfish agenda.
This makes for a very titled playing field. Either you use similar approaches, take the high road or find a third way.
It’s not conservatism that is so odious as their lack of ethics.
I don’t see them going away unless the get caught big big big time. Look at Larry Craig and Vitter and the rest of them. They have no shame or sense of decency.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 113
On it. Faxing’s another way to be heard (fax arrives in an office & needs to be read, logged, tallied, responded to).
Thanks so much for all you do, CHS, to drive this engine.
Nobel win ‘would boost hopes of Gore candidacy’
By Leonard Doyle in Washington
Published: 10 October 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/…..043756.ece
Waccamaw @ 109
Incredible crowds but sales were off for a variety of reasons.It is a beautiful place, full of music and friends and I was happy to be away from all of this for a while. thanks
Matthew Brown and the Baltimore Sun are to be commended for first rate coverage. I rage against the media all the time, but I also feel we should offer strong praise when it is due. I’m going to email the reporter and maybe others should too.
Katie J -
Most excellent analysis!
For any who haven’t seen it yet, the most recent post (as I type) over at Atrios includes two examples of exactly the kind of behavior Katie describes: one of e-mails to a vet organization and the other a personal experience with encountered rage.
Didn’t bring the linkies b/c assume everyone knows the way. *g*
Katie Jensen @ 117 makes some excellent points. It really is about power and control.
SunnyNobility @ 101
I don’t know about that. BigPharma plus BigInsurance adds up to a lot of K Street push, especially when you add in the fear of anything moving toward “socialized medicine” or a single payer system. More than AT&T? Perhaps not — but if not, it’s a close call.
Personally, I think the legend of the BushCo legislative infallibility is about to take a big hit. With some pushing on our part, to counteract both AT&T and those who want to sink the SCHIP, it could be a one-two punch.
Christy’s new thread is up.
FISA News And Obfuscations
The right wing is trying to silence all who come to the defense of public spending. The Frost Family is an example of look what we can do to you.
Robert Paehlke @ 124
Absolutely agree, RP.
BeBe @ 112
Actually, the “unusually fortunate or inherited wealth” may be a fact for many of them, but it isn’t a school of thought — remember, none of them believe they were given anything; they’re all self-made men and women. No matter how much they started with or what family largesse they’re still living on, they firmly believe that they are entirely responsible for their success, so if anyone can’t manage the same (no matter how little they start with) it’s their own damn fault.
Geez, I just noticed the h/t upstairs. Thanks, CHS.
And thank you, Baltimore Sun, for staying on this story.
OF COURSE closet case Mitch’s office did the opposition research and gave it to “dumb as nails racist Malkin” Malkin and her band of isdiots is too stoopid to do it themselves. They are doing the ReTHUGS bidding in exchange for the wingnut welfare they all receive.
No one buys Malvolent Malkins books….what a joke
Speaking of group think, just read some of the hate mail Brandon Friedman of VoteVets rec’d from some of Rush’s dittoheads.
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/10/10/23558/499
Jo Fish @ 11
He’s a Friend of the Lake, having appeared here for a Q&A some time back. He did a small piece on it last night, I think. But with Mr. Elaine Chao’s involvment, I’m sure he might do more…
What was Elaine Chow’s involvement with the “Capitalist Paradise” islands of the Northern Marianas, I wonder? Y’know…that spot where women were forced into Prostitution to service the single male laborers (not allowed to bring their wives and families). Where pay and worker protections were Third World levels…pregnant garment workers hauled in for forced abortions…while the employers were able to assert that the goods were “Made in the USA”?
http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/…..-a02.shtml
Oh right, she appointed a Republican Party crony (David Cohen) to deal with US-Insular Business Issues back in 2001!
http://www.doi.gov/oia/Firstpginfo/dbcbio.html
Look at this quote by Pelosi in the Sun article:
“I think that the attack on this family is just breaking new ground and stooping to new lows in terms of what happens in Washington, D.C.,” she told reporters. “I think it’s a sad statement about how bankrupt some of these people are in their arguments against SCHIP that they attack a 12-year-old.”
She couldn’t use the word “Republican”? Hopeless.
Franco @ 133
And then Malkin in turn inflames the fan boys by going to the Frost’s home and business,making sure others know how to contact them and planting all kinds of crap on their turf. With just enough distance(and claims of being a”journalist”) to claim innocence if one of her scary fans does happen to snap and hurt someone. She knows precisely who her fans are,and she knows precisely the buttons she pushes. You can’t tell me her own fans haven’t scared her now and then.
I’d love to ask her if she’d leave her daughter alone with the drooling rabid losers she likes to incite.
brendan at 136 — Does it occur to you at all that the reporter selected which words of Pelosi’s to quote — and which ones not to quote? Agreed that it would have been nice to work GOP in there…but perhaps she did and they didn’t report it.
Big grains of salt…always.
raven @ 46
In the larger scheme of things, though, then their tactics work if you don’t speak up.
I don’t know for sure how to stop this kind of outrageous target-and-attack, but I’m pretty sure that stopping to speak up as a result won’t stop it.
And I’m pretty sure that if “just” the parents had spoken, the right wingnuts would still have gone straight for the kids. Because SCHIP is *about* the kids…
demi @ 113
Most of the Republicans are un-indicted felons; the threat of prison time is a good control.
Strategerie @ 66
“Information is the currency of democracy.”
“Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.”
Thomas Jefferson
Since the flow of information is controlled and the press is not free, some still cannot read, all is not safe. Those that post and exchange ideas here, are serving democracy and protecting constitution. This site has replaced the compromised not so free press. A full court press, like the “Celtics of old,” would quash any teams’s effort!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 113
Christy,
My most sincere apologies. I deeply appreciate what everyone here is doing, especially you. I have the greatest respect for the intelligence, priorities, political acumen, energy and ability of the good people here to multi-task. It was thoughtless of me to create a problem here on such a difficult day.
Danbury @ 34
And you’d pay a hell of a lot more for “Pre-Existing Conditions” IF (and that’s a BIG IF) you could find someone that would cover these two kids.
The cute part is how I was attacked… I said it on my blog and I’ll say it here. I wasn’t defending SCHIP, not at all, I was defending that families right to privacy. That’s why I put malkin’s real address, Phone number and Arial picture of her house on my blog. I removed it after a reporter for the Baltimore Sun asked me to kill it, because they were doing a story on Malkin.
If Malkin wants to try painting me as moonbat, fine. I’ll just paint her as the right wing fascist that she is.
Let’s save some of our outrage for the New York Times, whose reporter weighed in with this memorable line: The feud also illustrates what can happen when politicians showcase real people to make a point, a popular but often perilous technique.
Now that those who are truly and factually responsible for this sorry spectacle have been relieved of responsibility by the Times, I expect that it will again be the responsibility of those outside the traditional media to ferret out the truth and share it with America.
Kathleen @ 91
That’s one reason that I really DON’T EXPECT the Freeper/Malkinites to go out and protest outside this families house. The pictures of their “stoop” on their tiny frontage rowhouse would be devastating to their argument. And some TV programmer would hunt down that $500K house (likely quite a ways up the road) and show the difference. And remember that they “bought” it 15 years ago at $50K. What sort of place could you get at $50K…it would have been derelict.
And the family carries a mortgage to live there…they don’t own it outright. Most of the appraised value is higher now because a) Mr. Frost put loads of sweat equity into improving the interior of the property.; and b) his neighbors did the same in the rest of this working-class neighborhood.
Daly Kos had an attorney who was looking into the private info on the family on the freepers website to see if something could be done legally.
Stalkin Malkin has kids,
I wish her the very best,but sometimes Karma’s a b*tch
[CHS notes: not even funny to joke about. No threats on this blog. No kidding.]
Republicants just don’t know how NOT to smear… Rove got it into their DNA… smearing a kid? shameless!
The REPUBLICANS would NEVER use children as props…unless they are named Elian Gonzalez, or were “PR Agency created” incubator babies to fire up support for a war against Iraq. Or “snowflake kids”. Or kids hauled out when a Congressman is caught in a corruption or morals scandal. Or to use as symbols to imply that they really do support “Family Values”….meanwhile purging support for public education, Head Start programs, After School Activities programs, Anti-Smoking Efforts, Environmental Standards (more toxins and lead allowed), etc.
But when the Democrats have a kid actually stating that S-CHIP support was the reason he and his sister was able to receive urgent medical attention for their brain damage..well that is “abusive”? While they go out and say the kids and the family are “fair game”.
Well in the predatory world of the Republican blogosphere anything is “fair” it seems. And like a bunch of hyenas even children are “game” to be ripped apart.
When I saw the Sun today with this story on the front page above the fold I was amazed. The only thing I wish they had added was how Malkin has published this families phone numbers and addresses as well as inciting her minions to harrass the family.
The one point that is lost by the right on this is that for the most part even if the family had a ton of money they would probably not be able to get coverage anyway. The children have pre-existing conditions and health insurers avoid taking on these people like the plague. This is one of the bright spots of SCHIP in that they don’t discrimate over pre-existing conditions (or at least it doesn’t appear to, if I’m incorrect I apologize).
Anyway, with this article perhaps we’re beginning to make inroads in the media. This article certainly didn’t paint a very pretty picture of the right now did it?
P.S. I’m in a hurry so if any words are misspelled or the grammar is off I apologize.
I did not read all the comments posted here. but one stood out. Why have not the Dem leadership taken a more aggrassive role in this. I know we should not shift blame but when the Dem leadership ask a boy to speak ,they have to know there will be some whiplash from these halfwits. Being prepared is to much to ask from these jellyfish? Yes , I am mad as hell at McConnell and his office,for this diseased behavior ,however ourside should be denouncing these attacks as Cato would. When ending any speach or comment denounce the repugs over there latest outrage.
Over and Over,,,,,,
BlueStateRedHead @ 72
on ditchmitchky.com and actblue(http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/330) a donation site to help the dem’s defeat Mitch Mcconnell we are doing every thing we can to defeat this neocon, he has between $6to8 million in his campaign funds. how do you get that much from a poor state like ky ??
thanks a dem from ky
raven @ 24
Unfortunately all real arguments around real facts are anecdotal. Immediate, but still anecdotal.
raven @ 46
Because we need to teach or kids young to stand up to these kinds of assholes, actually!
some good news on Mitch
McConnell Approval Rating Plummets to 45%, all-time low
by: MediaCzech
Wed Oct 10, 2007 at 18:17:58 PM EDT
A new SurveyUSA poll shows that Mitch McConnell’s approval ratings have plummeted 8 points over the last month to an all-time low of 45%.
And it won’t get any easier for Mitch, as MoveOn is backing this news up with a Huge ad buy right here in KY.
http://www.bluegrassroots.org/frontPage.do