FEAR AND SMEAR, PART II

There aren't very many Republican incumbents who can run on their records. Their records are abysmal and hateful and even the most brain-dead ditto-heads almost understand doubling and tripling of gas prices and prescription drug prices. Dozens of Republican reps are terrorized to meet their challengers in open debate. The ones who do it try to limit it to one 30 second session at an odd time and in an odd place that will discourage attention. After Tony Trupiano somehow convinced pathetic Mama's Boy rubber stamper Thaddeus McCotter to debate him, McCotter broke down, started screaming and cursing and spitting, and poll numbers evened up (previously McCotter had been up by 27 points in a district he personally gerrymandered for himself). But Trupiano was lucky; clownish Republicans Mary Bono in California to Sue Kelly in New York are so frightened to meet their Democratic challengers in person that they refuse any invitations to any civic groups' meetings unless they are guaranteed in writing that the Democrat will not be there.


The rubber stamp barnacle in CA-25, Buck McKeon is so scared to meet Blue America candidate Robert Rodiguez in person that he just stays holed up in his Santa Clarita home and turns down all invitations from constituents. Rodriguez shows up everywhere, of course-- with a 6 foot yellow chicken squawking "Buck." [Although McKeon won't get anywhere near Rodriguez, the photo on the right is of McKeon chatting amicably with the 6 foot chicken.]

A front page story in today's Washington Post explains why the Republicans are reacting so badly and warns us what to expect: fear, smear and more fear. "With top Republican strategists now privately predicting substantial House losses, President Bush and top GOP officials plan to spend the final days of the 2006 campaign attempting to rally partisans and limit conservative defections with dire warnings about the consequences of a Democratic Congress. Amid predictions that demoralized conservative voters might sit out the election, Bush and other senior Republicans will escalate charges that Democrats will raise taxes, weaken national security and liberalize social policies."

GOP candidates have been running patently false ads with all kinds of wild and untrue claims about their opponents and Rove is ready with his masterpiece this weekend, an ad that will try to convince voters that that bin-Laden guy Bush never caught or killed will kill us all if Democrats are elected. To me, the Republican commercial looks like the kind of ad Democrats should be running as a reason why every single congressman who backs Bush should be defeated.

Kevin Tilman's open letter to Americans, in anticipation of what would have been his brother Pat's November 6th birthday, is a great counter-balance to Rove's slimy ad. It lays bare all the BushCheneyRove lies and explains why patriots who love America should do everything they can to get the Republicans away from the levers of power they have abused so egregiously. Hit that link and read Kevin's letter-- and then send it to anyone you know who is still thinking of voting for a Republican running for anything anywhere.