GOP Goes for Broke in Defending Treason (Buzzflash editorial)

[Matariki]

http://www.buzzflash.com/editorial/05/07/edi05058.html

<excerpt>

Now, here's some advice to the "opposition" party.

The Democrats should stop calling for Rove to resign and instead take a page from the GOP/Luntz playbook. Just keep saying Rove and treason together in as many possible media forums as possible. Everyone knows the Democrats want Rove to resign. That's not a message that gets embedded in the public mind. It's only a tactic that feeds into the Rove strategy of throwing up enough flak to confuse people and have the media report on this as a partisan fight, rather than an act of betraying the national security interests of the United States of America.

Rove's outing of Plame has made us all less safe, seriously less safe. Because she specialized in the tracking the illicit sales of Weapons of Mass Destruction. People's lives have been endangered as a result of the White House's betrayal.

And the Democrats shouldn't make this about Joe Wilson -- a man of boundless courage -- vs. Bush, which is what Rove wants. The Department of Justice investigation was initiated at the request of the CIA, by George Tenet, who Bush gave a Medal of Freedom to. The CIA believed and believes that the national security of the United States of America was compromised. This is Rove, Bush and Cheney vs. the CIA and the national security of the United States of America. Period.

[Vincardog]

1. Now that is FRAMING BUSH V Security nt

[bryant69]

2. I agree in part and disagree in part

I agree that we need to keep the subject off of Joe Wilson - it let's them throw up too much of a smoke screen. However I think talking about calling for Bush to fire Rove isn't that bad of an idea. There are plenty of Bush quotes on leaks that can be used to make him look dishonest in standing up for and supporting Rove.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Matariki]

6. demands to fire Rove

verbally downplays the seriousness of the TREASONOUS crime ROVE committed ;-)

you fire people for being incompetent. you indict people who break the law. and what happens to a government official who commits treason?

i agree that it is good to quote B* when he said whoever leaked the info would no longer work in his administration.

[kenny blankenship]

3. "betraying national security"

sounds a little more moderate than treason.
other possibiliities:
"Reckless abuse of power and misuse of classified information for partisan political ends and personal vendettas"

[The Magistrate]

5. Moderation Here, Sir, Is A Vice, Not A Virtue

Rove and Treason is indeed the coupling to be made.

Rove aids "terrorists'" search for nuclear weapons.

Rove betrays country, secret agents.

Rove collaborates with America's enemies.

These are the charges. To attempt a defense against them entails repeating them, and drives them further home in the popular mind.

Resignation is the last thing we want. Congressional investigation should be the demand: Congressional investigation of Rpve's treason. It is certain not to occur, and so can be a staple for the coming year....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[kenny blankenship]

7. The problem many people will have with 'treason' is that

it denotes an adherence to our country's enemies or a destruction of our government. Selling secrets to foreign powers is what everyone understands as treason, for example, or conspiring the usurp the lawful government. Start lobbing the T-word around when discussing Rove, and many people who're not already in our camp will just tune you out.

I don't have a problem categorizing Rove's behavior as an adherence to our country's enemies since I have long regarded Rove and Bush too, as the chief among our country's enemies, who betray the ideals of a government by/for/of the people every day. (In my eyes they became traitors when they stole the first election.) But I think you can see, Sir, how many other people--not necessarily all Republicans either--would roll their eyes at the categorization of Rove's abuse of office as treason, as well as shrug at the reason these acts and actors seem treasonous to me. I can't see how taking the country to war on ginned up threats and fixed intelligence isn't the moral equivalent of treason, but it is alas, only a violation of Bush's oath of office to uphold the Constitution. Rove's misuse of classified intelligence is a crime, and it's part of the web of the conspiracy to start a war, but in itself it is something less than treason. Unfortunately as I've said in other threads, there's no handy word for what it is.

[William769]

4. Ok now, all together

Rove & Treason.