If Karl Rove and/or Tom DeLay were on our side, would we defend them?

[Bleacher Creature]

I've thought about it, and I can honestly say that the answer for me is "no." And there's no question about that. I don't care how effective they are, how much money they raise, or how well they can manipulate the public. I just wouldn't want them in my party.

People can say what they like about people like John Kerry -- I've said my share of critical things about the way he ran his campaign -- but he was, and is, a good guy (at least publicly -- I've heard that he's a bit of a jerk to his staff). I really believe in my heart that people like Kerry, Dean, etc. are good people at their core who stand for what they believe. But Rove, DeLay, etc. -- are really evil.

Am I just totally biased and delusional??

[bushisanidiot]

1. They'd have been kicked out of the party and/or ostrasized

We didn't all stand behind President Clinton during the lewinsky affair. we are a more fair party and will call someone out when they've done wrong. the repukes on the other hand will point the finger and place blame on others, but will NEVER admit when they're wrong.. instead, they try to discredit the source.

the repukes practice the politics of personal destruction. that is what sets us apart from them.

[ibegurpard]

2. How many Jim Traficant defenders did you see here?

That should be a pretty good indicator.

[Bleacher Creature]

6. That's a good point. I wanted him gone.

But I will say that I couldn't stand him even before he was accused of anything -- beyond the general comments about him being corrupt. He was good on labor issues, and TERRIBLE on everything else to the extent that he voted with the Republicans far more often than he voted with us.

[WoodrowFan]

20. a few

not many. But then I just saw someone defend the London subway bombers as the "7/7 FREEDOM FIGHTERS" so was always get a few fringe....

[kentuck]

3. Hell, we didn't even defend Dick Durbin...

when he was attacked for soething that was taken out of context.

[jedicord]

4. No way would I defend them.

If a Democrat politician was doing what they are doing, I would want him out of office, replaced with another Democrat, of course.

But I would want him out.

[getmeouttahere]

5. Doesn't matter, if they were Dems....

they would be well on their way to jail, or at the very least they would have already been fired...and that's even if Dems had control of the entire government...even if repug politicians didn't force it, repuke supporters would do anything to make it happen, including use of force

[anarch]

7. Absolutely

NOT!

But then the whole "harboring criminals" thing has never really appealed to me.

[seabeyond]

8. i didnt defend clintons character. i did defend against impeachment

there is no question i would not defend rove. i would be alongside the other party. i dont want to validate and justify any abuse, lie, corruption in politics. will just allow to festter feed adn grow out of control. like now

[liberal N proud]

9. NO!

I defended Clinton in his scandal because that should have remained between Bill, Monica and Hillary.
The Congress, Media and American people had no business there.
This is an act of National Security, an act of Treason against the country.
If Bill Clinton or any of his people done this I would be so on it and calling for their head.
But then I think therefore I can determine right from wrong.

[RPM]

10. I sure as hell wouldnt

I would be calling for their head.

[johnnie]

11. There are a lot of people on "our side" I don't defend

Also a lot of decisions that others make I don't defend or agree with. I didn't agree with all of Clinton's decisions, and I still don't. I had my issues with some of Kerry's political views also. And I sure as hell didn't support Zell Miller and his freaking out during the convention.
The difference between a good liberal and a repug is that we don't blindly follow our "side" because we think on our own.
All you have to do is read some of their sites and see them all kiss each other's asses and then read the forums here and see the variables that come from different posts on different choices and situation.

[nyhuskyfan]

12. When the Sandy Berger story came out...

I (and many others) said that if he was indeed guilty of trying to smuggle out classified documents, he should be fully punished. Of course, later details revealed the transgressions to be far lighter than the initial stories about him stuffing documents down his pants.

I think all of us were perfectly content with censuring Bill Clinton and moving on, rather than trying to blindly defend him. Some even come up with a great idea for a website and PAC out of that notion.

[Beaver Tail]

13. I would turn against ANYONE

who threatened my country, even my own party.

[immoderate]

23. You got it right.

--IMM

[tk2kewl]

14. Frankly, I don't think a Democrat would stoop to their level. PERIOD.

We wouldn't be in their situation.

[sojourner]

15. That is the main difference I see between Repugs and Dems -

when the blue dress came out in the Monica scandal, Dems shook their heads sadly. No way to defend it. Course I don't think it had squat to do with the job the President was doing, but defend his actions?

When WTC was attacked, Dems stood side-by-side with Repugs in support of President. I wonder if the Repugs could have done the same if Clinton were President?

Repugs (led by their hero/spokesman Brush Lintball) try to justify every wrong-doing...as though "might makes right" or THEY have been given special dispensation for any and all actions they or their leaders deem necessary. It really astonishes me.

Thank-fully though, some of them are people of good conscience who are finally realizing the con job that's been done on them. So I hope instead of assailing them, we'll welcome them to the world of "objective reality" where faith is all good, but seeing what's really there matters big time.

[BeyondThePale]

16. I think I would change sides! (eom)

[Old and In the Way]

17. If the labels were reversed and these were all Democrats,

I'd be a registered Republican right now.

[CWebster]

18. Some would--the ones who only see the (D)

They would accuse the rest of us of being "purists" or demanding perfection in a politician.

[WearyOne]

19. would you defend traitors ?

[Bleacher Creature]

21. I know it's a bit self-serving since I started this thread.

But this made me feel really warm and fuzzy about being a Democrat. THIS is why we are better then them.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. I read the thread & felt the same, but

didn't post until I saw this posting because I just didn't have anything to say-it was all being said for me by everyone else. I bet a lot of others did the same. I would also bet that this s close to a universal feeling among us: Anyone who would do what a Delay or a Rove did is not on my side regardless of whose interest was supposed to be advanced by the slimy move. We need to fight hard and smart, but we must never sink to tactics that would make us indistinguishable from our opponent. If we do that, we lose whether we "win" or not.

[ObaMania]

22. Speaking of Delay...

.. has his issue been swept under the carpet?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

24. No

No, I would not.

This is one of the things that I despise, being partisan even if it's not for the better good of my country. I don't do that, the Democrats I know don't do that. We tend to pick our people apart and want to know every possible short coming they may have. If they don't meet our standards we eat them alive.

When the DeLay stuff started coming out, what I saw when Dems were shown to be involved in the shady trips, were DUer's saying they should be taken out, too.

[ComerPerro]

25. We wouldn't even have the chance

they would be gone

[quaoar]

27. No.

I have called for resignations of Democrats who were shown to be corrupt or otherwise sleazy, such as James Traficant.

[Walt Starr]

28. No fucking way!

Let me put it this way...

Patrick Fitzgerald is slowly dismantling the cronieism and corruption in the Richard Daley administration in Chicago. I hopw he brings Daley down because Daley is slime.

The fact that Daley is a member of the same party as I am only makes my revulsion of him greater.