Move On Controversy / Republicans hate free speech

[Bushknew]

Republicans can spend millions and millions of taxpayer dollars on their witch hunts, (Whitewater, the Hillary Clinton papers and the Clinton impeachment, which they found nothing).

Yet, when THEY feel outrage is when a web site likens Bush to Hitler.

These fascist Republicans try to censor and/or boycott any dissenting opinion.

They hate free speech.

Move ON should be free to criticize Bush in the manner it wishes.

IsnÕt that what free speech means? Move ON should not back down.

What do you think?

[Terwilliger]

1. MoveOn should NOT have removed the ad

I'm really disappointed that they felt they needed to apologize for it, as well.

[Bushknew]

4. How lame

If it talks like a fascist "either your with us or with the terrorists" and if it acts like a
fascist, it is a fascist.

IÕm sick of liberals without a backbone, with the media spot light on them, what a perfect opportunity to outline all the fascist qualities of this administration.

Instead, what do they do, they apologize.

F%^K

They blew it. Unbelievable.

[maggrwaggr]

6. I agree. If you're against free speech, aren't you unAmerican?

Duh sez me.

Oh well. The finalist ads are AWESOME and I'm very excited about those.

It's a lot of free publicity.

[DoctorMyEyes]

7. They removed ALL of the ads

except the 15 finalists. The contest is over.

Please don't slam moveon.org over this. Especially if you didn't participate in it or understand how the entries were handled. There's nothing wrong with them offering an apology. Do you want one of the best new democratic organizations we have to hang their reputation on defending a "Bush is Hitler" ad?

The ad wasn't removed (as far as I know) because of any RNC pressure. The contest was over, and it didn't make the cut - along with about 1200 other 30 second spots.

[Bushknew]

10. There's nothing wrong with them offering an apology.

Did Republicans ever apologize for any of their Clinton witch hunts?

Move On should not have apologized.

Questioning and critiquing must not be allowed to become politically incorrect.

[tom_paine]

20. Questioning and critiquing already ARE politically incorrect

The Busheviks have created a new political correctness that makes the old look like kid stuff.

The New Politikal Korrectness much closer resembles Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany (but the repercussions are less violent for the moment) thanthe old "don't offend anyone" stuff.

[Bushknew]

21. That's exactly why Move On shouldnÕt have apologized.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

2. I think the reason they removed it...

And also the reason the RNC is so quick to post it on their site, is simply that it turns off voters. It's not a free speech issue, it's a political (popularity) issue.

[Terwilliger]

3. this is one ad in hundreds of submissions

none of them created by by MoveOn itself

Turns off voters...hmm...yeah, nothing turns voters on like a blowjob. Maybe they should have had Bush and a blowjob commercial!

[Bushknew]

5. IsnÕt it this kind of weak mindedness that gave the German people Hitler?

It is a free speech issue

[POed_Ex_Repub]

8. I disagree

In a political election the idea is to appeal to the majority of voters (who are mostly moderate). Comparing any candidate to Hitler does not do that. To most people, it looks inflamitory (and not in the way it was intended to be). If this ad were so good for Moveon.org, and bad for Bush, the RNC wouldn't be so happy to advertise it's existance.

[Bushknew]

11. On the contrary,

the RNC wants to kill this ad/ idea before it gets legs.

Hey, the RNC has been able to convince the American people that Hussein is
connected and/or responsible for 911, without ANY evidence!

the RNC wants to pull the democratic party as far to the right as possible.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

12. That's fine and good...

Educated people, DUers, etc, I'm sure get the connection. But to the average voter (who doesn't keep track of politics as well as we do), it just looks like a smear. Keep in mind, you're comparing a president with around a 50% approval rating to freakin' HITLER. It's not good politics. Go on the economic issues (2.7 million lost jobs, record defecits).. go on Iraq issues, (where are the WMD's??), this will connect far better to the voters. (and it looks far more rational)

You've got to hit the voters on THEIR concerns, not yours!

[DoctorMyEyes]

13. Kill it???

You're kidding right? Is that why you can view it an the RNC site, but not the moveon.org site?

[DoctorMyEyes]

9. It's not a free speech issue

anyone can say anything they want and anyone else who wants to criticize it can.

There were hundreds and hundreds of ads better than the Hitler one. That's not just my opinion - it's the opinion of a hundred thousand other people who signed up and watched as many as they could.

Besides, our side just got free publicity, got to show some class that the other side never does by apologizing for going "over the top". They just robbed themselves of using "Hitlery" and "Feminazi" on their hate radio. After all, it's not like moveon.org FEATURED the ad, broadcast the ad, or even made it accessible on their site.

You had to be signed up, with a legitimate e-mail address and a password to even view the ads which were in no particular order that I could find. You saw it, you voted, it was gone.

[punpirate]

14. Umm... recalling a line from...

... "Full Metal Jacket," Republicans can eat the peanuts out of my shit.

[Kat 333]

15. "Republicans hate free speech"

Yes they do. Unless, of course, it is they that are speaking. Then it's a different matter entirely.

I doubt that MoveOn expected everyone to embrace these adds. Why ask of people to put time and effort into the project only to fall over themselves apologizing for the content of one that was right on.

*'s style (using that term loosely) has been compared to Hitler's by people all over the world. There is a reason for this phenomenon. My guess would be the startling accuracy of the comparison.

[LTR]

16. The GOP should know about comparing candidates to Hitler

They've done it themselves:

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/analysis/rothenberg/1998/10/20/

Also... try Googling the terms "Clintler" and "Hitlery". No outcry about that.

And watch out for the outcry from radio jerkoffs like Savage and Mancow. They are notorious for using those two terms.

[Bushknew]

19. Thank you,Thank you, Thank you for posting that.

[forgethell]

17. Being compared to Hitler

IS an insult. Of course, they should be outraged. Republicans are human, too. I don't see any attempts to quell the ads using government power. I am open to correction on this point, however.

Republicans have free speech rights, too. This means they can disagree with us, and insult us back. They can call us liars and traitors and idiots, just like we call them. Better get used to it because they will not be silent, they have the bully pulpit of the Presidency, they have talk radio, and all we have are a few jolly web sites like this one. It is going to be a very interesting year, don't you think?

[grannylib]

18. Of course they hate free speech, unless it's properly "zoned" so it

doesn't intrude on Chimpy's rosy little view of himself and his empire

[Bushknew]

22. First and last kick : -)