Lunatic Right Returns, Leading Conservatives Are Embracing Former Swift Boaters.

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0302-26.htm

Published on March 2, 2007 by the Los Angeles Times

The Lunatic Right Returns
Bad News For Republican - Leading Conservatives Are Embracing Former Swift Boaters.
by Rosa Brooks

IF YOU HATED IT the first time, you might like the sequel better.

Remember Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the right-wing goon squad whose defamatory insinuations helped sink John Kerry's presidential campaign? They're back! This afternoon, key Swift boaters George "Bud" Day, Mary Jane McManus and Carlton Sherwood are holding a little reunion, in the guise of a panel discussion at the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference. The panel topic? "The Left's Repeated Campaign Against the American Soldier."

It's not hard to visualize the right-wing talking points that will emerge from this. The Swift boaters will be dusting off their 2004 scripts and reaching back still further to dredge up their Vietnam-era notes. Expect to see all the old myths revived: The antiwar left spits on returning troops and gives aid and comfort to the enemy. Oh, John Murtha, why do you hate our brave troops?

The reemergence of the Swifties is depressing, but not because they're likely to do much damage to progressive candidates in the next election cycle. "Swift Boat II: The Sequel" will have a different ending from "Swift Boat I" because Americans just aren't that dumb.

Polls show the American public — and the troops themselves — to be deeply critical of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq and concerned about the war's devastating effect on the American military. We've watched the situation in Iraq go from bad to worse, from worse to worst and then from worst to unthinkably awful, as "insecurity" morphed into "sectarian violence," then into chaos and civil war.




..more..

[iamjoy]

1. John McCain - Lives Wasted

He said it.

I'm sure it was just a foot in the mouth comment that he didn't really mean the way it's been taken. And that's what I'll say as long as the right continues to play nice.

Oh wait, they aren't playing nice.

Senator McCain - how can you so demoralize the brave men and women of our armed forces? Shame on you. Don't you know saying these lives were wasted only emboldens The Enemy? Al Queda has taken great pleasure in your words.

[B Calm]

2. They sit on their fat pimply hemroidal asses and point their bony

shit faced fingers at the totally innocent Democrats. I hate these fucking smear mongers!

[sam sarrha]

3. shows they are really desperate.. they need to be sued to stop them, the party wont pay the bills an

they will stop

[cureautismnow]

4. Is Walter Reed Hospital on the top of the agenda? n/t

[Toots]

5. will have a different ending from "Swift Boat I" because Americans just aren't that dumb.

Yes they are....

[sutz12]

6. We can only hope that Americans have woken up to this crap....nt

[spanone]

7. They watched it work on Kerry. That's ALL politicians care about.

results and deniable plausibility.

[UTUSN]

8. "Returns"? Were they ever gone? n/t