the 'ic' in Democratic

[kristopher]

It's obvious the lugnuts have gotten under people's skin with the deliberate alteration of "Democratic".
There was a thread earlier that noted Baucus had called the retaliated by saying Republic instead of Republican. I'd suggest attacking the problem from the opposite end:
Publican - not RePublicans. Even though they claim to be for lowering taxes, the truth is they are really intent on just shifting more of tax burden to the middle class. Let's drop the "Re", I think it fits. And it doesn't hurt that the reference is easily understood in the context of christianity.

Publican, in the Gospels, is derived from the publicanus of the Vulgate, and signifies a member or employee of the Roman financial companies who farmed the taxes. From the time of the Republic the Roman State relieved itself of the trouble of collecting the taxes in the provinces by putting up the taxes of each in a lump sum to auction. The highest bidder received the authorization to extort the sum from the province in question. Such a system afforded ample opportunity for rapacious exactions on the part of the company and its officials, and the abuses were often intolerable. On account of these, and more, perhaps, because of the natural though impotent Jewish hatred of the Roman supremacy, those of the Jews who found it profitable thus to serve the foreign rulers were objects of execration to their countrymen. In the Gospel narrative we find them as a class habitually coupled with "sinners" and the "heathen". The attitude of Christ towards this, as well as other despised classes, was that of an uplifting sympathy. One great reproach cast upon Him by His enemies, the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees, was His friendship for, and association with publicans and sinners; and consistently with this conduct it pleased Him to choose as one of the twelve Apostles Levi or Matthew the Publican (Matthew 9:9).
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12553d.htm

[Phredicles]

1. I like. Plus GOP can stand for "Grotesquely Odious Publicans",

or some such.:P

[katsy]

2. Welcome to DU kristopher!

:hi:

Do you think that the public will immediately relate "publican" to the Romans, or is it more likely that they'll relate the name to their own status as members of the "public"?

I'm inclined to think that even the most devout may not be familiar with the "publicans" of the gospels (devout in name only).

DUers have come up with some ingenious names for the gop, and Senator Baucus' calling their committee "republic" yesterday was a riot... but my inclination is to agree with some folks that giving this too much attention is like dealing with a spoiled child.

Don't get me wrong, I really LIKED Senator Baucus' jab. A lot. Maybe someone on our side should just publicly state that the puke's attacks on the Democratic Party are like their legislation: spoiled, corrupt and wrong.

[kristopher]

3. Too late

It is too late to ignore it. I'm sure they get a charge out of knowing that their needling is having an effect but the fact is that the genie is already out of that bottle.
As to whether they will relate it to public - perhaps. But then again, who would have recognized the logic behind DemocRAT before it was spelled out. Compared to that and considering the wingnut base and their select reading list - I'd argue that Publican is a better moniker than Democrat for the selected purpose.
But that is JMHO.

[katsy]

5. Genie out of the bottle...

Yes, I see your pov and think you are correct.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

4. I really like the meaning of "publican"

But as you can see from my name, it does not bother me to be called a Democrat, and I have always called myself a Liberal. I refuse to let them take over the language. I am, as always, proud to be a Liberal Democrat!