MT-SEN: New Ad By Swift-Boat Funder Slams Tester And "Brokebank Democrats"
This one's a must-see: A new ad is running on local stations in Montana attacking Dem Jon Tester as a member of the "Brokebank Democrats." And just in case you missed the subtle implications of this tag, the ad continues: "They just can't fight their nature." The ad displays the opening credits to a mock movie version of "Brokebank Democrats," telling us that the flick stars "Jon `the taxer' Tester" and warns of higher taxes should "Brokebank Democrats" take over. The ad was paid for by the Free Enterprise Fund, which incidentally also produced this equally subtle ad recently "spoofing" Italian Americans. FEC filings show the FEF is bankrolled almost entirely by Swift Boat Vets funder and reclusive mogul Bob Perry. Don't miss it -- watch it here.
Update: We just checked in with FEF spokesperson Todd Schorle, and he told us that the "nature" the ad was referring to in "Brokebank Democrats" was Dems' tax-hiking proclivities: "They can’t help their nature of being high taxers," Schorle says.
I hope we have private eyes tailing Bob Perry 24-7-365. It's a small price to pay for the enormous amounts of money he's dumped into oppo research on the Dems and the worst negative campaign ads in modern history.
The GOP didn't treat George Soros with kid gloves, and that source of funding soon dried up for the Dems. Well, two can play at that game.
November 3, 2006 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since the "typical Montanan" roles in this ad are played by the cowboys, isn't the clear suggestion here that Montanans are all gay?
Additionally, no challenge to the sexual orientation of a man with a flat top like Tester's can be taken seriously.
November 3, 2006 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
well, now that they're asking for it, we might as well make a TV ad, having nothing to do with taxes, called Brokeback Republicans, and talk about the huge amount of gay closeted republicans there are.
November 3, 2006 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
My thoughts on this ad are: Oh crap. Tester had better come back fighting, hard and fast, or else he's toast. This ad could sink him overnight. Any Western Democrats out there listening?
November 3, 2006 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democrats are "Tax and Spend".
Republicans are "Deficit Spenders"
Which is more responsible?
Also: Sourcewatch's Free Enterprise Fund article, for further research.
November 3, 2006 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't FEF supposed to be an independent outfit, and therefore barred from coordinating their efforts with those of the White House, GOP, or individual candidates?
And if that's the case, then how would they square that requirement with White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett's comment today: Democrats have a "huge appetite," and it's "fundamentally within their DNA to spend money."
Bartlett doesn't engage in the obvious gay-baiting, but he's saying exactly the same thing. Bartlett and the FEF are obviously coordinating. This seems like a transparent violation of FEC rules.
November 3, 2006 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do they really talk like that in Montana, or is it just because they are always portrayed as illiterate cowhands talking through a wad of that carcinogenic slimey brown crud? I can just see the brown-yellow somewhat toothless smiles, as they talk about taxes and politics. To me the voices sounded gratingly backward. When I saw this ad I thought how insulted I'd be if I was from Montana, and portrayed in such a condenscending way. To me it mocks Montana residents more than anything else. Never mind the messages it was trying to insinuate. The brokeback dem's reference is totally laughable given the revelations coming from the GOP as of late. And taxing pickup trucks????? Is this something that they just do out west? I'm a southerner and a liberal who also happens to drive a pickup truck and this is just a new one to me. If it wasn't so dumb and insulting of Montana resisdents it'd almost be comical.
November 3, 2006 7:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I dunno - it struck me as one of the stupider and more amateurish sleazy attack ads I've seen in awhile. I think a bit of sneering might do the trick.
November 3, 2006 10:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
And taxing pickup trucks?
In my appreciation for all the stupid gimmickry of the ad, I missed that detail. Is this just a way of saying that Tester would end the absurd tax credit for light trucks? Funny how they always equate getting rid of loopholes that benefit a few people with raising taxes on all.
November 3, 2006 10:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thugs in Suits, Wearing Crosses
These last six years of criminal near psychopatic rule by the GOP began when the khaki button-downed Republi-Youth marched on the Floridians daring to perform a legally mandated recount. The slide to demeaning the constitution, habeas corpus and the Geneva Accords began that day.
If somebody can script that thuggish march into an ad in time to be useful I’ll toss in a C-note.
Thugs in suits,
wearing crosses,
speaking Jesus,
doing trash.
Blood of Inquisitors,
long cold,
warms
Thugs in suits,
wearing crosses,
speaking Jesus,
doing trash.
exorcise your right, vote!
November 3, 2006 10:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans have a huge appetite. It's fundamentally within their DNA to spend money. The only thing is that instead of paying for what they spend and living within their means, they deficit spend, and borrow to pay for it.
Sarcasm aside, the Republican rhetoric seems to be settling back into the zone it occupied during their 40 years in the political wilderness before they took over Congress. During that time, their mantra was 'tax and spend' bla, bla, bla. Of course, once they gained control, we soon learned that it wasn't spending they hated, but what the spending was for, and who got to have a say in that spending.
November 4, 2006 12:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Democrats have a "huge appetite," and it's "fundamentally within their DNA to spend money."
Bartlett doesn't engage in the obvious gay-baiting, but he's saying exactly the same thing.
Would this mean that the Republicans admit that homosexuality is more than just a chosen behavior? I guess one can hold that view and still be homophobic....
November 4, 2006 12:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think sneering is enough. this kind of ad needs to be countered with an equally combative messabe on Republican deficit spending.
Republicans gamble with the finances of our children and grandchildren to put more cash in the pockets of the top 5%. our deficits grow, healthcare costs and college tuition skyrocketing? i'd be embarassed if i were in that bracket and caught whining about taxes, the "the gays" and "the illegals".
we progressives just want to get things done, to build a better future for this country, by any means necessary.
November 4, 2006 8:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hear, hear! Standing by and expecting people to dismiss the ad as "stupid" is the exact mistake that the Kerry campaign made during the swift-boat onslaught. Hit 'em back, and hit 'em hard!!!
November 4, 2006 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
My God, that's his home phone number in the ad. This is a harassment suit waiting to happen. I hope Tester sues Perry's rich ass into oblivion.
November 4, 2006 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is a reason why the public's approval rating of Congress is at 16% - and this was BEFORE the sleaze they've bombarded us with lately.
Obviously, political ads airing in the last few weeks are to get the voyeurs among us to the polls. The bigger question is what kind of legislative business does that portend for the next two years?
November 5, 2006 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a very funny ad, especially with the Foley/Haggard scandals, which takes me to the following bit that others here may have wondered about. Is all this gay bashing really (as Freud thought) a sick reaction to homosexual urges? Psychologists say yes in a 1996 Journal of Abnormal Psychology article, Title, Authors, and Abstract follow:
Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal?
Henry E. Adams, Lester W. Wright, Jr., and Bethany A. Lohr
University of Georgia
The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homophobic men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980). The men were exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual,and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992 ). Both groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.
So, the data are huge-- Ha. Take the ad for what it really means...
-JMW
ps. full text at: www.oogachaga.com/downloads/homophobia_and_homosexual_arousal.pdf
November 5, 2006 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the response to this ad should be about all the 'gay' GOP members and especially FOLEY.
And they should bring up the national deficit which has tripled under the GOP led congress and WH along with the significant tax cuts to the rich while not raising the minimum wage.
November 5, 2006 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink