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DNC's Chief Researcher: We Sent "Zero" Oppo-Guys To Alaska
As noted below, the McCain campaign has a new ad out designed to portray Obama as a predator and Sarah Palin as prey by pointing to 30 opposition researchers that the Obama team allegedly sent to Alaska to savage her.
Of course, the article that the ad references doesn't say Obama sent them -- it actually says Democrats sent them.
But the Democratic National Committee's chief of research, Mike Gehrke, tells me that the DNC hasn't sent a single researcher to Alaska. "Zero," Gehrke says.
Gehrke also offered this little gem:
"If I had 30 researchers, they'd be busy trying to keep track of McCain's houses."
Late Update: TPMmuckraker has more.
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That ad McCain put up was a waste. It's really giving Obama an opening to say McCain is running ads on things that mean nothing to the American people and their lives, and that's dishonorable of McCain.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
September 10, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lies and Slander. Served daily. By the mcShame diner!
September 10, 2008 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Want fries with your lies?
September 10, 2008 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coffee or Tea with your Slander?
September 10, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
♪ You can get any lies you want...
At the mcShame restaurant! ♪
September 10, 2008 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Daily Specials - Try our mcShame sandwich or the popular Mooselini burger!
September 10, 2008 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Get your red hot lies!
September 10, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you, TheraP, for providing some humor TheraP.
: )
September 10, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
glad you enjoyed it. Come back again!
New Lies and Slander - daily specials too!
September 10, 2008 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
You want lies with that shake?
September 10, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ice Cold Slander on Tap!
September 10, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
DisHonor Desserts - Coming Soon!
September 10, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
dansac---I disagree with you. It's a re-play of the wolves ad from the Bush campaign team in 2004, and it worked.
September 10, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wrong. The 2004 wolfe ad was about terrorist plotting and planning to do harm to America. It played on the fear of terrorism that was pervasive at the time. This ad is whining about people attacking Palin unfairly, which is becoming a difficult charge to sustain. The McCain camp is overplaying the victim card.
September 10, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Co-sign!
And thank you!
September 10, 2008 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't even think the wolf ad in 2004 worked. Wolves? Lame. Yawn. Know anyone afraid of wolves? I don't.
September 10, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
They are really scary when you shoot from them hundreds of feet above the ground from helicopters.
September 10, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
So are there consequences to lying? I mean, can you just make up any ole shit you want? Can Obama release an ad saying that John McCain had a homosexual encounter with Richard Simmons?
I don't get it. It's clearly a lie. Can they sue or something?
September 10, 2008 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Way too obvious of a lie. Simmons has _much_ better taste in men than that!
September 10, 2008 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought McCain was a goatfucker. Doesn't he have goats on his Sedona estate?
September 10, 2008 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Goats indeed.
September 11, 2008 7:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
i think all this pig nonsense and wolf nonsense for that matter is that the magoo/mooselini ticket doesn't want to talk about the sex education ad. that one's a big loser for them, what with all their lying to say nothing of their opposition to protecting children.
September 10, 2008 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
The meme that everything McShame says and does is a lie -- reflecting his view that the American people are stupid or ignorant -- needs to be hammered home, but equally important, it needs to be tied into the memo that McShame is more of the same.
After all, Bush committed the ultimate lie -- lying us into war -- with McShame's complicity. Bush lies, McShame lies. Why would voters subject themselves to four more years of being treated like morons?
September 10, 2008 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
This might be parsing. Unless Obama is as incompetent as McCain, which is impossible, they've got some oppo people in Alaska.
If he doesn't, then we are all in deep trouble.
September 10, 2008 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's just snarkalicious. Love it.
Of course, catching the McCain campaign in YET ANOTHER LIE is beautiful stuff, too.
Sometimes, I wonder if the whole Republican strategy is just "fabrication sensory overload". Tell so many lies that your opponents are worn out just choosing which ones to hammer.
September 10, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
This means that Ambinder and Wall Street Journal are lying.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122098190668515511.html?mod=opinion_journal_political_diary
So if they are lying on Obama, how can we believe them on Palin.
September 10, 2008 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
*diseased troll jizz*
September 10, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
*impotent fury*
September 10, 2008 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
*Oozing troll jizz"
September 10, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
:-)
Love you back. Hope, change and unicorn farts.
September 10, 2008 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
*genital wart inducing troll jizz*
September 10, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
:-)
Still loving you back, liverlips!
September 10, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
*alien life-form producing jizz*
September 10, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
You do realize that this is an opinion column, written by a republican loyalist, don't you? You do realize that there is not a shred of supporting evidence for this claim, don't you? You do realize that John Fund is the only one to make this claim, don't you?
On the other hand, you do realize that every charge leveled at Palin about Troopergate, bridge, selling the plane, expenses were reported by the news divisions of every major news organization and backed up with official documents, don't you? You do realize that those claims have not been disputed, don't you?
You do realize there's a difference, don't you?
Oh, sorry. I'm sure you don't. It's in your interest to believe everything bad about Obama and every good about McCain. Sorry.
September 10, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
yup yup. I agree. You do realize that lalo is part of the KKK. I mean, eventhough he denies it, i believe it, so it must be true. Facts dont matter, opinion does, and in my opinion lalo is part of the kkk, regardless of what he says, it must be the truth, because its my opinion, regadless of facs
September 10, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
So - are you saying that when many people are repeating a lie - that makes it true?
Because that's what the media has been doing with Palin and that's exactly what McCain is doing with lipstick.
September 10, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Name one lie that the media has reported about Palin. I'm not talking about blogs, I'm talking the legitimate news media.
1. FACT: She is under investigation for firing the public safety officer because he did not fire her ex brother in law. Regardless of how it turns out, she is being investigated for it.
2. FACT: She is lying about her position on the bridge to nowhere.
3. FACT: She is fired all of the department heads when she took over as mayor of Wasilla.
4. FACT: She left the town of Wasilla $20 million in debt.
5. FACT: Despite railing against earmarks, she secured $27 million for Wasilla and $780 million for the state of Alaska.
6. FACT: She prodded the town librarian about the book-banning policy.
7. FACT: McCain lied when he claimed Palin sold the plane on eBay at a profit.
Like it or not, those are facts. Documented and undisputed, even by the McCain campaign. Now, it's probably in your interst to say that the offical state records for the state of Alaska and the town of Wasilla are all part of the Obama smear campaign but . . .
September 10, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm. I want to be shocked that you're even ask me this evidently stupid question. But, sadly, I'm not.
As for the lies, I thought all TPM had to do to resolve them one and for all is call RNC and accept their denials...
Oh, wait, this is not legimiate news media...only DNC denials can be accepted.
September 10, 2008 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
And furthermore you're wrong in comparing what McCain is doing about lipstick. McCain is saying that "Obama must have been alluding to Palin." He is suggesting what Obama must have been thinking when there is no evidence to support that.
We all know that McCain doesn't really believe that; it's just an attempt to fake outrage. But, fortuntaely, the media is calling the campaign on that fake outrage because it's too silly. They've been called out on MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, NPR about it today. And Obama didn't back down.
Now, they might be able to get their base to feign outrage over this but two days from now, there won't be an Obama apology and the McCain campaign won't be talking about it anymore. This is one trial baloon that didn't float.
September 10, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
If it is OK to flog TrooperGate in the blogosphere, why is not OK to flog swinegate?
September 10, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Get back to us when the lipstick comment involves abuse of power and a legislative investigation.
September 10, 2008 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Get back to me when an "independent" Democratic Senator says in the middle of an "on-going" investigation that he already knows it will be damaging to Palin, the terrible terrible pick for the VP.
Get back to me when serious newspapers like NY Times print that Palin was a member of AIP.
Whoops, you already did.
September 10, 2008 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is an opinion blog. Or haven't you noticed? DailyKos is an opinion blog. Huffington is an opinion blog. They are all left-leaning opinion blogs so they will promote Obama's side.
Just like RedState and NRO and Drudge and TownHall are opinion blogs that will promote the right-leaning side. You don't read any of these sites for "facts". They all have an agenda. Get it?
You know that but you want to pretend that the posters here are doing something different from what the right wing sites do all day.
The news media is reporting on Palin and have discovered tons lies. Instead of arguing that, why don't you point out a lie in the list I posted? Because you can't. Understood.
September 10, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
The owner of the "opinion blog" DailyKos is pimping a book about manipulating public opinion. He originated the smeares about fake pregnancy which have been mysteriously deleted, after they were repeated by the mainstream media. He originated the "Jesus, the community organizer" meme.
The owner of the "opinion blog" TPM is agitating on the front page of TPM for the mainstream media to keep hammering the Bridge story and the Troopergate story.
Who are you kidding?? Liberal blogosphere makes no secret of its intent to manipulate the mainstream media.
September 10, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
LMAO!
Ok, she's so fucking tough - a pitbull bitch in lipstick who shoots moose and wolves - what the hell is she so afraid of?
What's McLame so afraid of?
September 10, 2008 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I sure hope we have oppo researchers in Alaska.
September 10, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody has to do the job that the McCain camp didn't. Is McCain really pissed because Obama's camp is coming in to do what he was supposed to be doing a month ago?
McCain didn't go through the hassle and work, and now says Obama is a wolf for doing it. Genius.
PS, why didn't it show those wolves getting poached from the plane?
My uncle is a republican through and through. He has cattle up near yellowstone, he has shot wolves many times against the law. You bring up wolves, it boils his blood. Now, Palin passed a law making it ok to hunt Wolves from the sky in Alaska. Now McCain runs this ad. What has he and other republicans got against wolves? Is it because it is natures way of taking the weak? Are they afraid of the obvious metaphor that THEY are weak and are about to get naturally selected?
Wolves prey on the weak. That is not a bad thing. We don't want the weak as a president.
September 10, 2008 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
re: the posting problem
Do I have to buy you guys another server? Need more bandwidth? How can I help?
September 10, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
The rumor is that there is going to be a new server on the 15th. And that we'll get Preview.
September 10, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
In all honesty, this does not prove a lie. Obama might have opposition researchers there, but not provided by the DNC.
September 10, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
or they don't call them "researchers." maybe they're just "volunteers" on a sightseeing mission.
September 10, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Muckraker report says that Gehrke's statement to both Ambinder and to TPM included no "Obama staffers."
September 10, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oooh, those Dems really fired back on that one, didn't they?
I admit: I'm fed up to the teeth with the chronic Democratic unwillingness to go on the attack.
Obama is running an honorable and decent campaign. Well, here's a question for him: isn't getting elected the point? Not how decent and wonderful and fair your campaign is? Isn't the point to get elected so you can help all those Americans you say you want to help?
Letting McCain attack with this horsesh&t ads, and not going on the offensive isn't doing anything to help Americans.
And finally, if the Dems don't have oppo researchers in Alaska, they're completely inept.
September 10, 2008 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
If getting elected was the point he'd have picked Hillary as his running mate and ridden the land slide...
September 10, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can put lipstick on a dead cat, but...
September 10, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait a minute-- the DNC has sent NO ONE to Alaska to do oppo research on Palin?
Are you trying to tell me this is something to crow about?
Who the hell are these people?
September 10, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's the same tired DNC that helped to bring you President Gore and President Kerry.
I'm completely fed up at this point.
September 10, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, dear,.... fed up after the mcShame restaurant lies?
September 10, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
CT, how can that be when this campaign is totally differently run? How can that be when Howard Dean, not Terry McAuliffe, is running things with Obama?
I don't know - if everyone is going to get negative on the campaign and Obama's chances, I'm outta here. Where this is becoming like '04 is on the comments boards.
And I can't take that again.
September 10, 2008 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with you, Tena.
He's my guy and I'm stickin with him!
No way do I want to follow someone I'd be ashamed of.
September 10, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
RNC Going out of Business Sale!
We are slashing prices on all slanders!
2 slanders in one day for the price of one!
September 10, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
We need those slanders for the mcShame diner!
i>Ice cold Slanders on Tap!
♪ You can get any lie you want
At the mcShame restaurant! ♪
September 10, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ummm, yeah. Obama seems to know what the hell he's doing. Think I'll leave it to him to run the campaign.
Here's the thing: When you get the urge to panic, you know - that feeling like, Oh my God, we're gonna lose this damn thing - go to the www.barackobama.com website, click on events for the swing state nearest you and volunteer to either register voters or phone bank or canvass or just do data entry. You'll feel better because you're doing something constructive to help the campaign, you'll get all jazzed from interacting w/others who are committed to the cause, and you'll be too damned exhausted to get all negative and worried.
My 2 cents.
September 10, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the Titanic is going down, fumbling with the deck chairs is not going to make you feel better for long.
September 10, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, 'cept it's not.
Are you suggesting that Obama's campaign is the Titanic and it's sinking? Really?
Geez, Schmedley, I've seen you a lot on this board and you're not really that panicky, generally. Check out the polls, Obama is coming back.
Really, less time in the blogs and more time out campaigning does the body good. Gives you perspective.
September 10, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, 'cept it's not.
Are you suggesting that Obama's campaign is the Titanic and it's sinking? Really?
Geez, Schmedley, I've seen you a lot on this board and you're not really that panicky, generally. Check out the polls, Obama is coming back.
Really, less time in the blogs and more time out campaigning does the body good. Gives you perspective.
September 10, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, 'cept it's not.
Are you suggesting that Obama's campaign is the Titanic and it's sinking? Really?
Geez, Schmedley, I've seen you a lot on this board and you're not really that panicky, generally. Check out the polls, Obama is coming back.
Really, less time in the blogs and more time out campaigning does the body good. Gives you perspective.
September 10, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've donated more money than I probably should, given my budget, and will continue to do so, and I'm not panicking.
I'm furious that the Democrats do not attack. They appear to think that their opponents will honorable and decent. They won't, and you'd have to have been living in a cave for the last 30 years not to know that.
I'm fed up with the Dems in general. Obama is probably doing the best that could be done given this farce of an election, but the rest of the Dems are completely lame.
Fred Thompson brought Rev. Wright up today.
What are the Dems going to do? Complain about how unfair that is? Wow. That'll really do the trick.
September 10, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not sending oppo researchers to Alaska is political malpractice, Tena. If that's what happened, that's political malpractice.
Look, I'm still going to donate and work for Obama. But I am damn sick and tired of Democrats not being on offense.
There are multiple ads that could be run against McCain questioning his gambling tendencies, his complete out of touch wiht reality of most Americans, hell, a web site could be set up that would allow people to calculate how much more money they'll get back tax-wise under Obama compared to McCain.
Instead, we've got this moron from the DNC proudly announcing that no one went to Alaska, and wall to wall coverage of what the McCain campaign is doing. The media can be led. Let's see the Obama campaign do some leading.
September 10, 2008 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
You mean act instead of react? I don't think it's in the campaign playbook.
September 10, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I do mean acting rather than reacting.
I'm not sure if it's on this campaign's menu or not.
It damn sure isn't on most Dems menus, though.
September 10, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is not going to engage in personal attacks and he won't allow his representatives to do it, either. Much as it would give us satisfaction to see him do it, it won't happen.
September 10, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is not going to engage in personal attacks and he won't allow his representatives to do it, either. Much as it would give us satisfaction to see him do it, it won't happen.
September 10, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is not going to engage in personal attacks and he won't allow his representatives to do it, either. Much as it would give us satisfaction to see him do it, it won't happen.
September 10, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't go anywhere...Thomas Paine would not approve of that :)
September 10, 2008 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Respond with an ad about how many fixers the McCain camp sent up to Juneau to obstruct the ethics investigation.
September 10, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to stir things up, but why haven't Obama or the DNC sent any oppo researches to Alaska?
September 10, 2008 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
They're either lying or their stupid. Take your pick..
September 10, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
"They're" stupid...
Crikey. You obviously are a genius.
September 10, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Back off!!! He's a POW!!
Who needs researchers when all Sarah has to do is open her mouth and create the alter ego Sarah.
September 10, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I do think that character has become an issue now. I think that Obama has every right to hit McFreak on that and few (other than the Freak himself) would blame him for it.
September 10, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to stir things up, but why haven't Obama or the DNC sent any oppo researches to Alaska?
September 10, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup. NO need to go to Alaska to find the tip of the Mooseberg.
September 10, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with Bullsmith. The answer I would have liked to have heard was, "They're lying again. We sent 60."
September 10, 2008 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
I wish y'all would calm down.
September 10, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's great that traditional media is reporting on it, however, the fact that Palin and McCain keep repeating it shows that it's still effective, even if it's a lie.
September 10, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll calm down when Obama starts to show some offense. Even Muhammad Ali dropped the Rope-A-Dope strategy and threw some knockout punches.
September 10, 2008 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll tell you what I like from that Muckraker post:
Yeah, I think that 'John McCain is an honorable man' line is dead.
September 10, 2008 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't want any handshakes coming from Obama at the debates. He need to totally leave McCain hanging.
September 10, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did anyone just see MNBC's Contessa Brewer interview Rep. Jane Schakowsky? She asked her (and I'm paphrasing, but pretty close to the mark):
"Isn't there a question to be asked when the press isn't approaching a female candidate with the same deference as a male candidate?"
Deference? Crap....the media is useless. It's like the question came right off a McCain talking points memo.
Palin is the one who is running for the 2nd highest office in the land, she won't answer questions, but yet the press still owes her deference? What about what she owes "us"? I was so pissed off, I just fired off a letter to MSNBC. I'm tired of all of these talking heads be nothing more but mouthpieces for the McCain campaign.
September 10, 2008 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of all the things that have offended me (and there are many)in this campaign, the one that really riles me is the "deference" remark.
According to my dictionary, one of the meanings of showing deference is to show "ingratiating regard for another's wishes". And ingratiating? "To gain favor by deliberate effort." So the McCain campaign is telling us that the media cannot talk to Palin until they make an effort to "gain her favor".
We are not a monarchy. Our leaders are supposed to work for US. We need an ad hitting this point. Who are the fucking elitists here?
September 10, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait a minute-- the DNC has sent NO ONE to Alaska to do oppo research on Palin?
Are you trying to tell me this is something to crow about?
Who the hell are these people?
Was a whole lot of oppo research needed to establish the facts about Palin? She turned out to be exactly what she appeared to be and, as the saying goes, no better than she should be.
To find that out you need to fly lawyers to Alaska? All you need to do is read the papers.
September 10, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
The DEMs did not have to send anyone to the Northern Tundra cuz Demoncrats know how to work the Google and ride the Inter-tubes.
Hell. Some of them have their homepage set to TPM Muckraker.
September 10, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why didn't Obama send oppo researchers to Alaska?
Read the statement, folks, and relax. Words matter.
"Not a single person from DC or Chicago has traveled to Alaska to do research," he writes. Not a single Obama staffer, not a DNC staffer, not a hired gun, he says.
So nobody traveled to Alaska from "DC or Chicago." Could just mean that they were mobilized from LA, or NYC.
Or better still (from a word parsing standpoint), they've got native Alaskans doing the research...they didn't have to travel to Alaska because they were already there!
September 10, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
The DEMs did not have to send anyone to the Northern Tundra cuz Demoncrats know how to work the Google and ride the Inter-tubes.
Hell. Some of them have their homepage set to TPM Muckraker.
September 10, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why didn't Obama send oppo researchers to Alaska?
Read the statement, folks, and relax. Words matter.
"Not a single person from DC or Chicago has traveled to Alaska to do research," he writes. Not a single Obama staffer, not a DNC staffer, not a hired gun, he says.
So nobody traveled to Alaska from "DC or Chicago?" Doesn't mean that Obama or the DNC didn't hire locally, and use people already in Alaska to do the work.
September 10, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why would it matter if this were true? It's not like the Republicans don't have a full-time, year-round smear operation going on.
September 10, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chris Matthews just let a truly disgusting Repub-talking-point Congresswoman from Oklahoma (complete with her patented Repub Ollie North/George Allen lie-smirk) completely off the hook when she said that the Democrats were sending an opposition research team to Alaska. He did not challenge her on it at all, leaving the impression that there was some validity to her blatant lie.
September 10, 2008 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given the Fannie/Freddie bailout, the Bear Stearns bailout, the 95% loss in the stock value of the country's biggest bank (WaMu), and today's Interior Department story, wouldn't this be a good time to draw the attention of undecided voters to the poverty of the Republicans' theory that the country's businesses are over-regulated? Those business failures, along with Enron, Tycho, Worldcom and many others, were the result of the government failing to ensure honest and prudent corporate governance and honest accounting; failing to oversee the lending industry while it made millions of very risky loans, and largely allowing the securities, banking, investment, and insurance industries to police themselves. The execs make billions while things are going well, and when they're not, the employees, shareholders and taxpayers take the hit.
Further: The Republicans want less regulation, but where? Do they want to cut the budgets of the agencies responsible for regulating bridge maintenance standards? Crane safety? Do they want fewer inspectors checking the lead content of imported toys? Less regulation of pharmaceutical companies? Or maybe they think the mining of coal by mountain-top removal should be less regulated? Maybe we're spending too much money making sure child-labor laws are enforced? The Republicans have fought against forcing car-makers to improve fuel efficiency for 30 years, and that's why we are so dependent on foreign oil, and why the American car-makers are failing. Maybe we should go back to having less regulation of tailpipe emissions? Do they really think that all the progress that has been made in the areas of consumer and occupational health and safety are just examples of an overly intrusive government stifling free enterprise? Who is left that still believes industries should police themselves? Deregulation has been an abysmal failure, but it's still Republican orthodoxy. And it's just one glaring example of the Republican vision that values money over people.
So-- to answer my own question--it's too wonky, right, nobody cares, that's not what this election is about.
September 11, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink