DINO sore
Accuse opponents of what you do yourselves, 3rd in a series
You can't buy material like this. Here's Sen. Zell Miller, Democrat from Georgia, reading straight from the Karl Rove handbook:
"The vindictive Clarke has now had his revenge, but what kind of hell has he, his CBS publisher, and his ax-to-grind advocates unleashed?"
No doubt the Bushies wanted Sen. Miller's statement on the record so they can call the criticism being leveled at Richard Clarke "bipartisan." But using Zell Miller to represent Democratic views in a bipartisan forum is like appointing Clarence Thomas to continue the legacy of Thurgood Marshall.
You know the drill: read Sen. Miller's language ("vindictive," "revenge," "ax-to-grind") and ask yourself who or what comes first to mind. Ax-grinding, vindictive revenge is Rove and the RNC's calling card.
Sen. Miller added that "this country is rapidly dividing itself into two camps -- the wimps and the warriors."
Repeat the drill and ask yourself which category--wimp or warrior--better suits which candidate: the Congressman's son who landed a cushy spot in the Guard and then ducked out on much of his obligation, or the decorated Vietnam war veteran who rescued his soldiers during a firefight at great personal risk? Sen. Miller is exposing Bush's weak flank to return fire.
According to Sen. Miller's dualistic worldview (you're either with us or agin' us), the two camps are "the ones who want to argue and assess and appease" and "the ones who want to carry this fight to our enemies and kill them before they kill us."
Alliterative argumentation
Fellow English majors will note Sen. Miller's--or whoever scripted this talking point for him--use of alliteration ("argue and assess and appease"). Makes your argument more memorable for morons. But alliteration is a device strong writers avoid.
Note well the recurring theme of appeasement. One of Team Bush's paramount goals is to link their opponents in the public mind with history's appeasers of tyrants, who invariably led their nations to ruin and moral decay. All who hesitated as the Bushies rushed to avenge Pappy and invade Iraq are appeasers.
Remember too that it was Pappy who suffered so much from the "wimp" label, which in his case was unjustly applied. If GHWB's approach is wimpy compared with his son's, bring back wimpy.
When Sen. Miller lauds as warriors "the ones who want to carry this fight to our enemies," he doesn't mean those giving the orders to fight should personally carry them out. As a means of settling disagreements, war is much preferred by those who've never experienced it.
If Republicans who don't support every policy of Team Bush and the Christian right wing are RINOs (Republicans in Name Only), then Sen. Zell Miller is a DINO. Should the Democrats ever retake the Senate, look for Miller to pull a reverse Jeffords.
Thanks again, Jim. At least you tried.
1:16:03 PM 
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