Kennedy: Cheney Not Only Attacking Democrats But democracy Itself!

[kpete]

Demeaning Democracy
Cheney Paints Lamont Victory As Helping Terrorists
August 13, 2006
By Edward M. Kennedy

...................

The comments Cheney made on the result of the Connecticut Democratic primary - that it might encourage "the al-Qaida types" who want to "break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task" - are an attack not just on Democrats, but on democracy itself.

...................

Cheney and his crowd are all for free and open elections - as long as they turn out their way. They are all for free speech - provided it supports the administration. They are all for the rule of law - as long as the law does not prevent them from doing whatever they want to do. When elections, speeches or laws are inconvenient, he does not hesitate to declare that they are helping the terrorists. I can think of no graver offense against our democracy.

..........................

The November election will teach Dick Cheney and others of his ilk that they cannot use fear to cling to power. As Will Rogers said, "It's no disgrace not to be able to run a country nowadays, but it is a disgrace to keep on trying when you know you can't."


http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarykennedy0813.artaug13,0,5926112.story

[skipos]

1. Well said. nt

[liberaldemocrat7]

38. The Spanish people threw out the conservatives there.

The Spanish people threw out the conservatives right after the 3-11 attacks a few years ago because they realized that the conservatives played politics with terrorism.

Alot of Americans took a bit longer but hopefully they will throw out the Republicans in 2006 and 2008 for playing politics with terrorism.


Tell this to the press and Republicans, swing voters and independent voters you meet and email.

"9-11 and the 2750 deaths occured under a Republican administration."

"The myth of Republicans superiority on national defense exploded with the plane that hit the world trade center on Sept 11, 2001"

[JAbuchan08]

72. I love the Will Rogers quote for this administration

I will be using it often.

[bearfan454]

79. Spain didn't use Diebold.

All the votes were counted correctly there.

[Tellurian]

50. Actually, Lieberman is in more trouble than he thought..

We already know the Repugs have stolen two elections. And were capable of rigging the primary.
Cheney didn't even bother to rescue Holy Joe in his hour of need, rather he used him as a sacrifice
for partisan politics, then summarily kicked him to the curb...

Joe Lieberman, A Man without a country! (or a caring ethnicity)

[Roland99]

2. Ooo...great Will Rogers quote.

[JohnnyLib]

3. recommended

Wow, courageous! This may top EMK's many years of public service. And, the reprisals will be as vicious as we've seen to date; ol' Rush may have a special show or something.

Thanks, Sen. Kennedy, for "telling it like it is."

[Supersedeas]

67. seconded...wonder if the Corp Media will bother giving equal time to this

retort...probably not.

[saltpoint]

4. Hot dog I love it. Ted drops Cheney in one blow.

Here is the Senate's liberal lion blowtorching Cheney's drivel.

Thank you, Ted Kennedy.

[tomp]

16. but...but...on another thread they said we can't say that.

it would be impolite for lamont to hit too hard at the vp's al qaeda statement.

[saltpoint]

31. I don't get your point.

I like Ted.

I like Ned.

Cheney's a dickhead.

[tomp]

65. agree.

on another thread which i can't find right now, a poster was complaining that lamont's statement wasn't strong enough. i agree with that. another poster said lamont can't come out stronger than he did because it's considered "impolite" to attck the vp and more strongly than lamont did. then kennedy comes out stronger, getting support here, giving the lie to the person saying lamont was as strong as he was "allowed" to be.

[saltpoint]

66. Ah. I get it now -- sorry I was so dense. On Kennedy, I've liked him

a long time. He created quite a buzz at the 1968 convention, a wild and woolly convention if there ever was one.

By now he's a bedrock liberal who continues, decade after decade, to piss off the Republicans. And the more conservative the Republican, the more pissed off they are at Ted.

Which says to our side that Ted's doin' somethin' right.

[tomp]

76. i could've been clearer. i'm glad we agree! nt

[globalvillage]

5. Awesome.

Sen Kennedy-
:yourock:

[babylonsister]

6. I'm so grateful we have elder statesmen like Kennedy who aren't

afraid to call the likes of Cheney out. And that Will Rogers quote is wonderful!

[INdemo]

9. I certainly hope every Democrat in Washington reads this......

WOW......

[Lerkfish]

7. oh...snap!

[fjc]

8. Neo-cons hate democracy?

Geez, it's only taken the Democrats 7 years of this administration to wake up to this, when the neo-cons have been saying it for about 2 or three decades. Ya gotta wonder if Democrats really bother to know their enemies.

[never_get_over_it]

21. First of all

it has only been a little more than 5 and a half years of this administration - I know it feels like a hundred but it has not been 7 years and second of all Senator Kennedy has consistently criticized them over these 5 and a half years....

I'm not a big supporter of a lot of the Dems simply becuase their lack of standing up - but Ted Kennedy has been one who has stood up.

[fjc]

23. Ted Kennedy does not a party make.

And there has been plenty of criticism by leading Democrats of this administrations policies. What I'm saying is that Democrats do not on the whole understand the extent to which the neo-cons have themselves written and wondered outloud about the wisdom of democracy as we have come to know it. But then, they come by that ignorance somehwat honestly as not many people have really looked into it.

[never_get_over_it]

24. I agree with you except I'm not totally sure that

many of the Dems give a shit about Democracy as we have come to know it - as long as they keep their jobs - why why the deafening silence of the Democratic leadership on election fraud....and many other issues - why did so many of the Dems run for cover when Feingold wanted to censure the idiot in chief over illegal wire tapping....why did so many vote for IWR - why didn't they fight harder to defeat Alito - why did they say over and over and over issue after issue after issue - we have to keep our powder dry and wait to fight for the really big one and then the really big one never seemed to have come

Ok enough because many of the Dems make me sick - and if only there were oh I don't know about 15 or so more Ted Kennedys - and maybe maybe 15 or so more Russ Feingolds and throw in 15 or so Barbara Boxers and this Senate would ROCK.

[fjc]

28. Whether they do or they don't,

one would think a good deal of political points could be made by pointing out that the intellectual leadership of those now in power have gone on record wondering whether it is time to consider alternatives to our present form of government, none of them democratic. Maybe I'm wrong about that. Maybe a majority of Americans don't give a shit either. But if that is true, then there's nothing to count on but raw power, and that, as history shows, is the most dangerous and fickle of all things.

[vssmith]

35. Well said!! and if the House only had a few more Barney Franks

[PegDAC]

74. And John Conyers n/t

[vssmith]

36. And if they hadn't taken Paul Wellstone away from us

[WHAT]

49. be careful Lamont...

.

[PegDAC]

73. Exactly! n/t

:cry:

[stepnw1f]

48. Well Said! (nt)

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Grateful for Hope]

11. Love it!

Kennedy sure has a way with words!

[tabasco]

12. Cheney should be in prison.

He has done more to subvert democracy in America than any terrorist.

[Arkham House]

13. If Teddy really gets pissed, this is a very good thing...

...he is a very formidable man, and they have no leverage against him...this could get fun...

[vickitulsa]

14. "...it is a disgrace to keep on trying when you know you can't."

That Will Rogers -- now there's an Okie who saw through all the BS!

Wish we had a modern version of him to carry the torch now ... or maybe we do. A couple of them, even, in Colbert and Stewart?

Strange how using HUMOR to make our points can go down a lot easier than straight bitter medicine for the Repugs ever will....

When we aren't crying or ranting, we've been laughing at this whole crew of criminally insane power-greedy destroyers of democracy for a long time. So perhaps now the absurdity is building to a point where they're forced to laugh at themselves! If we can get there, I believe we could see the phenomenon of "being laughed out of court" take hold bigtime.

[Shipwack]

68. May I nominate Jim Hightower as the spiritual descendent...

... of Roy Rogers?

A few choice quotes...

If you do not speak up when it matters, when would it matter that you speak? The opposite of courage is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.

There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.


Wikipedia quotes

[PegDAC]

75. the descendents of Will Rogers

are Jim Hightower and Molly Ivins.

[rubberducky]

15. Go, Teddy, Go!!

[dropkickpa]

17. K&R I loves me some Ted Kennedy

One of the few big name politicos willing to stand up and call "BULLSHIT!" when he sees it.

[timontheleft]

18. K&R nt

:dem:

[dogday]

19. He shoots, he scores

WTG Sen. Kennedy..... :thumbsup:

[Greeby]

20. One hopes Ted will slap Lieberman silly

for invoking his brother's name constantly :evilgrin:

[never_get_over_it]

22. Oh that is an excellent point

I might just have to call Senator Kennedy's office and tell them that the good Senator should have a little chat with SORE LOSERMAN - hopefully he already has

Besides it gives me a chance to tell his staff that I LOVE TED KENNEDY haven't done that in a little while now

[Kurovski]

25. K&R.(nt)

[mnhtnbb]

26. We need more of these slap-downs from EVERY Dem whenever

BushCo start in with their "you're supporting terrorists" crap by voicing an opinion that doesn't match their agenda.

[bonito]

27. Through the bums out in november

And put the democrats in control they know the meaning of diplomacy.

[etherealtruth]

29. another reason to love Ted Kennedy

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[LTR]

30. I laugh when the cons call Teddy an un-American traitor

Irony is that he's been involved in US politics since before many of his critics were born.

[AntiFascist]

32. Kudos to Kennedy....

this a proper response, more reflective of the truth about Cheney: that he is acting like an enemy of democracy.

[BuyingThyme]

33. kcik

[YankeyMCC]

34. Thank you Mr Senator

Glad to have you representing our great state. :)

[Raydawg1234]

37. K&R

It's about time Democrats started standing up to the bulshit.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mikelewis]

41. What the hell are you talking about?

[MelissaB]

43. I like your direct approach better.

:hi:

[MelissaB]

42. Umm...welcome to DU.

[stepnw1f]

44. No... He Just Hurt Your Feelings

That why you had to post what you did, or you wouldn't have wasted your time. How's Abramoff?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

45. Actually It Was A Perfect Statement From A Stand Up Senator. But You

probably wouldn't recognize a stand up senator, since most republicans haven't evolved to standing upright yet....

[stepnw1f]

47. And Some are Anti-Evolution.... Makes Sense

Denial is such a terrible thing to wrap oneself in.... "Stay the course!"

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

46. Know What's Funny? The Republican Loser Scum Are Gettin Their Butts Thrown

out this November. And thank God too. This country couldn't take another year of being flushed down the shitter by the dumb ass can't seem to get anything done parrot headed GOP morons.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

54. Dear Otto: That Tombstone Represents So Much More Than Merely Your

dismissal from the great community that is DU. Aye, so much more. It is perfectly indicitive of what is to come in November, when the strong and able democrats release the grip of the reign of terror from the GOP dictatorship. That tombstone is so representative of what is to come, the death and dismantling of the Neocon agenda and destructive rule.

Long live Ted Kennedy and the other strong and righteous voices of the democratic party!

[mod mom]

40. Oh come on...what's democracy without the "right" candidates winning?

:sarcasm:

[samsingh]

51. by attacking Lamont

cheney is attacking American Democrasy and the voters who selected Lamont.

[bling bling]

52. I hope the news networks broadcast his comments. Holding my breath....

K & R for calling the Republicans out on their anti-Americanism. Fuck Cheney and his distaste for Democracy. Not that he was put in office by any stretch of the democratic process. He prefers the 'friends-in-the-right-places method for getting....ahem...."elected.".

[mvd]

53. Bravo!

This is Ted at his best. :applause:

[Polemicist]

55. "Cheneyism" = "McCarthyism"....

McCarthy demonized Americans by calling them Communists. Cheney Demonizes Americans by calling them Terrorists.

Cheneyism is the new McCarthyism. We Progressives should respond to all such attacks on Loyal Americans, by characterizing them as dangerous "Cheneyism" tactics, akin to "McCarthyism".

When we create that Frame, then the fear mongering message will lose it's power. It will be replaced by the frame of innocent brave Americans, like Edward R. Morrow, standing up against the excesses of elected officials, making false claims about it's citizens.

[JohnnyLib]

58. great idea

I'm gonna run with that one.

[bananarepublican]

59. "Cheneyism" = "Shoot-in-face-ism" and this could explain things...

Dick Cheney shoots people in the face whenever his supply of Viagra runs out! You see, without Viagra his thirst for killing can't be restricted to killing barn-raised, defenceless little birds... he must shoot an armed but unsuspecting friend.

Imagine one of the old Elmer-Cheney-Fudd cartoons depicting him slaughtering over 70 Tweeties!

P.S. It is a wonder that those who came to his defence didn't offer his 'Nam experience an excuse!

[Lifelong Protester]

56. Sitting in the north woods,

eating my breakfast, and I nearly spit my coffee all over the table when my husband read me that Cheney quote from the NYT. "Yeah, I said, gaining my composure, " I'll bet bin Laden has EXACTLY the same idea. One guy down because he backed the war, and sheesh, the country of the infidels looks ready to have its will broken. Ahmed, did you see what the great Godfather Cheney has said?"

You go Ted. At a certain age, you know you just HAVE to say what must be said. Period.

And for the poster here who asked in all caps, IS TED DRUNK? Puh-leese. That is sooooooooooooo played.

[Virginian]

57. Post 39? He's history... click on Otto's profile. n/t

[DemReadingDU]

60. K&R

[rabblerowzer]

61. March to fascism?

Are Republicans preparing the next big step in their march to fascism?

Consider their efforts to change existing laws to retroactively immunize themselves from prosecution for war crimes.

Consider also their plan to give Bush absolute control of the National Guard.

“Governors Oppose Federal Control of Guard”
The nation's governors, protesting what they call an unprecedented shift in authority from the states to the federal government, will urge Congress today to block legislation that would allow the president to take control of National Guard forces in the event of a natural disaster or a threat to homeland security.

In a sharply worded letter that will be transmitted to Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress this morning, the governors ask that a House-Senate conference committee remove a provision included in the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act giving the president such authority without consultation or input from governors and represents an unprecedented shift in authority from governors as commanders and chief of the Guard to the federal government," the governors state in the letter.

As of yesterday, 51 governors, including some from U.S. territories, had signed the letter, a sign of broad bipartisan support that underscores the depth of opposition among state executives to encroachments by Washington on their powers.

The governors discovered the provision two weeks ago, and the effort to have it removed from the defense bill began at last week's National Governors Association summer meeting in Charleston, S.C.

At the meeting, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), the outgoing NGA chairman, described the provision as one that "violates 200 years of American history." Governors see it as part of a broader effort by the federal government to diminish the sovereignty of the states.

Bush already controls all of our armed forces except the National Guard, why are Republicans trying to remove the last check against presidential power? Are they planning to make Bush dictator?

[wicket]

62. So proud to have him as my Senator!!!

:woohoo:

[Hawaii Hiker]

63. Senator Kennedy is a great man

What a terrific commentary by Sen. Kennedy about the disgusting Dick Cheney...

I think Cheney needs to be on Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" on tonight's episode...

[lumpy]

64. Ted Kennedy is the constant American

Patriot, true believer in the Constitution of The US and one of the best we have ever had to hold office in the Senate. And what's more a fearless Irish fightter.

[marmar]

69. And who does that pig-beast Cheney think he is anyway...

telling Connecticut residents how to vote. Gawd I hate these mofos, with unimaginable passion. :argh:

[tired of the right]

70. Cheney is a jerk and check out this Cal Thomas article for more of

the same. It is really pathetic the lengths they will go to stay in power.

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/thomas081006.php3

[Blutodog]

71. Terrorism 24/7

Bu$hCo = Terrorism 24/7 it's all these fascist klowns have to sell. They're counting on OBL and his nutjobs to help them out as they've been doing all along. The MSM is helping Bu$hCo spread it's message day and night. What a crock of shit these people are.

[bbgrunt]

77. righteous!

[PurpleChez]

78. It wasn't all that long ago that I had no time for Ted Kennedy

I had no interest in Camelot or the Kennedy mystique. I thought that JFK Jr's death was a freak show. Thanks to the criminal enterprise of Joe Sr, family members enjoy a degree of privelege that most of us cannot imagine (and many of them carry on like spoiled rich kids who believe they are above the rules), so I am not necessarily overcome with gratitude when the occasional Kennedy seeks to do the right thing through public service. At least no more so than with anybody else. And I am consistently disappointed by the public's obsession with the weddings and other activities of sixth and seventh cousins they've never even heard of before.

I still don't give a damn about "The Kennedys" (cue melodramatic music), but I have come to respect Ted as THE greatest champion of my progressive values on the scene today. It has been reassuring to see him standing up to filth like Cheney and the Chimp. And of course I am grateful for RFK Jr's expose of the theft of Ohio in '04. Thanks guys!