Dean slams possibly RNC-funded 'Fun With Guns' event in letter to Mehlman

[madfloridian]

This is totally and completely outrageous stuff by the RNC. They have no class, no taste at all. Outrageous.

Dean slams RNC-funded 'Fun With Guns' event at university in letter to Mehlman

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean wrote Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman today "calling on him to stop RNC-funded campaign activities that promote discrimination and endorse violence against political opponents," according to a DNC press release received by RAW STORY.

Dean's letter was written in response to an article published in the Michigan Daily about an "intern hired by the Republican National Committee to win the hearts and minds of Michigan 20-somethings" at Michigan University.

Events planned by the intern, Morgan Wilkins, include "an event called Fun with Guns, in which young Republicans would use a BB gun or paintball gun to shoot cardboard cut-outs of Democratic leaders such as Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)" and "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day, in which a volunteer would play the part of an illegal immigrant and hide somewhere on campus while others try to find him."

In April, Penn State University College Republicans dropped plans to hold a Catch an Illegal Immigrant Game after a student outcry "ensued," but other colleges such as the University of North Texas have held such events.

Dean also warned Mehlman we were very aware of the attacks that were coming, but that this was worse than usual.

We'd read that the RNC would use its funds to engage in negative campaigning in a desperate attempt to hold on to power and mobilize Republican voters in November, but these un-American attacks and violent, inflammatory campaign tactics are beyond the pale," Dean wrote Mehlman.

Edited to add the word "possibly" in the subject line. Further paragraph in Dean's letter doesn't say for sure.

[Bitwit1234]

1. RNC

I hate to say this but I am would not put it past the republicans to send their rabid members out to really "kill" or disable democrats. They are desperate. They know that bush and cheney will be investigated. And that this country will not stop with impeachment. They will want them removed from office and even jailed.

[napi21]

2. Thanks Howard! It probably won't make any difference to the RNC,

but damn it, at least you are calling them on it! I sure don't remember Terry doing that!

[madfloridian]

4. "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day"?? Unreal.

I put nothing past them. The best we can do is call attention to it, I guess. Sad what has happened to our country.

[LTR]

3. Imagine if the roles were switched

Wonder what the Crybaby Conservatives would think if it was Dems shooting, and the target happened to be Dumbya, Dickhead, Rumskull, Kindasleezy, etc. I'm sure they'd be going apeshit then.

And no, I'm not advocating violence toward anyone. Either way, it's pretty tasteless.

[madfloridian]

5. Dean says as chairmen of parties they have a responsibility...

"As Chairmen of America's two major political parties, we have a responsibility to elevate the political discourse in America," wrote Dean. "Whether this is directly an RNC funded activity or not, I ask that you not only order such events ceased but also denounce these types of campaign tactics that breed only hatred, division and fear."

[Redstone]

6. That's just really fucking sick. How do you think the repubs would react

if the Dems had kids shooting BB guns at pictures of bushyboy and cheney?

What assholes. What fucking desipcable scumbags.

Redstone

[Kansas Wyatt]

22. They would have the Secrete Service and the CIA

Renditioning any Democrat involved, if it were BushBoy or DeadEye Dick.

[Redstone]

25. In a heartbeat.

Redstone

[Janice325]

7. Mehlman and the RNC are pieces of SHIT!!!

Good for Dr. Dean.
k&r

[fudge stripe cookays]

8. .

In April, Penn State University College Republicans dropped plans to hold a Catch an Illegal Immigrant Game after a student outcry "ensued," but other colleges such as the University of North Texas have held such events.

My alma mater....I think I'm going to be sick. It used to be pretty liberal, with the art and music schools predominating, but since the football team started winning a few years ago, the money-grunning business school kids and the athletes appear to be rearing their little Neanderthal heads a lot more.

[madfloridian]

9. University of North Texas had the illegal immigrant game. So sad.

This is just unbelievable to me.

[chat_noir]

12. message to young Republicans

OPERATION YELLOW ELEPHANT CONTEST: BLOG YOUR CAMPUS (or any nearby campus)

Many of you are familiar with the Freeway Blogger's brilliant work. We'd like to see something similar happening at or near college campuses. To that end, Operation Yellow Elephant is holding a "Blog Your Campus" contest.

Description

Create signs relating to Operation Yellow Elephant's mission to expose the hypocrisy of hawkish College Republicans and other young conservatives who are too cowardly to fight in the war they demanded. Post these signs near roadways and pedestrian pathways on or near college campuses. Photograph your work and send it to me. I'll post them here. In early October, the OYE Contributing Writers and the Freeway Blogger will pick a winner.

How to Win

Send us a photo featuring a sign with a great message and lots of people or cars traveling past it. If it generates press, it wouldn't hurt to send us a url or a clipping.

Rules

Signs must be placed near roadways or pedestrian pathways on or near campus.
Photos of the signs must demonstrate that the sign can be viewed by many people (people or cars in the foreground)
Submit your entries to [e-mail] no later than September 30, 2005.

http://operationyellowelephant.blogspot.com/2005/08/contest-blog-your-campus.html

[Cha]

20. I love that, chat_noir!

The big fat yella elephants are on parade.

[girl gone mad]

17. It's depressing..

I'm on campus at UNT a lot. I've seen more Bush/Cheney stickers over the past few years. Music and liberal arts dominate, but the Republican minority is increasingly vocal. They are a very arrogant bunch.

[fudge stripe cookays]

21. GGM, how are you?

Long time no see! :hi:

Yeah, even when I was there, Reagan had a big upswell of support in the 1984 election, but all those little assholes in Kerr Hall and the frat houses are getting increasingly more assholey.

[EstimatedProphet]

10. You know what would be a fun event?

Go out to a shooting range for another 'fun with guns' type event, but make it for Democrats. And for the targets, use blown-up pictures of the RNC and the Michigan Campus Republicans. Make sure you invite the campus paper to the event too, and have them get lots of pictures of the targets being shot.

I think that would be a blast, don't you?

[madfloridian]

11. National Council of LaRaza calls on Mehlman to stop this stuff.

http://www.civilrights.org/issues/immigration/details.cfm?id=46884

"Washington, DC - The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today expressed deep concern over some proposed campus activities, including "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day," being spearheaded by a Republican National Committee (RNC) intern at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, according to a report in today's Michigan Daily.

"We hope and expect that this abhorrent event is the product of one young and misguided mind and not that of the RNC. We call upon the RNC to condemn and put a stop to any such activities at Michigan or any other college campus," stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.

"But the larger concern is that this incident and a similar one at Penn State earlier this year merely reflect a debate that has spun out of control and succeeded in scapegoating and dehumanizing undocumented immigrants to the point where college kids think of hunting human beings as entertainment," continued Murguía.

Murguía concluded, "Several weeks ago I issued a call to both political parties to exercise leadership in making sure that their campaign communications do not demonize communities. Today I reiterate that call, and ask the RNC to put an immediate halt to these ugly and divisive tactics."

[madfloridian]

13. Read this conservative blog on the subject....this is just sick.

I hate to link to a conservative blog like this, but they are defending this practice. They are talking about immigrants like they are nothing at all. WTF has happened to my country.

http://www.pardonmyenglish.com/archives/2006/04/catch_an_illega.html

"Another creative idea shot down by the thin-skinned PC Police. After all, if you aren't in this country illegally or sympathize with the criminals who ARE here illegally, why in God's name would you have any reason to be offended?

This story points up an important truth about the left: As the PSU president admits, don't remind us what the truth is because we find the truth "offensive". (I truly hope the PSU president did NOT say that.)

As to this event being "unproductive", I couldn't disagree more. This game would have been a creative way of pointing out the fact that these freeloaders aren't "immigrants" they are illegal immigrants. It would have been even more instructive if each of the "illegals" in the orange shirts could have walked up to other students, given them a buck and demanded two dollars back because that would accurately illustrate the documented cost of illegals in terms of free education, housing, medical care and other services these freeloaders consume. Ever notice how you never see liberal groups coming up with creative ideas like this as a way to make their political points?"

Well, gee, I hope I never see liberal groups coming up with stuff like this.

:wtf:

[jean]

14. blatant grooming of their brownshirt squads

[madfloridian]

15. Pics of the letter delivery to the RNC....cute intern

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/09/governor_dean_w.php

"Well this isn't the first time College Republicans have used such hate-filled tactics to try and win the hearts and minds of their peers. They've tried to do it before, at Penn State and at the University of Texas, and we think it has got to stop. So does Governor Dean, and today, he wrote a letter Republican National Committee Chairman, Ken Mehlman, telling him so.

The letter was hand delivered by James, a senior at Iona College and an intern for the DNC's American Majority Partnership (The AMP is a division of the Chairman's office which coordinates constituency-related activities across all DNC departments)"



James, on his way to deliver the Governor's letter.



Signing the letter in at the RNC

[grateful581]

16. Hey repukes

Shoot this!

[Cha]

18. You're right! It is totally and

completely outrageous but not surprising.

They're worse than cornered rabid rats..they are cornered rabid rats with money and power to do anything they can conceive in their small, little, itty bitty minds(?).

[madfloridian]

23. Mehlman came out and distanced the party...but then blamed Dean..

for calling the GOP a party of white Christians...which of course they mostly are.

I will see if I can find the Mehlman press release.

See, zidzi..it's really truly all Dean's fault.

:rofl:

[Cha]

24. Dean should have said.."..a party

of white male, faux Christians who are really really Dumb and Greedy. :) Now that's uber accurate.

I just read bush is losing the Southern Women voters.. so how prescient of Dean.

[CarlVK]

19. It takes a Dean to rat out the rats.

GO HOWARD.

[madfloridian]

26. Yep, and Mehlman responded by attacking Dean.

They are simply outrageous. They do these stupid idiotic things, and then blame Dean for saying bad things about Republicans.

Weird bunch.

[tomreedtoon]

27. What happened to "Republican Catch a N***** By the Toe Day"?

Perhaps they felt that if the N-word person was from New Orleans, his feet might be wet with infection-filled water and the Young Republicans might catch something.

I know that no Democratic candidates or spokespeople would do a damn thing about this. My only hope is that Bill Maher, Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert do.

[madfloridian]

28. Randi's covering this right now.

She just read Dean's letter, will have more after the break.