WP,pg1: MoveOn Unmoved By Furor Over Ad Targeting Petraeus

[DeepModem Mom]

MoveOn Unmoved By Furor Over Ad Targeting Petraeus
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 21, 2007; Page A01

A few weeks before Army Gen. David H. Petraeus's much-anticipated testimony on Iraq, the leadership of MoveOn.org, the Internet-based liberal group that has rallied its 3 million members around the country to oppose the war, decided on a change in strategy.

Rather than making another appeal to moderate Republicans to join Senate Democrats in passing an antiwar resolution, they would take on the credibility of Petraeus himself. Their weapon, they decided in conjunction with Fenton Communications, its Washington-based public relations firm, would be an ad in the New York Times that provocatively played off his name with this question in large letters: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"

Yesterday, an organization so small its 17 employees don't even have a central office, found itself under attack by not only President Bush, who said the ad was "disgusting," but also by the Democratic-controlled Senate, which passed a resolution 72 to 25 expressing its own outrage. Many Democrats blamed the group for giving moderate Republicans a ready excuse for staying with Bush and for giving Bush and his supporters a way to divert attention away from the war.

In an e-mail to its members last night, the group acknowledged that the content of the ad might have angered its allies but argued that a larger issue is at stake. "Maybe you liked our General Petraeus ad. Maybe you thought the language went too far," they wrote. "But make no mistake: this is much bigger than one ad."

And it turned its criticism squarely back on the Senate, accusing it of "spending time cracking down on a newspaper ad" after failing on Wednesday to pass a bill lengthening the home leaves of U.S. troops fighting in Iraq, a bipartisan measure that some regarded as pressuring Bush into limiting the redeployment of U.S. forces....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/20/AR2007092001005.html?nav=hcmodule

[Eric J in MN]

1. "Many Democrats blamed the group for giving moderate Republicans a ready excuse"

"...for staying with Bush."

In matters of war and peace, moderate Republicans decide based on a newspaper ad, supposedly.

Anyone who believes that "moderate" Republicans would have voted to end the war if not for an ad is dumber than dirt.

[liberalmuse]

2. If anything, Republicans are loyal.

Bush is their daddy until he's caught toe-tapping in a public toilet.

[noise]

6. It's sick

They are loyal to a fake, media created 'leader.' Loyal to soldiers putting their lives on the line? No. That is apparently asking too much.

[PA Democrat]

11. I had the same reaction.

If anyone feels that distaste for an ad funded by independent citizens is a legitimate reason to allow the human carnage in Iraq to continue, they are being dishonest to say the least.

[quiet.american]

16. My thoughts exactly. n/t

[bluestateguy]

3. These people fight. They don't flinch and they don't care what the Beltway insiders say about them.

They stand for something, and they never back down from it.

They don't issue meaningless "apologies" after being bullied into doing so.

They don't vote for things before they vote against them.

They don't do the Georgetown cocktail party circuit.

They stand for something and they don't spend much time worrying about people who don't like what they have to say.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. I agree with each and every one of your points. nt

[Solly Mack]

9. !

[noise]

4. Moveon.org

has brought the real issue into focus...that is the unacceptable conduct by the political/media establishment in relation to the Iraq occupation policy. The GOP has no credibility on the occupation policy. Thus, it is shameful for Democrats to pretend that they do.

Support for Bush's occupation policy isn't the same thing as supporting soldiers. That is a garbage talking point that the GOP should not get away with.

[xchrom]

7. at least republick party people know how to stand together and FIGHT.

and one last thing -- i don't know what the fuck a ''moderate'' republick party person is.
if standing by by bushco is ''moderate'' -- then snowballs are flying in hell.

[A wise Man]

10. I can't stand the rethugs

But I have to give them credit, right or wrong they stay republican, even if the earth is on "FIRE"!!!

[deacon]

8. Same here, I am unmoved. Voting for this clowns again is out of the question.

[PA Democrat]

12. I found it extremely ironic that in the process of criticizing Move On for

insulting Petraeus, that Bush intentionally insulted Democrats by referring to the "Democrat party".

[xchrom]

13. yes i caught that as well as did KO.

and that's been a regular occurrence now for some time.

of course -- the republick party Knows they still control the terms of the debate -- it's a little tenuous now -- but they still control it -- all.

[southern_belle]

14. k & r n/t

[ellie]

15. I just donated to them

it was the first time ever for me.