Shot In The Dark: This Is Why I Love Blogs

August 25, 2006

This Is Why I Love Blogs

Let's start this post at the end, with the moral of the story. To wit:

Whenever anyone in a Star/Tribune editorial, letter-to-the-editor, or even news article refers to themselves as a "reformed Republican", and then spouts a stream of DFL-approved talking points, be very suspicious.

We've run into this before: a cursory Googling of "reformed Republicans" reveals a record that'd make Jeff Fecke reach to protect his wallet. A blogswarm of locals did this most recently last month, when we showed via documentary evidence that the people in the "Growth and Justice" open letter were "bipartisan" in the same sense that Bill Clinton "never had sex with that woman".

The whole "reformed Republican" bit is a piece of rhetorical abuse - and a symptom of a movement that can't think of a reason of its own to support it. Instead, they say "Look - we don't support it, and either does this person". It's stupid - comically so.

Today, Learned Foot exposes some of Nick Coleman's "reformed Republicans":

Whenever I see a purported "Republican" dissatisfied with This Administration in Letters to the Editor or in a NonMonkey column, I automatically get suspicious. It's a cute little persuasive trick that almost always collapses when you do a little research.

Which he, and his readers, do.

I won't spoil the ending - read Foot's article for that - but let's say that, once again, Nick Coleman is shown to be disingenuous.

What - you expected three good columns in a row?

Posted by Mitch at August 25, 2006 06:30 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Oh...and I LOVE this "reformed Republican" Betsy-Wetsy. So cute...so truthful....NOT!

She claims that two of her reasons for 'converting' were the President Bush's war and his position on the 'choice' to kill a fetus in the womb.

Looking at her FEC report...she has a history of giving to DemoHACKs going back to: May 2001. She gave to Bill Luther well before the war...or even 9/11! But for non-monkey boy, research and seeing through her little lies is NOT part of the story.

Also, somebody tell me how Bush's position on abortion has 'changed'? When? Hmm? Does non-monkey boy ask that question? Nah...that'd get in the way of his uber-spin of lies.

Oh well. Should we really expect less from a newspaper who is protecting their little girl Amy from any level of serious scrutiny?

Posted by: Dave at August 25, 2006 09:19 AM

I was a pro-military, anti-welfare, hippie-hating democrat who switched to the GOP during the Clinton years. Why did I switch?
It was the sodomy.

Posted by: Terry at August 25, 2006 10:37 AM

Come for the sodomy, stay for the tax cuts.

Doesn't really ring well.

Posted by: Badda-Blogger at August 25, 2006 10:56 AM

Come for the wrenching bloodbath. Stay for the criminal incompetence.

Talk about not ringing well.

Posted by: Tim at August 25, 2006 11:55 AM

What wrenching bloodbath?

And you say ciminal incompetence as if that were exclusive to Republicans.

Posted by: Badda-Blogger at August 25, 2006 12:06 PM

Yep, Foot determined the "reformed Republican" must be fake cause she's a *former Planned Parenthood board member*! Horrors!

Angryclown loves watching you knuckleheads excommunicate people who disagree with you on a single issue.

Good luck winning elections with only the votes of fanatic anti-choice types.

Posted by: angryclown at August 25, 2006 12:26 PM

2000 and 2004 elections were luck?

/Pro-Choice myself.

Posted by: Ryan at August 25, 2006 12:31 PM

Where "excommunicate" = "expose as a fabulist." How *is* Stephen Glass doing these days?

Posted by: Brian Jones at August 25, 2006 12:33 PM

"Angryclown loves watching you knuckleheads excommunicate people who disagree with you on a single issue. "

Like Joe "Votes 90% With Dem Caucus" Lieberman?

Posted by: mitch at August 25, 2006 12:35 PM

Why does angryclown hate reading?

Posted by: LearnedFoot at August 25, 2006 12:43 PM

AC: "Angryclown loves watching you knuckleheads excommunicate people who disagree with you on a single issue. "

Mitch: "Like Joe "Votes 90% With Dem Caucus" Lieberman?"

AC: "Oh...SNAP!"

Posted by: Nancy at August 25, 2006 01:05 PM

Where is the love Mitch...where is the love..

http://restraininorder.blogspot.com/2006/08/return-of-friday-funnies.html

Posted by: swiftee at August 25, 2006 01:13 PM

BTW...

Assclown: A natural addition to Friday Funnies or what?

Posted by: swiftee at August 25, 2006 01:16 PM

Ah, Swiftee. Everybody's favorite half-witted fascist thug. Shouldn't you be dead of tertiary syphilis by now?

Posted by: angryclown at August 25, 2006 02:11 PM

"Angryclown loves watching you knuckleheads excommunicate people who disagree with you on a single issue."

'Excommunicate' implies expulsion of a member of a group. As Betsy-Wetsy from Wayzata has never BEEN a Republican...and lies about it to boot...there's no 'excommunication'.

Just exposing Betsy-wetsy for what she is: A pathological liar. Like bitterclown.

Posted by: Dave at August 25, 2006 02:12 PM

Nahhh, I made your sister get a shot first, Assclown.

Posted by: swiftee at August 25, 2006 02:22 PM

Or was that your wife? Oh yeah it's both!

Ahahahaha!

Posted by: swiftee at August 25, 2006 02:24 PM

Noah the answer is yes there are pro-choice republicans, and sitting on the board of Planned Parenthood does not mean the person is liberal.

However, I must ask, and Foot implied this in his piece ("I will make no inference as to what her position on the Guthrie's board means, nor will I as to her involvement with the Greywolf Press (though it does raise suspicions);"), and as shown with the Growth for Justice analysis, why do you righty bloggers believe that sitting on the board of an arts organization implies a more liberal political view?

Posted by: fulcrum at August 25, 2006 03:25 PM

Um, Ryan?

I thought you were supposed to be getting off my wavelength...

Posted by: LearnedFoot at August 25, 2006 03:48 PM

foot, i wasn't doubting your analysis as to her policical leanings, and frankly don't care. What I find interesting is, as ryan stated that in taking all those things together you came to the conclusion, which means that volunteering your time for an arts organization, in the eyes of the right, must be a sign, however small, of liberal leanings.

Posted by: fulcrum at August 25, 2006 04:06 PM

"you came to the conclusion, which means that volunteering your time for an arts organization, in the eyes of the right, must be a sign, however small, of liberal leanings."

Foot studiously avoided saying any such thing. Had he said any such thing, *I* would have jumped on it.

I am conservative. I enjoy art of many types, and have been involved in arts groups.

Foot - for the umpteenth time - is identifying *patterns* of involvement. NOT focusing on specific points.

There *is* a difference - as much as you seem to be laboring to avoid it.

Posted by: mitch at August 25, 2006 05:44 PM

"P.s. Really Mitch? Banning the word "sh!t"? Prude."
I got away with "sodomy"! Wait, that sentence came out a little different than I meant it to.

Posted by: Terry at August 25, 2006 09:00 PM