What Happens When Republicans Try to Campaign on National Security: BuzzFlash's Response to a Ridiculous New GOP Attack Piece

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

As they've said, Republicans are trying to make national security their main issue for the upcoming midterm elections. Unfortunately for them, they've been failing miserably on security for years. Accordingly, a recent video advertisement posted on the Republican Party's website, "A Safer America," seems more like a sad, desperate parody of this administration than a reasoned attack on Democrats.

As you will see, the Republicans have simply used the old technique of showing their opponents talking while ominous music plays in the background. Of course, the Democrats shown are all saying completely reasonable things, but that doesn't seem to matter to whoever came up with this garbage.

Watch the video by clicking here, and, as soon as you get done laughing, read BuzzFlash's scene-by-scene response below:

"Democrats say they want to talk about national security and the war on terror. While terrorists are watching..."

That's right. Don't question anything Bush tells us. Al Qaeda's only intelligence on our weaknesses comes from people trying to fix them, so if we don't talk about our vulnerabilities, we'll be totally safe! This isn't just "duck and cover," this is "if you don't move, the terrorists can't see you!"

Howard Dean: "We need a real, tough fight on terror, but we need to be tough and smart, not just talk tough."

That sounds completely reasonable. How could anyone but Republicans question that?

New York Times: "Democrats Asserting Bush Has Diminished U.S. Safety"
Los Angeles Times: "Democrats Go On Offense in Latest Terror Case"
The FrontRunner: "Democrats Hope to Challenge Bush, GOP on Terrorism."

Fantastic. Democrats are paying attention and are making at least some effort. They aren't even doing as much as they should be about this Administration's failure to protect us.

What are Democrats Going to Talk About? Their Record?

Earth to Republicans: You've had total control of Washington ever since the nation started going down the toilet a few years ago. If anything bad happened, IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT! The only record Democrats have is the little they've done to try to temper the Republicans' insane agenda.

Sen. Harry Reid: "We killed the Patriot Act." (Text: Against the Patriot Act)

This is obviously totally out of context. The Democrats DIDN'T kill the Patriot Act: it got approved and then renewed! Besides, there were many good reasons to be opposed to the significant attacks on civil liberties contained in the bill. Maybe that's why 18 Republicans even voted against reauthorization. There is nothing patriotic about taking away our liberties.

Sen. Joe Biden: "This administration's biggest problem in my view, it took its eye off the ball because it focused on missile defense." (Text: Against Missile Defense)

The Republicans are still worried about missile defense? Jeez! Even if you think it would be a fun thing to study as a long-term project for the future (despite the fact that it's ridiculously expensive and doesn't work), it has absolutely been a tragic distraction that offers zero protection from the current terrorist threat. It would also stand to make us less safe from developed states and organizations, like North Korea, who would simply develop new, more deadly ways to attack us.

Ned Lamont: "I look at the illegal wiretaps. I thought that was a time that Democrats should have stood up and held the President accountable. I think we should have said 'that was wrong,' I think we should have had hearings." (Text: Against Terrorist Surveillance)

The caption should read: "Against illegal wiretaps." That is, after all, what he said. Everyone is in favor of getting intelligence on terrorists. We just don't want the government listening to the private conversations of law-abiding citizens. Apparently that's a problem for Republicans.

Sen. Dick Durbin: "If I read this to you, and didn't tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control." (Text: Against Terrorist Interrogation)

This one should read: "Against illegal torture." That is, after all, what he was talking about. Note that the video doesn't tell you what Durbin had just described, which isn't surprising because it is in fact horrific. The account discusses people urinating and defecating on themselves while they are chained to the floor for days at a time, as well as one man who went so far as to rip out his own hair throughout the night. But the Republicans are all for such barbarity, which was sanctioned by Bush and Rumsfeld, and will accuse you of being soft on terror if you're not. (Click here to read the rest of Durbin's great floor statement - pdf)

Sen. John Kerry: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it..." (Text: Against Funding Our Troops)

We're not going to get into this tired distortion again, except to say Kerry's vote was in protest of a bill which Bush himself threatened to veto. Nonetheless, any votes to restrict funding by Democrats has been for the sole purpose of trying to ensure the money we do appropriate is well spent (that is, not for Halliburton to misplace) or to force an eventual withdrawal altogether. The only people who knowingly let our troops go into harm's way without the best equipment and armor we could provide them were Bush, Rumsfeld, and their clones in the Pentagon.

Rep. John Murtha: "We need to redeploy and let the Iraqis handle this themselves" (Text: Cut-and-Run in Iraq)

Letting the Iraqis take over their own country and taking our troops out? Sounds like a plan so reasonable it could be opposed only by Republicans, who apparently want Americans there forever.

The facts? The Republican record since 9/11

They should have called this garbage "Republican rhetoric since 9/11."

Democrats can talk about the war on terror, but the facts speak for themselves. A Stronger America. A Safer America.

In case you didn't notice, there were no real facts in the whole video! Besides, all Democrats can do is talk because Republicans won't let them stop the madness. The only hope this nation has is the voters in November and the court system doing its job by reining in on the increasing violations of the law. If America is stronger or safer in any respect, it's in spite of Republicans, not because of them.

The Republicans must truly be getting desperate. We honestly can't think of any issues they can win on, but national security would have to be the last one on the list. With all the money the party's national organization has for their attack machine, even the party's national organization can't come up with a coherent reason why people should vote for them. And for good reason.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

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