Anatomy of a Right Wing Smear IV: Steve Doocy: Obama could be the most liberal Senator
By John Amato Wednesday Jun 04, 2008 2:20pm
I've been doing a series for C&L about the myth that will overtake FOX news and other right wing outlets which will try to scare people into keeping both hands on their wallet.. Howie wrote a post called: Anatomy of a Right Wing Myth: Obama is the most liberal Democratic Senator.
Doocy: And in fact there's going to be a real choice because we've looked at the studies which suggest that Barack Obama could be the most liberal Senator, in the US Senate, and meanwhile while John McCain---more in the middle. Would you have a guy to the right or more in the middle?
Doocey screws up his question, but that's OK. You'll see phrases like "could be" and "it's quite possible" and "suggest that" he's the most liberal Senator in Congress. The only study I've seen is the very flawed National Journal one so I wonder Steve will reveal what other studies he has. Is it so hard for the media to tell the simple truth about his voting record. Here's Howie..
If only! Actually there are 39 Democrats with more liberal voting records, although Obama does at least beat perennial Bush rubber stamps Holy Joe Lieberman (CT), Ben Nelson (NE) and Mary Landrieu (LA). His voting record– however you slice it, however you dice it– points to a solidly mainstream centrist– and, to be honest, considerably less liberal than… sssshhhhhhh… Hillary.
So how do CNN, CBS, ABC and NBC all allow the paid GOP shills to get away with their Big Lie? Good question. There’s one cooked up National Journal “study” that these clowns keep referring to– yes the same cloddish National Journal that criticized its own ranking of John Kerry as “the most liberal senator” in 2004...read on
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they don't want to waste all the dirty work they have done to equate the word liberal as the enemy....not patriotic...don't wear flag pin that crap
Does anyone still take these guys seriously when they say "(S)he's the most liberal yadda, yadda, yadda."
Yeah, I suppose he 'Could Be,' but he's not.
I think it's great.
If the GOP succeeds in painting Obama as a hard core liberal.... and then he gets elected and does a great job... People will once again get comfortable with the term.
People will start voting for liberals in the way that "conservative" used to be a term associated with good things.
the new spin, is that he is the most liberal senator in the history of the senate...that is the tact that bill bennett started taking this morning
it is so laffable
there is so little difference between a bennett and a limbaugh...sure bennett speaks softly and doesnt use ad hominim attacks...but he spews the same lies and talking points
i wish obama was the most liberal senator ever....but he aint
If memory serves, four years ago, John Kerry was the "most liberal Senator." And eight years ago, Gore had one of the "most liberal" records from his Senate career. Clinton and Dukakis were the "most liberal" governors of their years, and every person who stood on the Democratic stage during the primary debates would have been the "most liberal" so-and-so had s/he achieved the nomination.
With all the campaign advisors mccain has had to drop under the bus
I'm sure there is a rightwing smear
All along down the road.
miss_kitty @ 3:
Why do they bother covering themselves with "could be," and "some people say?" Why not just lie outrightly? Why not just say whatever's on their little minds, and report it as dogma? They get away with everything anyway.
Embrace the label. Liberal ain't such a bad thing anymore.
Oh, you know Fox, they just say shit for the hell of it. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. As long as you preface it with words like, "could be" or "might be" you're good to go at Fox. Their audience has been trained not to hear those words, so all they hear is what follows them.
their favorite code word to rally the troops....it's like yelling fire
Ooooo, would I love to see an Obama administration serve Rupert Murdoch and Co. with a serious tax audit.
for steve doocy, calling someone a 'liberal' is a severe insult.
which is funny... to me, calling someone a 'doocy' is an insult.
and let's not get started on doocy junior
The Rove>Drudge>Fox>CNN>ABC/NBC/CBS route for RNC press releases these past 7 years has been shortened up. Drudge is no longer in the loop. (gasp)
But the MSM, so terrified of being scooped that they don't bother to verify anything, will continue to parrot whatever Rove feeds them. It would be so much easier if the teleprompters at the network news studios just got a direct feed from Karl's laptop.
I don't know what the term Liberal means to people any more. I remember back when the Right Wing was very successful in painting the word Liberal with Communism. Back then Communists were supposed to be monsters with fangs coming to take away your babies. It was a national insanity that the Right Wing happily exploited much like they exploit the term terrorists. The difference was terrorists will never be as nationally scary as Communists. Is it the college educated think their so much smarter than you elites that people think of when they hear Liberal? I never understood the national anti intellectual fever and I never will.
Doocy's correct on this one. McCain has been right in the middle of everything the Republicans have tried to do. I'll take the guy on the right.
A very serious campaign to derail the lies of the right-wing must be mounted today. Every lie, no matter how trivial, no matter which outlet, must be challenged and exposed.
It is everyone's responsibility to correct the lies, and hold accountable both the networks and their sponsors for promoting these lies. If the networks won't correct themselves, then the sponsors surely will.
It is imperative that sponsors be identified and their PR departments bombarded with the true facts. When sponsors (aka advertising dollars) are affected, then change occurs.
If you just "sigh" and turn the channel, then nothing changes but the channel.
it really is unbelievable how the right wing can just try to hammer something home over and over and over.... truth is irrelevant, repetition is key.
The National Journal is hardly an independent, non-partisan source. Their "study" should be taken for what it is - a smear tactic.
BT @ 9:
That's correct, but the label isn't the problem. The problem is that the claim - "Obama is the most liberal senator" - isn't true.
Run for the hills! He's a Liberal! AHHHHHHH!
Yeah, John, you might be missing on this one as badly as Sean Hannity and Pat Buchanan are.
Maybe the very reason that Obama is doing so well is precisely because he is The #1 Liberal In The Senate and America is, given our love of video games, porn, skateboarding, (all 3 of these do as much in billions of dollars of gross revenue, each, as does mainstream Hollywood), at its core a Liberal Country.
Last I checked, Dems hold a majority in State Houses, Governorships, and in the Federal House and Senate.
Maybe the real myth in America is that Conservatives are in the majority, because they're not. At best, they're a third of the country, and that figure includes the 1 in 5, (20%), of Americans that regularly go to church on Sunday.
~Nyc
America needs a good dose of Liberalism.
I think if we have anymore conservatism we just may not survive in this new century!
Like this?
Guess who:
"Nah some folks up in Warshin'ton" ....[will say I lied to start a war]
Often when large amounts of unfounded garbage are about to come out of their mouths, they will open with "Some have said...". No shame in hackery.
Frontline released a fantastic 4-hour special called News War last year, highlighting the demise of professional journalism. It's a must-see (streams from website).
Phase II Report just released
http://tw3k.net/Stuff/Iraq-phase2/Iraq-phase2.txt
Instead of trying to convince everyone that Obama is not that liberal, the Democrats should be convincing everyone that being liberal is a good thing. You don't see the Republicans running from the conservative label (if anything each one tried to claim the mantel of "most conservative").
motorfingaz @ 22:
i agree but that's difficult at best since this country is constantly at war.
RayC @ 15:
yeah, it us a very fluid term. meaning dif things to dif people. not to mention when you throw in terms like 'progressive' and the 'left' it is harder to pin down what any of it means.
really, now, when used by the likes of delay/doocy/hannity/rove/etc it doesn't mean anything, it is an empty term used solely for the purpose of creating division. another in a long line of scare tactics.
A difficult thing to measure but here's how ProgressivePunch has him rated: http://www.progressivepunch.org/members.jsp?search=selectName&member=ILI...
(I know that's a cut and paste Miss K.but I'm still working on hyperlinks with my new clipboard program.) You will note that Obama comes right in the middle of the left side of the spectrum. Exactly where he should be.
This guys wont quit. But then again how many people are listening? Old geezers and paranoid individuals make up Faux News watchers. They can have Faux News, I'll take Oberman.
for steve doocy, calling someone a 'liberal' is a severe insult.
which is funny... to me, calling someone a 'doocy' is an insult.
and let's not get started on doocy junior
I'm on board, but first I need to go to the bathroom to take a doocey.
See you in a while.
the previous comment should have quoted Samson @#13
Man, Doocey becomes Douche-y so easily, doesn't it?
John, I wouldn't classify what Doocy said as "screwing up" his question. I would say that Doocy was trying to position Obama as being skewed to one side and McCain more mocerate in the middle. The fact is, as we know, just the reverse, as did Doocy's brain. I'd call that a Freudian Slip.
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
You know how Fox loves compiling "number of days since ..."? I'd like to see someone at C&L count the number of consecutive days that Fox lies about Obama, just since he clinched the nomination.
BREAKING: Gates fires Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff
Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked for the resignations of the two top US Air Force officials,
Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael Moseley.
Heheheheh!
Reid signals Lieberman may lose chairman status: Developing...
http://rawstory.com/
how long before a tv news person uses a racist term and then gives a phoney apology?
Okay, I contantly see Bill O'falafel gritting his teeth and shaking his fist while saying "liberals". Is this why being liberal became a bad thing? Liberalism refers to political views that emphasize individual rights and equal opportunity. That sounds like good stuff no matter who you are. Conservatism refers to polical views that prefer tradition and gradual change. Since the world is constantly changing for the better (see: slavery, suffrage, segregation, etc.) I would thing fighting against these tides of good change would be a bad thing. Are these the definitions used in the surveys? Do people not understand this? Am I the fool?
And a liberal voting record is bad because ...?
We've all seen the damage conservatism can do (and has done).
Kyle @ 40:
Nope. You're not a fool. You're definitions cover it pretty well.
Maybe he meant 'lovable.'
The only thing mcCain was ever in the middle on, was when he was between two lobbyists sipping champagne in a hot tub
McCain a "moderate"?
Excuse me while I suppress the urge to laugh hysterically.
Of course, Wanton Boy and his pernicious ilk have moved the ideological goal posts so far to the right that formerly staked positions on the continuum are no longer what they seem ...
Kyle @ 40:
Fool me once, shame on me. Foll me again, don't get fooled again.
Jesus was a liberal.
Man, that's gonna blow their minds.
Doocy wouldn't have a gig on any real news network. He's obnoxious, ignorant, and no more than a talking puppet for Grandpa Ruppert. Unfortunately, those traits endear him, apparently, to the Old Man and Fox's audience.
But to "accuse" Obama of being a Liberal is like accusing him of being a patriot following in the footsteps of both Roosevelts (the one for being a Trust Buster, the other for actually using Big Government to help the common man).
Doocy's "centrist" hero is an old, old, old man who follows in the footsteps of the worst pResident in history, and who generally promises to carry on a tradition of sucking up to the wealthy and powerful that can be traced back -- in the 20th century at least -- to Warren Gamaliel Harding, up through Calvin "the business of America is business" Coolidge, Herbert "prosperity is just around the corner" Hoover, to Ronnie "city on the hill" Reagan and the current embarrassment of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
I think it's past time we reclaimed the word "Liberal" and polished it to a proper luster.
Liberal vs Conservative ....
"There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots in the harshness of our puritan past. It is very suspicious of freedom, uncomfortable with diversity, hostile to science, unfriendly to reason, contemptuous of personal autonomy. It sees America as a religious nation. It views patriotism as allegiance to God. It secretly adores coercion and conformity. Despite our constitution, despite the legacy of the Enlightenment, it appeals to millions of Americans and threatens our freedom.
The other vision finds its roots in the spirit of our founding revolution and in the leaders of this nation who embraced the age of reason. It loves freedom, encourages diversity, embraces science and affirms the dignity and rights of every individual. It sees America as a moral nation, neither completely religious nor completely secular. It defines patriotism as love of country and of the people who make it strong. It defends all citizens against unjust coercion and irrational conformity.
This second vision is our vision. It is the vision of a free society. We must be bold enough to proclaim it and strong enough to defend it against all its enemies."
-Sherwin Wine-
Imagine what these right wing clowns would be saying if the word "socialism" were bandied about a bit more. Ooooooh, SCARY! That's the same as "Communism!" which of course, it isn't.
It's where you pay taxes, (novel idea) and the government (employed by the taxpayers) spends the money on the country's healthcare, pensions for the aged, roads, infrastructure, etcetera, instead of like here, where it's used to pay for wars, prop up thieving banks until the money runs out, then it's put on the USA's credit card, AKA the long suffering taxpayers, now, and for years to come.
I prefer the money being spent in America, on Americans, crazy idea, I know...
BT @ 9:
I AM A LIBERAL!! I HAVE BEEN ONE FOR MANY YEARS NOW!! I AM A PROUD LIBERAL AND LET'S KICK SOME ASS- NOT IN A VIOLENT SENSE of the word kick!! :-)
I dunno...I'm not sure this even qualifies as a "lie" or a "smear"...It sounds to me like drivel...
Whoever the democratic nominee is, that candidate is always the most liberal senator. I don't know how that works, but it appears there are 50 "most liberal" senators, in congress these days.
Kyle @ 40:
who can really finger where 'liberal' turned into an insulting term.
i would lean towards the assumption that the market fundies, tired of being countered by fact and data, grew tired of having their economic pyramid scheme exposed by liberals. and, in the rush to privatize and deregulate everything, needed to compartmentalize and deride anyone not buying into the myth that completely unregulated markets are a good thing.
that said, i would say that conservatives don't believe in 'gradual change'
and, also, there is difference between political liberalism and market liberalism--which leads us to neoliberalism ----i see you out there peter g :)
votingvet @ 48:
Sorry I messed up a few of your words above by mistake !!
Let's start "polishing up the word 'LIBERAL' now !!! Let's start wearing a LIBERAL lapel pin in the place of the Flag, not as a showing of disrespect for the flag, but rather an 'awakening to restore the Liberal lustre' ! Just a suggestion!! Watching the Neocons squirm and point fingers at us are added bonuses!!
"looked at the studies"?
You mean someone has actually done research that has concluded Obama is the most "liberal" senator?
Wow - where can I get funding for doing something like that?
Doocy is a scumbag in the New Jersey sense of the term...
Ron Ft lauderdale @ 55:
How about both? An American flag superimposed on the word "Liberal". Is there anyone out there who can make one? I'll buy a dozen of them if the price is right!
Good on you John; the pieces that can be shown as fact are going to be what this american wants to see as these two ideologies meet and the public can compare.
Republicans are criminals. They expect their contribution to buy them something. I would be happy to look at anyone's suggestion that this isn't the case, but there is no proof in the world that can contradict the "quid pro quo" nature of their party, their mindset. It is the modus operandi. Many might spin it out of control, but there is no one that can argue against the fact that bribery is what they are about. Try it with any of their arguments. It will be about money, bribery and spin.
and any democrat that believes they can do it too? I hope you lose your elected position and are put in the same jail in Gitmo. It is almost time for us to demand responsibility from our officials, and never release them from that requirement.
I'll say it once again: Obama's response to the "accusation" that he is the most liberal senator should be to wholeheartedly EMBRACE IT, thank the accuser for the compliment and go on to explain how he hopes to live up to the ideals of past liberal leaders like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Jesus Christ. Being a liberal is a GOOD THING!!!!!
Ron Ft lauderdale @ 51:
I am Spartacus.
They are so good at what they do....lie, cheat and steal. They did an excellent job of turning Kerry into a traitor....a decorated war veteran. They can sell shit as an apple to their brain dead audience....morons.
We have waaaaay too many morons in this country per capita. I think...by golly we are....#1, we're #1, we're #1
I thought Ted Kennedy was the "most liberal". And before that it was John Kerry. And before that it was Al Gore. And before that the most liberal govener was Michael Dukakis. Don't these dumb fucks have another tactic? Oh yeh, I forgot they can rig the electronic voting machines.
Here again is your link to the '39 Democrats with more Liberal voting records…'.
Consider this comment on that page. Obama missed votes on close calls that count against his 'Liberal' record . He has spent much time out of a short Senate career campaigning for the Presidency. A position that will provide the greater good.
What progressives need to do is take back the English language from these Princes of darkness and deception.
Being Liberal is about helping people, about helping the little guy.
Being Conservative is about helping Corporations and fat cats.
I don't think they need the help. Get the message out.
I wish it could be proven that Obama is the most liberal Senator.
It can't be.
Is it the "most leberal senator" BS AGAIN? Don't they get tired of trotting this out time after time?
So far we've got:
1) He's too inexperienced.
2) He's the most liberal.
OK what else have you got? If they say or suggest anything racist, or religious we have to pounce and stay on it to the point of national boycotts of their sponsors, and picketing. We are dealing with the people who have stolen the nation! They have and will do anything.
Just like you can't keep killing the number 2 man in Al Qaeda, you can't label every Democratic presidential candidate as 'the most liberal in the country.' Just 4 years ago it was 'Kerry is so liberal that Kennedy is known as the conservative senator from Massachusetts.'
Is being criticized by Steve Douchy really that bad? Besides, "liberal" isn't a smear. If you're the opposite of the "I've got mine, fuck you" cretins, you're in pretty good shape.
...and monkeys COULD fly out of Doocy's ass.
"That don't make it so."
How is calling someone liberal a smear? I really wish Obama was the most liberal senator.
Ed Schulz had a conservative guest on today who said no less than three times that Obama had the most liberal record in the senate and Ed let the comments go by unchallenged. He even acknowledged them and said, "well maybe that's a good thing". (I agree it's a good thing, but he should be better informed. If the lefty media lets them spout their lies, there is no hope for the mainstream corporate media.)
Republicans love this kind of game because it's a no-lose tactic for them. If you go out of your way to dispute that Obama is the most liberal senator and succeed, you haven't won at all. You've just succeeded in making it appear that there's something so distasteful about being liberal that you're willing to fight to wipe that stink off of him. Either Obama is the most liberal senator or there's something wrong with being a liberal. Those are the only two ways for that game to end.
It's quite possible that Doocy is the douchebagiest of all the talking-heads.
Ah, yes, the very vague "studies" that are so often referred to by the FOX "news" talking heads when they are out to spin things for the folks.
Keep in mind that Daddy Douchey is the morning guy at FOX who got called out for spreading the Obama/madrassa lie. Douchey has a real problem with credibility.
"The false coloring of Obama's early education gained considerable steam during a "Fox and Friends" round table on Jan. 19, 2006. Host Steve Doocy said that Obama spent "the first decade of his life raised by his Muslim father as a Muslim and was educated in a madrassa." It is almost impossible to tabulate how many false claims are in that sentence."
By JAKE TAPPER and NITYA VENKATARAMAN
Jan. 24, 2007
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2819634&page=1
WTF? Being called a "liberal" is a smear only if you are an idiot and prefer, umm...a country that operates secret prisons, tortures people, conducts show trials, operates a massive program to spy on its citizens, lies to start unnecessary wars...etc.
Dude, it doesn't even matter. This dog is not hunting.
Some people say that steve dookey eats his own poo. I'm just repeating what some people say.. We can't be sure but once he stops beating his wife, I'll ask him.
bubba @ 76:
To do Bubba's quote up Faux News style, it should be:
FOX NEWS ALERT
Steve Dookey prefers eating
his poo to beating his wife?
I love how Democrats are the "party of the past". That's rich. Where the mother effer have you been for the last eight years, Dookey? You're the party of the past.
The local newspaper ran an editorial stating exactly the same message. I called the person who wrote it and queried why they would persist the lie. In his mind its the truth of course but I did not let him get a word in. I told him it was not necessary for him to give his side as I already knew what he would use as his basis. And of course, the editorial stated it as fact without a hint of what the basis of the claim is. He did try to say the Congressional record proves his point but I short circuited his attempt quickly adivising him not to go their because in fact it disproves his point. They will use the same line....."some people say!" He angrily finished with "If you aren't going to listen to me, just write a letter!" It was more satisying to call him on it personally. If you have become a member of Media Matters, consider it!
chicano2nd @ 79:
Meant to say if you have not become a member....
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