Bad Days for Republicans

Their week started off bad. Monday's Western Massachusetts Pagan Pride Day in Amherst, probably had the Christofascist followers of the Bush Regime frothing at the mouth. Pagans of every sort gathered for "psychic readings, a drumming circle by the Ritual Arts Collective, acoustic guitar music, a collection of food for the hungry, and booths featuring crafts and products that appeal to pagans." In other words, just the type of activity that would send a Republican head spinning. Lynn Mlynarski, a 30-year veteran witch, had the following message for Laura:

"We don't eat cats or babies. We don't worship Satan. Everyone is welcome in sacred circles we create, no matter who you call a deity."

Then came Tuesday, and a bonus feature laden Fahrenheit 9/11 was released on DVD, but that wasn't all. Michael Moore has two new books: Will They Ever Trust Us Again?, a collection of letters sent by soldiers in Iraq, and The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader, a companion volume to the film. And to add insult to injury, two of his previous films, Bowling for Columbine and The Big One, came to stores repackaged as the Michael Moore Limited Edition DVD Collector's Set. At the same time, Moore has been out on The Slacker Uprising Tour, "a coast-to-coast effort to bring the non-voting majority out of hibernation and kick some political butt." To encourage "slackers" to register and vote on November 2, Moore has been offering to "give the guys a 3-pack of new Fruit of the Loom underwear, and the women get a day's supply of Ramen noodles, the sustenance of slackers everywhere." This has sent Republicans over the edge, and they're trying to have charges brought against Moore for "bribery." Prosecutors have been less than enthusiastic, and Moore has responded:

"It's ironic that Republicans have no problem with allowing assault weapons out on our streets, yet they don't want to put clean underwear in the hands of our slacker youth. The Republicans seem more interested in locking me up for trying to encourage people to participate in our democracy than locking up Bin Laden for his attacks on our democracy."

Then the debate between "Big Dick" Cheney and John Edwards later that evening confirmed their run of "bad luck." Cheney made no effort at warmth, and certainly didn't let truth stand in the way. Interestingly, he seemed to be using the same tired playbook that Bush had used days earlier, and had even less success. Apparently thinking that Edwards would be an easy mark, he glibly lied from beginning to end, thinking that no one would be smart enough to notice. Years ago, this might have worked, but words and deeds have a way of leaving a trail on the internet. It was obvious at the debate's end that Edwards has done very well, but it wasn't until Wednesday morning that it began to be seen how badly Cheney had done.

Lie after lie began to surface. The website cited by the vice president in his (and the administration's) defense, Factcheck.com, brought people to the site run by Bush opponent, George Soros, who, under the headline, WHY WE MUST NOT RE-ELECT PRESIDENT BUSH, graciously provided a link to the website Cheney had probably intended. Cheney's assertion that, "I have not suggested there is a link between Iraq and 9/11," was obviously false as the words left his mouth, but recordings gathered by the next day drove the point home again and again. This had been the Cheney mantra, and one that couldn't be denied. His attempts to demean Edwards had little substance, but his statement to his opponent derisively claiming, "I have never met you before tonight," went into the realm of compulsive lying. There were videotapes, pictures, and many witnesses to past meetings, making this another pathetic attempt to bend the truth. Even Cheney's silences were attempts to cover up reality, as when Edwards mentioned the fact of Cheney's opposition to funding for Head Start and Meals On Wheels, and his antipathy to Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. His simple reply was, "No comment."

The day that Dick Cheney was silenced is how one analyst saw the debate, and one can only hope he is right, but you know, this has really made me look forward to Friday night's Bush-Kerry rematch.