General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHelp me out here. Can anyone name just one "scandal" the right wing celebrated that was real?
Obama is a Muslim
Al Gore was a liar
Obama was born in Kenya
Clinton killed Vince Foster
John Kerry faked his wounds
Clinton ran drugs into Arkansas
Is there anything they say that's actually true?
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)I guess that one was real
jehop61
(1,735 posts)As did Harding, Rooseveldt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Bush 1, ....and we won't even mention the numerous legislators who diddled with prostitutes, in bathrooms, with little boys, etc.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Who fucks whom. But I'm def in the minority on this.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)the character thing, trustworthiness, and of course (thrown in there) how that may
lead to divulging state secrets. And if they are caught and then lie about it.
I'm sort of on the fence on this one.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Untrustworthy. Private lives should be private unless there is a huge public need to know.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Many of which don't live up to that standard themselves.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Thav
(946 posts)My host mom turns to me and asks, "What's the big deal about that?"
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Egalitarian ones did because they tend to not care about sex lives of adults.
Non gender egalitarian ones also did, because men are allowed to have affairs.
America is stuck in some strange limbo between both these attitudes
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Perjury is a real offense. He gave the rw witch hunters credibility when he handed them something they could twist into an impeachment.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)The rw screwed themselves over by going after an understandable lie.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)to his wife, in-laws, the public maybe. But not under oath during a deposition. He gave them exactly what they wanted. That he left office popular is a sad comment on the intelligence of the US populace and explains why so many people did not feel betrayed by Bushes lies.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Recognize a political witch hunt and have empathy for the victims of said witch hunt. And the lie was understandable to more or less everyone.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Yet, people wanted Bush prosecuted for his lies to us which were not technically illegal. Both cases should reasonably induce outrage. Yet, not wanting to have been wrong about a someone breeds loyalty that inhibits consideration of the facts. We have very very low standards when it comes to integrity of our politicians and truth.
To me, "understandable lies" are the ones kids tell their parents about breaking the window, or one about an affair told in private. To tell a lie under oath is actually illegal, and all he had to do was tell the truth to cut them off at the knees.
pnwmom
(109,025 posts)on the paper they handed him that defined "sexual relations" -- because when I read it, I misinterpreted it the same way he did.
The words define sexual relations between various body parts and didn't include the word mouth, lips, etc. If you read it without parsing carefully every single other word it could appear to exclude oral sex.
I also think they should never have been questioning him about Monica in the first place, since she never claimed anything but a consensual, adult relationship with him.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)But I never ever bought into the idea that he would have been confused by that language.
In his "defense" people were able to relate to what he claimed to be persecution and he further cultivated hero worship. It's a testament to his political skill, but he enabled the RW to continue and accelerate their witch hunts on the grounds that "there was a "there" there once so they might be correct." Unfortunately, the distractions lead people to turn a blind eye to very serious flaws in character.
malaise
(269,328 posts)The longest serving ReTHUG Speaker of the House was molesting teenage boys - now that was such a scandal that he's in prison for trying to hide the money leaving his account to cover-up his crimes.
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)Let it die like it should.
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)passiveporcupine
(8,175 posts)Go for it...call me a republican if it will make you feel better...but DU will be a much nicer place to post when these snide little jabs aren't constantly running in the background.
I'm done with this discussion. You are free to get in the last word.
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)I said RW talking points are being repeated because they are. And I am kinda tired of that.
DawgHouse
(4,019 posts)TexasProgresive
(12,165 posts)The bigger the lie the more they want to believe it. And they will not believe anything true but negative about their own. Just one example, Ken Starr turned a blind eye to sexual assaults of female students at the premiere Southern Baptist university, Baylor. He resigned in disgrace but he should be charged with some criminal charge or other. Has this even been reported outside of the local area?
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)pansypoo53219
(21,010 posts)Warpy
(111,466 posts)Remember the firestorm they tried to ignite over Carter "lusting in his heart?" That one was epic, especially since Carter was the choirboy who was elected to cleanse us of all the sleaze we endured from Nixon and Ford.
Since they can't find any real crime anywhere, they concentrate on sex. even fantasy sex, while they are a danger to children, themselves.
EllieBC
(3,052 posts)It was a convoluted mess of a conspiracy (aren't they all?). And last I heard...utter bunk.
Hayduke Bomgarte
(1,965 posts)Almost nothing, that I've ever heard. I wouldn't trust one to give me the correct time.
deaniac21
(6,747 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Journeyman
(15,044 posts)And there were a few other Democrats caught in questionable ethics scandals over the past two decades. Nothing compared to the far greater number of Republicans thus exposed, but then, I find all such abuses despicable.
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)malaise
(269,328 posts)of the House of Representatives, was molesting people's sons.
Amazing how their scandals are covered up even after the scumbag was sent to prison.
Democrats are really naive - I'd have ads with their Speaker across the country -everyone would know
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)Socal31
(2,484 posts)Ill conceived and poorly executed operation.
Response to Socal31 (Reply #24)
Post removed
Kingofalldems
(38,514 posts)Or is it you?
ChairmanAgnostic
(28,017 posts)the campaign headquarters.
Oh, wait. That's not quite right.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Meanwhile we can study real scandals - like Iran Contra or the 2003 Iraqi invasion.
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)my head at that one.
Come to think of it, a mature democracy would have Bush and Blair on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Night Watchman
(743 posts)And he was running against a candidate named Bush!
Skittles
(153,310 posts)Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)Of course, so did Vito Fossella, Mark Sanford, and David Vitter, the obvious difference being that Spitzer resigned but none of those fine upstanding Republican adulterers did.
Vitter was the most like Spitzer in that he was patronizing prostitutes. Fossella was a devoted family man -- so devoted to family values, in fact, that he had two separate families, one in DC and one in his home district. Sanford's paramour was an Argentinian, prompting the memorable wisecrack (can't remember who made it): "It's not enough that Republicans commit adultery, now they're outsourcing it?"
My apologies to any Republican adulterers I've forgotten.