« MUST READ FROM ERIC BLACK: “AN OPEN LETTER TO AL FRANKEN: WHY DID YOU SUPPORT THE IRAQ WAR?” #2 | Home | CHARLIE COOK: “AL FRANKEN HAS GOT ENORMOUS NEGATIVES” »
CIRESI FLUBS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CENTRIST POSITION, REPUDIATES PERCEIVED REPUDIATION OF MOVEON.ORG AD
By Michael Brodkorb | September 13, 2007
Unless you've been participating in a media blackout for the last 48 hours, you should be aware of MoveOn.org's disgusting attack on General Petraeus' patriotism.
The ad was universally condemned by Republicans in Minnesota, while it appeared that most local Democrats remained silent. On the morning of September 11, 2007, Mike Ciresi's campaign sent out an email criticizing the attacks on General Petraeus' "veracity and patriotism":
"General Patraeus [sic] should receive the gratitude of the nation for his service. Attacks on his veracity and patriotism have no place in the critical debate that Congress must have on Iraq." Source: Mike Ciresi for Senate e-mail, September 11, 2007
The only attack on Petraeus' "veracity and patriotism" that I know of and that would warrant attention is MoveOn.org's ad. In fact, after Ciresi sent his email out, I gave credit to Ciresi for condemning Moveon.org's attack ad on General Petraeus.
Numerous national Democrats repudiated the MoveOn.Org's ad:
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) both distanced themselves from it, while Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) denounced it. 'I would have preferred that they not do such an ad,' Pelosi said on ABC’s 'Good Morning America.'" Source: The Politico, September 13, 2007
But according to a post on Democratic blog in Minnesota, Ciresi's campaign is claiming they didn't repudiate MoveOn.org's ad in their email of September 11, 2007.
Ciresi's campaign just flubbed an opportunity to take a centrist position by repudiating their perceived repudiation of MoveOn.org's attack ad.
The blogger who contacted Ciresi's campaign also claimed his spokeswoman "did not respond to a separate question asking what Ciresi saw in the Congressional testimony that targeted Petraeus as 'unpatriotic.'"
So, Ciresi's campaign won't provide an example of what qualifies as the attacks on Petraeus' "veracity and patriotism" as mentioned in their email of September 11, 2007. But, according to Ciresi's spokeswoman, it's apparently not the MoveOn.org ad.
Remember, the email I received from Ciresi's campaign was sent out in the morning of September 11, 2007, before the bulk of General Petraeus' testimony. The only attack on Petraeus' "veracity and patriotism" that I know of and that would warrant attention is MoveOn.org's ad.
Another theory is that Ciresi's campaign was citing the MoveOn.org ad when the criticized the attacks on General Petraeus' "veracity and patriotism", but changed their mind after Republicans applauded his move and after complaints from members of MoveOn.org and other Democrats.
"Eric J in MN" left a comment on Democratic Underground which states that he gave money to Al Franken's campaign because Ciresi's email "seems to favor kowtowing to right-wing criticism of MoveOn over embracing MoveOn. I'm a member of MoveOn."
It would be the kiss of death for Ciresi's campaign, while battling for the DFL nomination for the U.S. Senate, to accept compliments from Republicans for taking a centrist position by repudiating MoveOn.org's ad. I think Ciresi's campaign realized this too.
### This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
Tags: Uncategorized
Topics: Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
9 Responses to “CIRESI FLUBS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CENTRIST POSITION, REPUDIATES PERCEIVED REPUDIATION OF MOVEON.ORG AD”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
September 13th, 2007 at 11:16 AM
This is just further confirmation that Democrats are too chicken shit to take on their lunatic base at MoveOn.org, even when they level appalling attacks on the patriotism and service of one of America’s finest, most distinguished military leaders.
Someone in an earlier post commented that MoveOn is not a mainstream Democrat organization.
Bullshit.
MoveOn is more mainstream Democrat than the DNC, and it has more influence over Democrat candidates.
September 13th, 2007 at 3:37 PM
Whether the Dems like it or not, MoveOn has them by the nuts. They are a very scary, very fringe bunch of nut cases that have somehow manage to grab control of the Democrat party. Hell, from what it looks like, even the unions take a back seat to these libtards!
Near as I can tell the only coherent message they convey is that they hate everything about America and distrust anyone with a job.
September 13th, 2007 at 4:30 PM
You’re right, of course, to say that the human flotsam that inhabits the world Moveon.com rules will throw Cereci under the bus faster than Al Franken can empty the donations from a poor box, which is why I respected his statement.
It would not be a surprise to learn that I trusted a Democrat at his word only to find he was lying through his teeth, but I too congratulated Cereci on his candor and I’ll stand by that until I see something from his campaign in writing.
September 13th, 2007 at 8:07 PM
ManGenius… they have the DNC by the nuts, not because of they’re a fringe group, but because they are the mainstream of the Democrat party. Democrats as a whole are a bunch of fringe nut-cases and losers.
September 14th, 2007 at 8:00 AM
What have Democrats like Oberstar, Peterson, Ellison, Walz and McCollum said about the Moveon ad?
Ellison and McCollum could say that the ad didn’t go far enough and still get re-elected. However, the others could be in hot water if they are seen as being anti troop.
September 17th, 2007 at 9:58 AM
[...] As I wrote last week, Ciresi later flubbed an opportunity to take a centrist position by repudiating their perceived repudiation of MoveOn.org's attack ad. [...]
September 17th, 2007 at 10:02 AM
[...] As I wrote last week, Ciresi later flubbed an opportunity to take a centrist position by repudiating their perceived repudiation of MoveOn.org's attack ad. [...]
September 29th, 2007 at 1:01 PM
[...] While it’s true that Mr. Ciresi said that Gen. Petraeus’ veracity shouldn’t be challenged “immediately following the general’s testimony”, it’s equally true that he flinched a bit immediately after that: Ciresi’s campaign just flubbed an opportunity to take a centrist position by repudiating their perceived repudiation of MoveOn.org’s attack ad. [...]
September 29th, 2007 at 1:02 PM
[...] While it’s true that Mr. Ciresi said that Gen. Petraeus’ veracity shouldn’t be challenged “immediately following the general’s testimony”, it’s equally true that he flinched a bit immediately after that: Ciresi’s campaign just flubbed an opportunity to take a centrist position by repudiating their perceived repudiation of MoveOn.org’s attack ad. [...]