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Friday Note -- A Message from Kathryn Kolbert
http://site.pfaw.org/site/R?i=YsWG9PuioTrO9zNTAnm0sA..
September 5, 2008
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Dear Rev. Rick,
For all the talk about reformers and mavericks, the Republican
convention this week struck me as a return to the GOP's decades-
old culture-war handbook, with speaker after speaker launching
attacks on the "elites" in the media and Washington who
supposedly look down on small-town America. At the GOP
convention, there was a dispiriting number of distortions and
ugly charges hurled from the podium, but nothing exemplified the
spirit of the event to me more than the repeated outright
mockery of community organizers.
As someone who has worked as a tenant organizer, I was offended
by the smug sneering directed toward people who work hard for
little pay on behalf of those who are struggling. How does
attacking people who sacrifice for the common good mesh with the
Republicans' stated desire to divert social service funds to
community groups? How does it fit with speakers' claims to be
standing with "real people" against "elites?" And I'm sorry, but
how can anyone not laugh out loud at the ludicrous image of Wall
Street millionaire and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
complaining about Eastern elites?
Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin made it clear that she's
an able attack dog -- proudly describing herself as a pitbull --
and should not be underestimated. But she also made it clear
that she's willing to stretch the truth when following the GOP's
win-at-all-costs playbook. I think James Fallows had it right
when he said that the decision to pick Sarah Palin was a signal
that the McCain camp was embracing Karl Rove's base-motivating
strategy and Religious Right leaders have reacted with a fervor
that is hard to overstate. Clearly the pick of an anti-choice,
anti-gay, anti-science extremist wrapped in a folksy hockey-mom
package has fired up the base in ways that even McCain's pledge
to pack the Courts with right-wing judges has failed to do.
After the derisive and divisive comments from so many speakers,
John McCain's decrying of partisan rancor last night rang hollow
to me. His use of right-wing buzz words such as "culture of
life" and "judges who won't legislate from the bench" was a
reminder that McCain would continue in the partisan tradition of
the Bush administration.
In addition, the ridiculousness of the attacks on the "liberal
media" -- which has more often than not been fawning in its
treatment of McCain - is so transparent that I hope the press
will not cave in to the campaign's bullying demands that
reporters stop asking legitimate questions about Palin's record,
or about the impact of McCain's promised policies on the lives
and liberties of millions of Americans.
But we can't count on the media to do the necessary truth-
telling about John McCain, Sarah Palin and the Religious Right
culture warriors who are now mobilizing to put them in the White
House. That's our job -- and yours!
John McCain and Sarah Palin have lit a fire under the GOP's far-
right base. I have to say they've done the same for me, and I
hope the same is true for other Americans who share my deep
concern for the ways they would use their power to undermine our
nation's highest values and reverse so much progress that we've
made toward those ideals.
All the best,
Kathryn Kolbert, President
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
P.S. Thank you to the hundreds of people who wrote me in
response to my last note earlier this week about Sarah Palin.
Your insights were truly informative, and your attitudes were
reflected in the overnight success of our "Sarah Palin Doesn't
Speak for Me" open letter which has already attracted 11,000
cosigners. If you haven't already, please sign it and forward it
on to your friends (http://site.pfaw.org/site/R?i=GUTxbfkfMaVu9IqcibKtvA.. ).
http://site.pfaw.org/site/R?i=3F7M45l7g-ayivXorqaqeQ..
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