Denver is the Ratf**king Capitol of the World

All along the icy wastes there are faces smiling in the gloom.
Roll up roll down, Feeling unwound? Step into the viewing room.
The cameras were all around. We’ve got you taped; you’re in the play.
Here’s your I.D. (Ideal for identifying one and all.)
Invest your life in the memory bank; ours the interest and we thank
you.
The ice-cream lady wets her drawers, to see you in the passion play.

Ian Anderson, “Passion Play,” Jethro Tull (© Chrysalis® 1973)

One can’t sugarcoat feces and make it any less palatable. So, for obvious reasons: Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics.

i. What it is, how it came to be named and who it were what done did it

“Ratfucking” is a term that comes to us from Richard Millstone Albatross Nixon, and was young Karl Rove’s training in politics under Donald Segretti. Its effect on Rove is too obvious to comment further on. Here, from Wikipedia:

Ratfucking

Ratfucking is an American slang term for political sabotage or dirty tricks. It was first brought to public attention by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their book All the President’s Men.

Background

Woodward and Bernstein’s exposé All the President’s Men reports that many staffers who had attended the University of Southern California such as Donald Segretti, Tim Elbourne, Ronald Louis Ziegler, H. R. Haldeman and Dwight Chapin had participated in the highly-competitive student elections there. UPI reporter Karlyn Barker sent Woodward and Bernstein a memo “Notes On the USC Crowd” that outlined the connection. Fraternities, sororities and underground fraternal coordinating organizations such as Theta Nu Epsilon and their splintered rival “Trojans for Representative Government” engaged in creative tricks and underhanded tactics to win student elections.^[1]

Officially, control over minor funding and decision-making on campus life was at stake but the positions also gave bragging rights and prestige…. It was here that the term “ratfucking” had its origin.

There has, since Tricky Dick, been a pronounced California tinge to Republican politics, again, too apparent to go into here, but note that Ziegler was President Ford’s Press Secretary, Segretti was convicted in Watergate, Haldeman was Nixon’s right hand man (part of what was termed Nixon’s “Teutonic Mafia”) also convicted in Watergate, and Chapin was in Nixon’s inner circle beginning with the 1967 origins of the Nixon campaign, ALSO convicted in Watergate. Wikipedia:

… Chapin hired Donald Segretti, his former colleague, to disrupt the campaigns of Democratic Presidential hopefuls during the 1972 Presidential primary season through acts of political “sabotage” – known as the “dirty tricks” campaign. Chapin was asked to find a “Dick Tuck” (a legendary Democratic political saboteur) type of prankster to perform the “dirty tricks” to work under H.R. Haldeman, Nixon’s Chief of Staff and the President.

Segretti later testified before a grand jury about the activities including Chapin’s supervisory role. Chapin denied any detailed knowledge of Segretti or the activities that Segretti undertook during grand jury testimony. Segretti testified,”When Dwight hired me he made it clear he was hiring me because I was a lawyer and would know what was legal and what was not.” Chapin was never indicted for any of Segretti’s activities.

Segretti? Gladja asked. Wikipedia again [EMPHASIS added]:

Donald Henry Segretti (born September 17, 1941 in San Marino, California) was a political operative for the Committee to Re-elect the President (Nixon) during the 1970s. Segretti was hired by friend Dwight L. Chapin to run a campaign of dirty tricks (which he dubbed “ratfucking“) against the Democrats. His actions were part of the larger Watergate scandal. Karl Rove was Segretti’s protege during the 1972 Nixon campaign.

In 1974, Segretti pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of distributing illegal (in fact, forged) campaign literature and was sentenced to six months in prison, actually serving four months. One notable example of his wrong-doing was a faked letter on Democratic presidential candidate Edmund Muskie’s letterhead falsely alleging that U.S. Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, a fellow Democrat, had had an illegitimate child with a 17-year-old.

Sound familiar? Karl Rove’s famous “John McCain has a black baby” in South Carolina in 2000?

Segretti’s path takes an interesting turn vis a vis John McCain, by the by:

Segretti was a lawyer who served as a prosecutor for the military and later as a civilian. However, his license was suspended for two years following his conviction. In 1995, he ran for a local judgeship in Orange County, California. However, he quickly withdrew from the race when his campaign awakened lingering anger over his involvement in the Watergate scandal. In 2000, Segretti served as co-chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign in Orange County, California.^[1]

Yup. John McCain’s man in Orange County (ReagaNixonLand), California.

«o»

ii. Hype-oxia

The Rovian Strategy Begins to Play Out

Jack rabbit mister spawn a new breed
of love-hungry pilgrims (no bodies to feed).
Show me a good man and I’ll show you the door.
The last hymn is sung and the devil cries “More.”
– “Passion Play”

Fox News, 25 minutes ago:

GOP Builds War Room to Battle Democrats at Denver Convention
by FOXNews.com
Monday, August 25, 2008

DENVER — Matt Sorensen and Kim Crane journeyed about eight hours from Salt Lake City to show their support for Republican John McCain at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

NOTE: Evidently their GPS was broken. The GOP convention is in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Since Saturday, they have been walking around with signs praising McCain’s experience and leadership and ones disparaging Barack Obama. One of the ones most often flashed about reads: “NObama.” …

NOTE: “flashed about”? Hey, buddy, we speak ENGLISH hereabouts. You one ‘a them furriners?

Sorensen and Crane are among the more than 50 volunteers working at the 24-hour GOP media center less than a mile from the convention hall. Some of the volunteers have come as far away as Dallas, Nebraska and North Carolina, officials said.

“come as far away”? You IS one ‘a them furriners!

About two dozen staffers work the “war room,” which is located in a two-story office building, features (sic) prominent Republicans such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who are available for news conferences and satellite interviews to television stations across the country, especially in swing states.

NOTE: But, evidently, not in English speaking lands.

Outside, pictures of Obama are plastered on the windows with slogans reading “Not Ready ‘08,” and “A Mile High, An Inch Deep.” Signs highlighting Obama’s new running mate, Joe Biden, criticize his candidacy, quoting the Delaware senator’s own words about Obama when they were rivals: “It can’t be on-the-job training.”

The Republican National Committee is working with McCain’s campaign on the initiative, bringing most of the staffers from Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The RNC is footing the bill for this effort but officials wouldn’t say how much they’re spending. … [Republican National Committee spokesman Alex] Conant, however, said the RNC has set realistic expectations about effect of the war room, given that they’re hopelessly outnumbered by Democrats.

NOTE: In the general election, as well, hopefully.

“We’re just trying to provide a little bit of balance and some Republican perspective,” he said.

NOTE: Come up with your OWN punch line for that one.

The GOP effort also includes a new Web site, www.notready08.com, with videos and ads, as well as rapid responses to attacks on GOP nominee-to-be McCain and speeches from the Democrats.

NOTE: I don’t think this sentence says what you think it says, Foxers.

Republicans used a war room in 2004 when Democrats held their convention in Boston and they labeled that effort a success. Bush went on to defeat Democratic nominee John Kerry in the election.

The idea here is to unleash the unrelenting, merciless and utterly amoral shitstorm that the GOP used, successfully, to steal the Clinton presidency. Helen Thomas, dean of the White House Press Corps,  said, the other night on the HBO documentary on her (and you really ought to catch it, if you have the chance: “Thank You Mr. President”):

“President Clinton didn’t understand that he was being denied his legitimacy as President by the ultra-right in this country, who never gave him one second, one moment where he could prevail. They were after him constantly, investigating him constantly … I don’t understand how he possibly could’ve taken what he took. He was asked so many personal questions that I’ve never – no president has ever been subjected to that kind of tyranny.”

Gee. I was beginning to think that nobody had noticed. It was eight YEARS of ratfucking, with several of the rats — e.g. Tom Delay — up on various charges, unrelated to their hijacking of the country with their bullshit impeachment, their bullshit “Whitewater” investigations, their bullshit “Vince Foster murder” etcetera, etcetera.

Speaking of which, the bogus Rightie doppelganger to Media Matters.org — the Reichies’ anti-watchdog, dutifully hallucinating liberal bias for their corporate masters, “Newsbusters.org – Exposing Liberal Media Bias – http://newsbusters.org” — decided to do a little ratfucking on the Helen Thomas documentary itself:

Helen Thomas’s Anti-Israel Views Ignored in HBO Documentary
18 Aug 2008 by Ken Shepherd

Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales heaped loads of praise on Helen Thomas even as he lamented that documentarian Rory Kennedy will present HBO viewers tonight with”A Story With a Few Holes.” Shales found it disappointing that Thomas’s …

Gee. When it’s about a reporter covering the White House, they were supposed to cover, point by point, her political views? The argumentum ad hominem is dutifully picked up as a non-sequitur to that filmic thesis?

Really? Or was it just ratfucking by Shales and Nooz: Busterz! (sic)?

Here’s Media Matters AND Editor & Publisher noting Shales’ ratfucking journalism:

from Media Matters’ blog, Altercation by Eric Alterman

Editor & Publisher catches The Washington Post’s Tom Shales criticizing an HBO documentary about veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas, which he said unfairly ignored Thomas’ “stridency in criticizing Israel and defending its enemies.” Shales offered no evidence on that point, but went on to say that “other than a passing reference to Thomas’s parents as having been Syrian immigrants, the film never hints at Thomas’s anti-Israeli rhetoric.” So, Syrian heritage equals anti-Israel? If it weren’t Arabs we were discussing, that’d be called racism …

Yeah. Sourcewatch references this link as well. Newsbusters is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brent Bozell’s Media Research Center (Emphasis is added by SourceWatch):

Howard Kurtz, “Bias Watch,” Washington Post, June 28, 2004 (scroll down to mid-page): Bozell’s Media Research Center has raised $2.8 million for newspaper ads in 15 markets, billboards in 40 cities and a talk-radio blitz aimed at countering what he sees as a “liberal jihad” that is unfair to President Bush. The slogan (also on T-shirts and mugs) is not exactly subtle: A finger-pointing Uncle Sam declares: “Don’t believe the liberal media!”

But, even though the ratfucking righties are overtly attempting to disrupt the convention’s MESSAGE with their “war room” down the street, the GOP’s old USC, Sigma Chi ratfucking comes back from these sweetheart slimeballs.

Yes, they are there overtly to heckle and disrupt. Rush Limbaugh famously called for violence in the streets of Denver several months ago, and if you doubt that Limbaugh gets his talking points directly from RNC and Rovian fax machines, think again.

Sincerely. Think again. (It’ll come to you by and by.)

Here’s what the slimes at Newsbusters threw out in that classic “but HE did it, too” fallacy that your mother never bought when YOU used it:

Denver Post Downplays Recreate 68 While Criticizing Rush Limbaugh
By P.J. Gladnick
April 26, 2008 – 10:13 ET

The Denver Post has managed the amazing feat of criticizing Rush Limbaugh for supposedly calling for riots at this summer’s Democrat (sic) convention in Denver while completely downplaying the role of the very organization calling for recreating 68 and all the problems of Chicago ‘68 that implies in their article provocatively titled Limbaugh dreams of DNC riot:

Rush Limbaugh says he is not calling for a riot in Denver during the Democratic National Convention — he only “dreams” of it, to the tune of “White Christmas.”

The conservative talker discussed the possibility of Mile High unrest in August on his national radio show for a second day in a row Thursday.

“Now, I am not inspiring or inciting riots. I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming of riots in Denver,” he said mimicking the holiday tune.

What the Denver Post failed to mention is that Rush sang that in an entirely satirical manner in response to a caller named Lisa on Thursday [* note, for TWO days? HW] who accused Rush of being racist for having sung the tune, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.” Since the caller also accused Rush of inciting riots in Denver because he has pointed out that Al Sharpton threatened demonstrations at that convention if Barack Obama fails to be nominated, Rush turned both accusations into a parody with “I’m Dreaming of Riots” in order to poke fun at both her accusations. Your humble correspondent heard this live on the air Thursday at a little before 1:00 PM and is surprised that the Denver Post has not bothered to do even the most basic research into the background of this. [...]

Ah, but the circular reasoning now shows its true intent, which is to mimic the shape of a pretzel:

In stark contrast to the media outrage about Limbaugh’s out of context remarks, there is a virtual wall of silence in the mainstream media (sic) about the organization actually planning demonstrations in Denver, Recreate 68. A visit to the Recreate 68 web page, Street Tactics, includes a link to their Action Planning Manual page which after you click on it you can see is also called “The Ruckus Action Planning Manual.” …

Well, having written about Recreate ‘68  (“The Limits of Free Speech (TV)” August 17) I can now tell you this much: as nearly as I can tell, it’s a paper tiger put together by a few Boulder and ACLU traditional hippie/liberal quibbling nigglers. They altogether managed to pull 2,000 protesters yesterday — according to THEIR OWN ‘friendly’ reports and estimates, and that’s after major media buzz, interviews on Democracy Now! and along the whole far leftie viral network for months now.

Now, properly procateur‘ed by GOP agents that crowd of “2,000″  could go a ways towards fulfilling Limbaugh’s dream that he said he didn’t say after saying it. (Mr. Truthiness, you know.)

Sorry: The same webmaster who does Free Speech TV and occasionally runs the Indy Media Center, Colorado links to Recreate ‘68, who links back to DNC Disruption ‘08, and NEITHER can be said to equal the reach or impact of Rush Limbaugh. Their “hits” are probably mostly from media people looking into the story. But no matter what their reach, it doesn’t remotely equal Limbaugh’s audience*: “Limbaugh is heard by more than 14 million listeners a week,” according to the Denver Post article cited above.

[* I am personally familiar with this ratfucker technique, since, last July, my little blog (alas, probably fewer "hits" than Recreate'68 OR DNC Disruption '08), was used by Sean Hannity AND Brent Bozell to act as cover for the latest Ann Coulter cauldron of steaming monkey feces. as in: "How can Hart Williams say he wants to shoot Rush Limbaugh, but the mainstream media only wants to talk about Ann Coulter advocating [evil ratfuckery]…?” See Media Matters’ story, HERE.]

And “entirely satirical” is not a manner that people with rifles take into liberal Unitarian Universalist churches, as Limbaugh AND Newsbusters know full well. You CAN’T falsely yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater. It is NOT a First Amendment issue. It’s an issue of willful endangerment, on a par with arson and murder.

On the other hand, when Limbaugh openly advocates riots in Denver ON Denver airwaves, in a manner that requires a careful interpretation of his “inflection” to negate, THAT is newsworthy. (Seriously. Ask a newspaper editor. I’ll wait.)

Newsbusters is another bunch of ratfuckers, courtesy of Bill Buckley’s nephew, the odious Brent Bozell (Pat Buchanan’s chief fundraiser in the 1992 GOP primaries. Buchanan, recall, was a Nixon speechwriter).

Consider PUMA, the supposedly “disaffected Hillary voters” whose name is a shortened form of “Party Unity My Ass” and a play on “Cougar” — which is the hip new term for middle-aged women who want to fuck. Which is odd to begin with, because the 50-something women of the 70s women’s movement who would now be “cougars” aren’t the sort of persons who would cotton to being characterized as some kind of sex object to BEGIN with. “Party Unity My Ass,” my ass. Consider this, from Cynics’ Party:

Morning Sedition
Puma PAC Founder Invents Time Machine

Darragh Murphy is so angry at Barack Obama, she not only founded pro-Hillary Puma PAC in early June, she also donated $500 to John McCain.

In 2000. [...]

Can anyone reasonably believe that the GOP ISN’T doing everything it can to exploit any division — no matter how cynical, racist or vile — to try and wreck the Democratic Convention and campaign?

And can anyone believe that this is somehow … Christic? (From that party that bleeds communion wine and shits holy wafers? Really?)

How much Kool-Aid do you have to have imbibed to still hold these chiseling, conniving, felonious, larcenous bastards as paragons of Christ’s Teachings and Pillars of Moral Virtue?

Really?

This is the first time that the GOP has so blatantly dishonored and disfigured, defaced, debased and demolished the fundamental civility without which representative democracy CANNOT function: the idea that in a fair debate, the good and true will, finally, win out. Where reasonable men can disagree reasonably and form a consensus through debate, discussion and compromise. Without these, it’s just a power grab.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. Ratfucking is the order of the day. (And in a post I’ll get around to, one of these days, there is a frightening convergence of political ratfucking, military propaganda and CIA/spook disinformation that has deep roots in those ratfuckers of USC and, later, Nixon’s White House.)

The ruthless manner in which they have pursued and arrogated power, with secrecy, slime and utter lawlessness is, again, so well established that no further elaboration is needed.

As high altitude slowly saps the body’s oxygen reserves (referred to, medically, as “hypoxia“), until the very real “altitude sickness” strikes, leading to nausea, headaches and other nastiness in the oxygen-starved brain (until the body can compensate with significantly more oxygen carrying red cells), so, too, the body politic has been slowly sapped of comity, polity, and civility, the “oxygen” that feeds the collective wisdom of our democracy (republic … whatever). Until the body politic can compensate with significantly more sane voters.

And we are suffering from “hype-oxia” in which ever more hideous, horrific decompositions of the rotting flesh of the founding fathers appear as “symptoms” of our political sickness.

A sickness that is, ALSO, very real.*

[* And, note that most of the flatlanders in Denver, at 5280 feet (eactly one mile), are going to manage to go into hypoxia during the convention, which may well lead to some strange and depressing effects by the waning days. I doubt very seriously that the majority of delegates will take the necessary steps to overcome altitude sickness -- as won't the majority of GOP-PERs, perhaps poetically. Watch for some strange gaffes brought on by lack of oxygen to the brain by the third and fourth days of the Convention, on all sides of the aisle. I say this as someone who spent his boyhood in Laramie, Wyoming, 120 miles north of Denver, at 7148 feet above sea level. Visiting artists at concerts at the University of Wyoming, and in Denver wouldn't be able to hit the high notes, and often had to use oxygen backstage between sets. And, I've gone from the relative sea level of Eugene to mile-high altitudes and made myself -- who should know better -- sick with altitude effects within 24 hours. I know whereof I speak. And remember, these are mostly OLDER people. I was a DNC Delegate in Los Angeles in 2000 as well. Just remember that I told yas.]

«o»

iii. From Whom The Fuckers Rat

Actor of the low-high Q, let’s hear your view.
Peek at the lines upon your sleeves since your memory won’t do.
Tell me: how the baby’s graded, how the lady’s faded,
why the old dogs howl with madness.
– “Passion Play”

There is a strange irony here, almost a Stockholm Syndrome moment from John McCain.

Having been the victim of dark Rovian gambits, McCain had no real organization after his primary campaign — which was, itself, really was a surprise of execution and a disaster of organization. He had to, therefore, accept the RNC machine as his machine, and you need to remember that the RNC is the political wing of the White House, run BY the White House to engage in partisan politics that are inappropriate to the actual JOB of the presidency. This is an old tradition. (Same goes for the DNC).

As daddy Bush was in charge of Richard Nixon’s RNC as its Chairman (who brought young Karl Rove to Washington, D.C. in the first Nixon term, as President of the College Republicans, a position he ratfucked HIMSELF into), so too, the RNC — with their ‘war room’ — is Bush’s machine, built by Karl Rove, and you will recall, used to “end run” the White House email archiving laws, by having White House secret email run through its accounts on its servers which then, in good Rose Mary Woods’ tradition, were erased, allegedly beyond recovery.

These rats fuck seriously nowadays.

It’s ironic first, that McCain would be so much a pawn in the Bush machine’s hands, and secondly that he would actually submit to the use of the same attacks used on him. The sole piece of “maverick” left in him was his opposition to torture — because he had, himself, been tortured. But he abrogated that, and voted to retroactively accept prior torture and to favor FUTURE torture.

He would probably add, rationalizing: “But only in a JUST cause.” (McCain still believes that Vietnam was a just war lost by the draft-dodging hippies and politicians at home. )

And now he’s encased in the Rove RNC Machine, with a Rove protogée in charge, and pure swift-boat tactics … like the ones used on him.

That sure as hell sounds like Stockholm Syndrome.

And, as our own Republican born-a-millionaire Senator Gordon Smith telegraphs in his ads — if he approves it up front, it’s a smear ad, if he approves it at the end and has Barack Obama in it, it’s an ad extolling what a great “Democratic” senator he is — so, McCain seems to telegraph the nastiest slime of his campaign by coming out and pretending to be decent and honorable and respectful of Senator Obama.

Like Saturday:

McCain: Biden A “Very Wise Selection”
Tells Katie Couric Obama’s Running Mate “Very Formidable,” Is “A Good Friend And Good Man”

(CBS) In an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric Saturday at his home in Sedona, Ariz., presumptive GOP nominee John McCain had kind words for Sen. Joe Biden, who last night was named presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s running mate.

“I think he’s a good selection,” McCain told Couric of Biden. “Joe and I have been friends for many, many years, and we know each other very well, and so I think he’s made a very wise selection.”

Ruh-roh.

And, check out who’s bringing you this “news.” That ought to make you feel much better:

McCain is supposed to act like he’s the “nice” guy and, hopefully, develop Teflon™ skin while his surrogates attack relentlessly from all angles: astroturf, phony polling stories (that manage to act as self-fulfilling prophecy, e.g. “push” polls*), White House memes (“Helen Thomas is anti-Israel!”) from the people who bribed journalists, silenced soldiers, outed CIA operatives, covered up crimes, falsified evidence to “frame” Iraq (etc. etc. etc.) and now run McCain’s campaign.

[* For example, continually harping on the meme that Hillary supporters won't support Obama. Polling and reporting and polling it some more. It unquestionably has a non-neutral political effect on public opinion.]

Politico’s  crack smackdown team (NOT GOP agents) kicked off the “divide and conquer” with this intentionally provocative posting:

Exclusive: Obama- Clinton feud reignites

(retitled, later, to the less incendiary Tensions boil between Obama-Clinton camps)
By JOHN F. HARRIS & MIKE ALLEN | 8/25/08 4:04 PM EST Updated: 8/25/08 4:04 PM EST

DENVER — As Democrats arrived here Sunday for a convention intended to promote party unity, mistrust and resentments continued to boil among top associates of presumptive nominee Barack Obama and his defeated rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton… This is an especially sore point for Bill Clinton, people close to him say, because among many grievances he has about the campaign Obama waged against his wife is a belief that the candidate poor-mouthed the political and policy successes of his two terms.

Some senior Democrats close to Obama, meanwhile, made clear in not-for-attribution comments that they were equally irked at the Clinton operation. Nearly three months after Hillary Clinton conceded defeat in the nomination contest, these Obama partisans complained, her team continues to act like she and Bill Clinton hold leverage.

After a period earlier this month when the two sides were working collegially over strategy, scheduling, and other convention logistics, things turned scratchy again in recent days…

Which kicked off THIS blogswarm. (click for Memeorandum page)

(I’ve written about Mike Allen before, in my last post of 2007, “For Whose Campaign Is Mike Allen Working?“)

Oh, and this late-breaking story:

Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins tasked with ‘causing trouble’ at Democratic convention. —  Yesterday, Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins waded into the Re-create ‘68 protest outside the Democratic National Convention in Denver, where he was greeted with expletives as he antagonized the crowd by asking …

These are GOP operatives acting as “reporters.” But note the little brushfires they manage to start.

Nice people McCain’s in bed with. And, like the husband caught in flagrante delicto with the baby’s nanny, he refuses to admit it, still hoping that the gullible will believe he’s NOT more Nixonian dirty tricks; isn’t another “charming” fuckup son of privilege you could “have a beer with” who will smile and wave and continue to fuck the middle class, the lower class, the environment and the rest of the world with Imperial American bullying. (Another boob who misunderstands the term “Bully Pulpit.”)

It is Stockholm Syndrome. And he is hamhandedly trying to play “good cop” in a Rovakian variation of the venerable old police “trick” now entitled Good Cop/Evil Ratfucking.

Because, you see, there is a specialized term for those who make their sole pursuit in life the indiscipline of ratfuckery:

Ratfuckers.

Worse: Hyenafucking

Or worse.

And they are all there, if only in spirit, in the Mile High City. (For the love of John McCain.)

They are there overtly, covertly and subvertly. They are there to disrupt, dismay and disinform. And, they hope, there are enough clueless idiots in Denver that their dream of Chicago 1968 will be realized. (Now, we’ll find out just how dumb Democrats can actually be. Will they take the bait? Will they band together for the Common Good? Stay tuned.)

Which is why Denver is the Ratfucking Capitol of the World.

This week.

Courage.

==========

UPDATE 12:11:11 AM PDT, August 26:

Look who WANTS a riot in Denver! Gee. From Memeorandum (archived page, scroll down):

Considering that many of these righties (and they’re almost ALL righties) are thousands of miles from Denver, how is it that nobody else is yet covering these massive riots? They must just be doing a GREAT job of journalizing, not being biased nor liberal nor nothing like that. Zowie. No ratfucking here.

Weirdly, there’s not a WORD about it on Google News. If you SEARCH for “DENVER RIOT” on Google News, you get ONE story; here ’tis, in its entirety:

DNC Protesters Arrested, Pepper-Sprayed
ABC News - 2 hours ago
ABC News’ Raelyn Johnson Reports: While Sen. Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama were the stars in Denver Monday evening, several hundred protesters gathered in downtown Denver seeking a spotlight of their own.Gathered at the intersection of Cleveland Place and 15th street, self described anarchists vocalized their opinions on an array of issues, from the Iraq war, to the heavy police presence in the city.

A small riot broke out near the civic center, forcing police to pepper spray and arrest some participants.

“The people united, will never be defeated,” protestors sang to a choir of several hundred officers, equipped for riot control.

“I’m protesting for peace,” said one woman, who was offended by the strong showing of force by authorities.

Two bus loads of people were taken into custody.

Authorities were on heightened alert when it reported that there was a potential assassination plot.

Aurora police thwarted the plot during a traffic stop, arresting two men in possession of weapons and methamphetamines. Police later stated that there was no credible threat to Sen. Barack Obama, or the residents and visitors of Denver, Colorado. [end]

So, ratfucking, wishful thinking, or both?

These aren’t the ‘droids you’re looking for. Move along. Move along.

UPDATE 2  12:27:11 AM PDT Add these:

Craig Crawford / Craig Crawford’s Trail Mix:
Anatomy of a Subplot —  The Democratic convention now teeters on the brink of a media disaster thanks to real news that threatens to distract reporters from the scripted show.  —  And wouldn’t you know, it’s all about the Clintons.  The trouble with the news-free nature of modern conventions …

Discussion:
Michael Crowley / The New Republic:   Dept of Hyperbole: “Brink of Media Disaster”?

More ratfuckery. There’s much more directly below it on the listing page. (Scroll down about halfway)

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