DU is being mentioned more and more as "Lefty Web Site." Here "WSJ" from

[KoKo]

(ON EDIT: BTW I think this is a Good Thing, although some might not agree with me.)

Yesterday. Plus several (it seems) mentions on Limbaugh and a couple on
Andrew Sullivan's Blog. So, as I think we are becoming the "Ann Coulters" of the Left. (we are NOT Coulter, but if we get her noteriety, then who the hell cares?) We serve a purpose to get the Wingers to understand that they are not "Without Opposition" Now! We are Fighting Back!

Of course this makes Skinner, Earl, Elad's and Mods job Much Harder! But, we figure they are up to it, or they would have worn out from exhaustion long ago.

Here's a clip from Taranto's WSJ Column "Best of the Web" where we are mentioned as he had his "spys to a troll" yesterday to see Buzz, DNC and DU's reaction to "Saddam's Capture" yesterday.

Plus, I see in "GD Forum" that Limbaugh has had his "trolls" over here investigating us once again. Not much info on what he found in that post..but when "WSJ" reports.....Enquiring Minds Wake Up and Listen!

(Note: this is a long screed with many links from Taranto, but this is where he mentions Buzz and DU, check out the whole "Blog" to get where the guy is coming from in the "Wall Street Journal.")
Check this link for an interesting Scan!
http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=11000443

======================================================================


James Taranto ....Wall Street Journal
Unlike the Democratic presidential candidates, some grass-roots Dems are unable to contain their gloom over the wonderful news. Here's a post by someone called ikojo at DemocraticUnderground.com (quoted verbatim):

I had a horrible feeling in my stomach this morning when I saw that Hussein had been capatured.

This is a BIG boost for *. This will be used in campaign literature. It will make Dems and others who opposed the war look bad as well. I don't regret opposing shrub's war of aggression on Iraq but it sure will be hard for the candidates now, unless they press the Where's Osama issue but since a majority of Americans already believe that Hussein was behind 9/11/01 it hardly matters.

All of a sudden I am not confident he will lose in 2004.

Please boost my confidence in shrub's defeat in November 2004.

Look what he has going for him right now:

Dow over 10,000
Hussein captured
The pug CONvention is going to be in NYC around the time of the 9/11 anniversary
A complacent and compliant right-wing corporate controlled media all too willing to act as an arm of the pentagon and white house press room.
His administration did what his daddy did not, supposedly captured Hussein.

The conspiracy theorist in me says that if this is REALLY Hussein then why didn't * and his media minions not wait until Monday to announce his capture?

Needing encouragement that * can be defeated. Now the stuff about Halliburton overcharging the government will be placed on the back burner as the corporate media celebrates the capture of Hussein.

Not feeling hopeful right now. I have a lot of fear of what he could do if given a second term.

Here's a sampling of comments from "Kicking Ass," the official blog of the Democratic National Committee (also quoted verbatim):

* Pam Bergren: "I personally don't care too much that Hussein was caught--he never did anything to me."

* "marsh": "This is supposed to be a war on terror, not a war on tyranny."

* Erik Latranyi: "Well, tha capture of Sadaam takes the 'failure to capture' issue off the table. Now that the economy is picking up (mall was packed yesterday), Iraq is getting better, prescription drugs on the way, education spending at an all-time high, no further terrorist attacks--what is left? Oh, yes, the capture of Bin Laden. If that happens, we are completely sunk."

[metisnation]

1. Whatever WSJ

the WSJ has as much validity and truth in reporting as the national enquirer..possibly less. What Next WSJ Michael Jackson is pregnant with an alien baby?


:kick:

[impeach the gop]

2. Looks like we're doing something right

n/t

[cryofan]

3. It's all Good!

That exposure by WSJ and Rush will only send more people to this website. It is our job to convert, and we will convert some. Right now the Left, even in the Democratic Party, has been reduced to nothing, even while in Europe, the Right is to the left of the Democratic Party.

We desparately need media and mass communications means, as pointed out by Edward Herman here: http://www.counterpunch.org/engel12132003.html

So, I say there is no such thing as Bad Publicity.

[arewethereyet]

24. ordinarily I would agree

but you know as well as I do that some threads can get over the top.

The only reason we are gettig press is to highlight them and to make it see as though we are par for the course left wise.

Not necessarily a good thing for the swing voter.

[reknewcomer]

29. It is our job to convert

How many do you think were converted by reading that all hunting sportsmen are cowards and Powell deserved getting cancer? Was it an integer that is positive or negative.

[thebigidea]

38. I don't recall conversion as being part of my job description

[reknewcomer]

49. Good. Then take it up with cryofan who made the claim

I only quoted her.

[cryofan]

48. you wanna know the truth? As far as I am concerned....

....I would not shed any tears if every single one of the Boosh administration gets cancer. They are the enemy of the American workers.

And really, just how are most of the Democrats who are in powerful places any different?

[cirej2000]

4. Trying to marginalize us

Yeah, this site ROCKS!!!

:yourock:

They're just part of the big business establishment...they don't care about the people. We're here to make this country a place for everyone...not just warmongers and slum-lord!!

[salinen]

6. What I expect is more freeping

and that these pigfuckers will pull their threads and use them as examples. Nothing makes me angrier than pigfuckers cherry picking us.

[cirej2000]

7. What is "freeping"

I know what a pigf**ker is :D

[AP]

5. The thing about this is, the WSJ could log on and type whatever they want

and then report it as a story.

And what's DU to do? Censor everything that could be cited by the WSJ? That would tear DU apart.

But then again, who cares what the WSJ says. DU'ers aren't here to impress the WSJ. We're just here to chat about politics. If anyone listens in and misrepresents what's said, who really cares. The discussion goes on.

I still think the WSJ should be required to confirm the identity of people they quote and have them confirm the quotes. It only demeans the WSJ's credibility to treat anonymous postings like they're news.

[salinen]

8. O.K. AP

it's not nice to read someone's mind without asking first.

[salinen]

11. "freeping, or freepers"

are the people posting at the site "freerepublic", RW hate spewers extraordinare.

[cirej2000]

13. Gotcha.

Thanks. Sort of a funny word...guess it fits :)

[PaDUer]

41. freeping also means...

when the freepers show up at any democratic person or whoever or whatever is happening in hopes of intimidating that person because they don't agree with their opinions, they call it freeping.

[AP]

14. Are you my long lost twin or my doppleganger?

[salinen]

20. We are eachothers

anti-matter.

[KoKo]

10. I think it's a positive sign, but that Skinner, et al. might have to

keep "modifying rules" because of the attention. But, the attention means we're "getting under their skin like sand flys." We're causing a bad itch!

[YNGW]

19. One would like to think so....

.... but my guess is they're just coming here to laugh at and belittle us. Let's face it, there's some things floated around DU that aren't exactly sound.

[blondeatlast]

26. Yeah, and everything at FR is completely on the level.

This is the WWW, fugoshsakes. Anyone who takes it too seriously is heading for trouble.

[KoKo]

45. Well, some of our "tinoilhat" stuff has proved to be true. If we wait

long enough, who knows what else will turn out to be right on the mark.
:D

[frank frankly]

16. wow, AP, i never thought of that...wow

great mind you've got

[Junkdrawer]

28. While Rove is given credit for too much, one of his trademark...

tactics is the "self-laceration at the hands of your opponent" trick.

What you suggest would be vintage Rove.

[Liberal Veteran]

9. I proudly bear the badge of "unrepentant liberal"....

...I am not ashamed of my compassion or my understanding that a society that only sees individual greed and materialism as a virtue is a society that is lacking in clarity.

So let them label me liberal. Tatoo it on my forehead for all I care because I am proud of what I am. Liberal is only a dirty word to those who clothe their petty bigotries, lust for violence, fear of diversity, and greed for power and wealth in a nice little package with which they deny their own shortcomings.

[bunk76]

23. Im wit u...

tis better to be "a lefty" than to have your opinon formed by the knuckle draggers on hate radio.

Free your mind,and your ass will follow.

The Last Poets


:evilgrin:

[ComerPerro]

12. To all lurking trolls:

Hi! :hi:

Now, please fuck off.

[0007]

15. Rush is plugging us big time. Just like Bill O'Reilly did Al Franken.

I love it!

[cirej2000]

18. I heard people talking about FATBOY ranting about DU on BART this morning

I did a Google search...and here I am!!

Thanks porky! :D

[Liberal Veteran]

21. Welcome to DU!

It's a great place. You have joined at interesting time. For the most part we are a pretty happy family but like all families we have some squabbles. The current field of candidates has some people really going at one another here which has been scaring away a few people here and there, but trust me when I say that this is one of the most exciting sites to exchange ideas and bond and learn from one another and get news from all over the world.

So pull up a chair and make yourself at home.

:toast:

[in_cog_ni_to]

Welcome to DU, cirej2000!

:hi: You'll love it here! It's a refuge for we liberals!

[0007]

17. Rush & Laura have a lot in common besides being stupid -

They're both druggies.

....and Bill Bennett new name is JOA. Sounds almost biblical doesn't it? But it ain't, JOA stands for, Jack Off Artist.

[ikojo]

22. HEY WSJ here I am....

This morning people at work expressed distrust that what they saw on the news yesterday was the truth.

Hey this is politics. Trust me if Clinton were in office these phoney "patriots" who masquerade as Republicans would not let the man do anything to contain and combat terrorism. If GOVERNMENT contracts were going only to people connected with the president the pugs would call for investigation after investigation.

I lived through EIGHT years of mistrust and outright disdain for a president that was at least ELECTED and not APPOINTED by friends of his father. I say it's payback time.
The Clintons were called all sorts of vile names and still are by these self appointed keepers of patriotism.

I am not ashamed.

[KoKo]

33. I was wondering who "ijoko" was! I haven't seen your posts, where do you

hang out here? Not in GD, I think or Editorials, LBN, Meeting Room.

But, you are a "big deal" on WSJ! Did you know before you saw this?

:-)'s

[ikojo]

36. I'm a Lounge Lizard and this post was originally in the

Lounge.

I rarely hang out in GD because it gets so tense in these parts. The Lounge is more laid back and light.

I like GD for the news and stuff but I generally lurk over here.

I cannot believe my little post made such an impression with the right-wing. It got only 16 responses in the Lounge.

[KoKo]

47. ROFL! If they are hitting DU Lounge then we know they are voyeurs for

sure. Wonder if they got there before the "Rules Change" about the "Sex Posts!" Thanks for the reply!

[moondust]

25. Wait a minute. They're getting a free education.

I thought they didn't believe in free rides. :shrug:

[reknewcomer]

27. Thank goodness they missed the anti-hunting and Powell cancer deathwish

We don't need any credit for driving middle road Dems to stay home or worse vote against us.

[Junkdrawer]

31. Here's the Powell thread. Seems to me that the overwheming majority...

wished him a quick recovery.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=270282#270287

I've read a few of your posts. What is your agenda?

[reknewcomer]

32. It only takes one to discredit the many

I have no agenda other than to get a Dem elected President and I feel that posting sound reason and compassion is the best wat to get that done. I also feel that some far left postings are made to discredit the majority of Dems.

If you have a specific concern regarding any of my posts then point it out and I'll address it.

[thebigidea]

42. good thing we have you to tell us what we're allowed to say

[reknewcomer]

50. Say whatever you want

And understand I may call you on it...politely and with civility.

[thebigidea]

54. oh no! whatever will I do? I might alienate the swing voters! GASP!

[reknewcomer]

56. Why do you think they are called "swing voters"?

If you don't court them then you lose it all. America will not elect an extremist or angry candidate.

[KoKo]

37. Yes, but they "pick out" the comments they want to see. Nothing we can do

about that. I read the Powell thread. Most wished him well, but some "vented." And that's okay. Hasn't little "Apple Annie Coulter" said worse? And yet she makes "mega bucks" as a "Pundit" for the RW on the cables and sells books to her RW friends.

Most of us are being "downsized, marginalized, sold out, left out and fringed." We have a right to be angry at those in this "Squatter Group" in the WH who are busy dismantling the programs for the "common good" of
"We, THE PEOPLE!"

[reknewcomer]

51. We can do better than Coulter

Can we not?

[welshTerrier2]

30. Hoping For Bad Stuff

i read the post that was quoted in the WSJ ... and frankly, i see nothing wrong whatsoever with the sentiment it expresses ... the poster does not suggest that Saddam is not evil ... the poster does not suggest that Saddam should not face a fair tribunal ...

the entire point of the post seemed to be that it was her perspective that the news would benefit bush ... bush has been a nightmare for both our democratic institutions and peace in the world ... it's too bad that the WSJ is so shallow that they are unable to understand that, regardless of one's feelings about the capture of Saddam, many will suffer if bush wins in 2004 ...

listen up, journal boy ... do you think it just might be possible that hearing the news about 9/11 was recognized by certain defense contractors as "an opportunity"? ... do you think, regardless of how they felt about 9/11, they may have rejoiced over the fact that huge defense contracts were likely to follow?

journal boy, are you so partisan that the writings of one person on a democratic underground website carries more weight with you than the damage bush has done? what damage you ask because you apparently have not been reading the news?

well, where to begin ... let's talk about the largest budget deficits ever ... and he started with a surplus ... what about imprisoning people without being seen by counsel? think old ben franklin sneaked that one into the Constitution? what about the 9/11 coverup? do you really believe his refusal to cooperate with a committee he empowered is about national security? it's his damned committee ... do you think he's done right by the Afghan people? do you know how to spell "o-i-l p-i-p-e-l-i-n-e" ??? no child left behind ?? think mr. bush has funded that program? what about journalists sneaking uranium into the country from Indonesia to prove our borders are porous? did you read about that in the WSJ? what about bribing legislators to vote his way on Medicare? did you write about that, journal boy? what about Cheney's secret energy meeting? think that's the way the country is supposed to work? know anything about PNAC? find any WMD's? heard much lately about the "anthrax scare"? still have your research boys out on that one? what about the Plame / Wilson business? do you really believe bush will get to the bottom of that one?

Mr. Taranto, I accuse you of being disingenuous ... you knew damned well that there's a mile of daylight between condoning anything Saddam ever did and acknowledging the possible political implications his capture might have ... it's a sorry business that our media, rather than acting as a check and balance on government in the finest traditions of the fourth estate, has been bought and paid for by the same dollars that buy and pay for many of our elected, or selected, representatives ... you are no journalist, sir; you're a puppet ...

[number6]

34. they can take things out of context ...

and try to make it look different, rather than giving
a fair perspective, keep an eye on em and let know
your watching ...

[NashVegas]

35. If the WSJ Can Lift Whole Posts, Can We Lift Whole WSJ Stories?

just asking.

*ducks*

[welshTerrier2]

43. good point !!

i almost posted this exact question myself but realized that their stuff is copyrighted and ours isn't ...

so, why couldn't all of our posts be copyrighted ??

shouldn't DU'ers have the same protections afforded to their writings as those who sell their souls to the corporate masters?

what would it take to automatically copyright all posts on DU ??

[Catherine Vincent]

39. I don't know what the WSJ is beefing about.

At least no one here has caused a person to commit suicide as one of their editors did. Bastards!

[Cicero]

40. What's the old saying?

It doesn't matter what they say about you so long as they get the name right. ;)

[Junkdrawer]

44. Giving everyone a voice is dangerous. It smacks of Democracy...

No wonder they hate it so.

[JailBush]

46. Screw the Wall Street Journal

It's not at all stupid or unpatriotic to feel some reservations about Saddam Hussein's capture if you think of world affairs as a giant chess game. Saddam is very evil, therefore it's good he's been brought to justice - BUT will his capture help George W. Bush, who's also very evil, far more powerful and has a direct effect on US?

In this spirit, we might argue that it might have been better if Saddam had been captured by civilians, making Bush look bad. We should also keep up the pressure for a very public trial, allowing Saddam to tell all about his relations with Reagan and Dumsfeld.

I think it's pointless to worry too much about what the enemy writes about us. How can you stop them? If none of our peers say anything stupid, they'll twist someone's words out of context to make it look stupid.

In fact, they may actually be helping us. After all, controversy translates into publicity. Tell the world that Democratic Underground is unhinged, and people are going to want to check it out for themselves.

Ironically, right-wingers are afraid to mention my websites, including Jail4Bush, and I think it's because 1) I pack my pages with so much logic, 2) I publicize very controversial ideas (like education reform), and 3) they know I won't back down.

Here's one of my favorite examples of an exception that proves the rule:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=sidransquad13m&date=20010713&query=David+Blomstrom

"Some also dislike Schell. David Blomstrom, who's on the 'Truth Squad,' runs a Web site on local politics in which he lauded last Saturday's attack on the mayor as 'long overdue.'

Blomstrom, who ran for state Superintendent of Public Instruction last year, calls the assault, allegedly made by a bullhorn-wielding Omari Tahir-Garrett, 'the most inspirational event in Seattle since the 1999 WTO protest.'"

Let me explain... This article was written by media whore Jim Brunner, who writes for the Seattle Times, the tabloid that endorsed George W. Bush. I attended just ONE "Truth Squad" meeting, which convinced me the Truth Squad was just another establishment operative organization. I was NEVER "on" the Truth Squad. Brunner also attended the meeting. It was the first time I had ever seen him in person, and I noticed his ears prick when someone mentioned my name. I had a hunch he was going to write something about me.

James Garrett is a local activist who ws sent to prison after he clobbered Mayor Paul Schell with a bullhorn, giving him a black eye. I pronounced Garrett a hero - an idea that shouldn't go over very well in "civil" Seattle. Thus, the Times printed this to discredit me.

But I LOVED the publicity, and I discovered that there are others who feel as I do. Since then, the Seattle Times has bent over backwards in its efforts to not mention me at all.

James Garrett is due to be released from prison this month, and I'm writing a biography that will promote him as a hero. Any Seattle Chamber of Commerce whores who care to publicize that are more than welcome to drive more visitors to my website.

In the meantime, Jail4Bush remains one of the most extreme anti-Bush sites, yet virtually no right-wingers mention it. Type Jail4Bush into Google, and you'll get hits from a few right-wing blogs and some bizarre Independent Media references.

[Room101]

52. Gore Vidal called the WSJ - " A neo-fascist paper"

With good reason.

[KoKo]

53. Reading Taranto's Blog on WSJ that I posted here, I agree! Neo-Fascist

is the word. I thought it was just their editorial page and thought there might be a change when Bartlett retired (he just died) but their "Best of the Web" is a real PNAC/Bush Fest. Check out the articles they link to!

[Cat Atomic]

55. I think half of the "shocking" things these guys quote are planted

by their own disruptors anyway.

And even if they aren't- it's just sloppy journalism (not to mention Brownshirt-style bullying) to use a public bulletin board as a source.

[kodi]

57. Taranto? the clown is a proven liar.

the editorial page is run like a righthwing form od the old pravda.

you can't even count that high the number of times that their right wing nut bag editorials were undermined by actual news reports from their own business pages....on the same day.

that dead scum bag bartley was lucky vince foster didn't use that pistol on him instead.

its rather funny to think that regular readers of the wsj would come by DU and check it out. after all, regular readers of the J read it not for the pithy and uninformed crack head editorials, but because it is a clearinghouse for daily business news.

i suspect those folks are hardly interested in a place like DU.

[UTUSN]

58. We're "Lefty"?????? GadZOOKS! n/t