Rawstory: "CNN Poll: 88% say Rep Stark should not apologize" (and cites DU & my thread!)

[npincus]

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/CNN_Poll_88_say_Rep._Stark_1019.html

Will this percolate upwards and outwards? Perhaps KO will take notice of the rather lopsided support for Rep. Stark's commentary about our "president".




There has predictably been support for Stark on the left, along with endorsements of Boehner's outrage on the right. A thread at the liberal Democratic Underground site asked members to "DU this CNN poll!" but also expressed amusement that the sentiment in favor of Stark was already running at 87% to 13%. One commenter suggested that "the poll has been Freeped, it was 89% before, now it's 87%," to which another replied "amazing what consitutes freeping these daze." (this thread :http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3623797&mesg_id=3623797)

"Freeping" is a reference to the practice initiated at the conservative Free Republic message board some years ago of sending members to overwhelm online polls with indications of support for right-wing policies and politicians. Liberal sites like Democratic Underground and Daily Kos then began countering this strategy with similar exhortations of their own.

The lopsided result of the CNN poll is striking, especially since the mainstream consensus seems to be that even if Stark was just shooting his mouth off, as he has many times in the past, he may have crossed a line of bad taste in suggesting that the president actively enjoys seeing American soldiers' heads blown off.

For example, when Keith Olbermann indicated on his program that he felt there was "something refreshing about his at least refusal to back down," guest Jonathan Alter responded that Stark's comments were "silly and counterproductive, and the best thing for him to do would be to apologize and move on."


<on edit: CNN Poll added: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/american.morning/ >

[tsuki]

1. No apology. NO. Progressive apologize for the truth far too often.

[John Kerry VonErich]

4. Think he'll get censured?

nt

[Blaze Diem]

11. First thing on the docket next week I bet...

Sour f**kin grapes.
Stark spoke the ugly truth about Bush policies & they all know it.
Its been said and on record. All they can do now is a little damage control. They cannot un-speak the spoken words of Pete Stark.
where's all the freeps..all they got is 600? haha

[Warpy]

15. Who cares? This Pretzeldent GIGGLES when

he talks about human beings facing death.

Stark was right on. If anybody tries to censure him, I hope Stark spits in his eye.

[tsuki]

27. Probably. The spineless are shaking. nt

[AndyA]

2. I heard Jonathan Alter make that comment about Stark, and it pissed me off.

Why should anyone apologize for speaking the truth?

Stark spoke the truth - if people don't like the way it sounds, they need to change the reality, not the words.

[Blaze Diem]

7. Point Perfectly Made. k&r and one for Andy A too. please

Stark spoke the truth - if people don't like the way it sounds, they need to change the reality, not the words.

I'm sending this to Barton & Boehner. Johnathon Alter may need to hear this too.
I like how you think AndyA.

[goclark]

9. Stark has a spine something sorely missing in politics

these days.

The TRUTH shall set you free.

More of our leaders need to speak out,dramatically, on the issues that are not being addressed.

We have been silent and "proper" playing the good guy for far too long.

:bounce:

Why should he apologize for telling the TRUTH? That is exactly what the Bush Mob is doing to our beautiful children and the beautiful people of Iraq as well.

Speak!
Edited to add: We may not have the votes but we sure have our voices and we must, we must, speak out for JUSTICE!

[RiverStone]

20. Agreed! Too many on The Hill need spine transplants!

Or they should at least read DU every now and then for some kick ass ideas. :hi:

[warren pease]

14. Exactly, and any apology would probably sound like...

...this: "I want to express my deep and sincere apologies for my remarks regarding the president's lack of support for the troops in Iraq. Nothing could be further from the truth; he remains deeply committed to the safety and well-being of all our brave men and women in uniform as they continue the fight to bring democracy and freedom to the Iraqi people.

"I was wrong to characterize the president as a blood-thirsty war-monger. It was an unfortunate, ill-advised and entirely inaccurate portrayal of our commander in chief in these difficult times. I hope that despite my misguided comments, congress and the white house can continue to work together in a spirit of bipartisanship as we address the real problems facing our country."

It's so predictable and scripted that it might as well become boilerplate for the next time a democrat dares to speak the truth. Meanwhile, the GOP gets a blanket pass and lifetime pardon for all the venom they've spit out at democrats over the past 25 or so years.

The rule being: if a lying, belligerent, right wing hypocrite decides to go off on one of those verbal joyrides condemning democrat XX for the alleged sin of the day, that's just rough and tumble beltway politics.

If, however, a democrat indulges in a similar diatribe -- no matter how accurate the charges -- he or she is pilloried 24/7 on Fux and CNN, scolded by editorial writers in most of the leading US newspapers, labeled treasonous and unpatriotic throughout wingnut radio land and, inevitably given the unanimity of the response, incurs the wrath of the American electorate, which is always ready for a good political sparring match as long as it doesn't conflict with their nightly three hours of prime-time programming or their rent-a-porn-flick DVD.

Gawd this country and its institutions infuriate me, even more so when democrats to the GOP's dirty work for them.


wp

[percussivemadness]

3. The Truth Shall Set America Free!!!

Ultimately this is the issue at hand. People are fed up with being lied to. People are fed up with politicians hiding behind words that don`t mean anything.

Its time for the truth, to tell it as it is...

Peace

[chefgirl]

5. Apologize??

APOLOGIZE??? :rofl:

Or else what?

Just think...if Democrats were to start asking those 'outraged' Republicans just that one question, their whole bullshit game would come crashing down around them.

-chef-

[krispos42]

6. I just DUed the poll!

Congressman Pete Stark accused Republicans of sending troops to Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Should he apologize?
Yes 13% 609
No 87% 4171
Total Votes: 4780

DO the DU, folks!

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/american.morning/

[Blaze Diem]

8. HA HA 4000 to 600....Kinda like Bush's 27% ...Freep support must be dwindling

Aren't even enough Freepers left to Freep a poll.
hehehe

[jeff30997]

12. Yeah, they should be put on...

The endangered species list.:)

[Blaze Diem]

22. good place for them..and we could lock um in a zoo behind a cage

A freeper museum.
Be great adornments for a haunted house..!!
ha

[Maraya1969]

17. Do the DU.........

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[HughBeaumont]

10. "Apologise . . . or DIE."

[acmavm]

13. Someday someone had to take a stand. I mean, it's getting

damn old taking it in the shorts from a bunch of crooks and cretins. And so far we got this guy and Dodd who are finally starting to act like Dems, not whiney pissants.

[Nite Owl]

16. Done

Congressman Pete Stark accused Republicans of sending troops to Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Should he apologize?
Yes 13% 615
No 87% 4242
Total Votes: 4857



I wonder if they will even say what the results are since it probably didn't go the way they expected.

[flyarm]

23. they will take the poll down and won't say a word about it!! typical! eom

[zbdent]

18. Gee, I wonder if Rush will come to his defense ...

[npincus]

19. I'm praying some rich liberal buys his shit on eBay

and feeds a bonfire with it.

[zbdent]

24. Nah, ...

actually, it will be very valuable (Rush's involvement aside, which actually should devalue it).

That many signatures on any document ... it would be worth more than a signed guitar by all the members of The Who (with Keith Moon).

And if the righties' concerns about another terrorist attack comes true, the signatures would go up in value (House/Senate being hit by a terrorist attack at a point in which a surprising number of Republicans were told they had to take a call ...)

[justgamma]

21. Russ Feingold

was in our town holding a meeting with a small gathering a little over a year ago. This was the first time I had ever gotten to talk to an elected official. I echoed the sentiment on DU at the time that we were sick of Dems apologizing for every little thing they say. He abruptly said "We should apologize when we're wrong". He never let me explain. I was dismissed.

It was a real turnoff because he just didn't seem to get it. When was the last time a Puke ever apologized for any effing thing.

Stark had better stand his ground. The wimp factor of the Dems is showing and the Pukes will take advantage of it.

[Larkspur]

26. WE should apologize when we are ACTUALLY wrong, but not in response to whiny Repukes

falsely claiming that we are wrong.

Go Peter Stark!!!!

[goclark]

29. Exactly ~ Stark was not wrong!

Stand for something or stand for nothing.

In the CNN poll Stark had 87% of the people say he was RIGHT,

[Rockholm]

25. Sorry? Why do the Democrats always have to apologize?

OMFG. A republican says damning things about the troops and it gets ignored. A Democrat says something ABOUT THE pRESDIENT in relation to the troops and the media is all over it and apologies are demanded. Bullshit. Enough is enough.
Why the "nice guy" routine? It gets us nowhere.

[npincus]

28. I think Stark did us a big favor

those he pissed off weren't going to vote for Dems anyway, and he reminded America which party (in theory, at least)has the best chance of ending this catastrophe of B*sh's creation.