http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/community/tag_rss/Republicans The dominant theme of the 2008 campaign - from the presidential race on down - has been lies. Republicans and conservatives have resorted to an unprecedented amount of outright lies to try and defeat progressive campaigns and policies. There has been a marked uptick lately in the amount of false advertising especially on the propositions, so I thought I'd collect some of them here. Prop 1A: The Reason Foundation, swimming in oil money , has been flooding the state's newspapers with misleading claims against high speed rail. The worst example was in a recent issue of the LA Times when Adrian Moore of the Reason Foundation made totally false claims, including that global HSR lines are subsidized (all turn a profit and France's TGV subsidizes other rail lines) and that HSR doesn't take passengers from airlines ( in fact, they all do - to the point that Air France is going to enter the HSR market itself ). More on these lies at the California High Speed Rail Blog . Prop 4: Planned Parenthood is facing a malicious attack from Prop 4 proponents. From an email sent out to the No on 4 list yesterday: A new ad from the proponents of Proposition 4 twists a tragic case of a teen trapped in an incestuous situation, and falsely claims that Prop 4 would have helped. What is most outrageous is that Prop 4 would have put that teen in an even worse and more desperate situation. It would not have helped this teen in any way yet the anti-choice extremists behind Prop 4 continue to use tragic events to lie to California voters. Visit No on Prop 4 to donate and find volunteer opportunities to help defeat this attack on teen safety and abortion rights. Prop 8: Brian explained yesterday the most recent falsehood being peddled by the Yes on 8 folks . Even though Mormon legal expert Morris Thurston exposed these claims as lies and demanded the church stop spreading them, the Mormon Church is still helping pay for these ads. Visit the No on 8 campaign to volunteer your time or your money to defeat these liars and protect marriage rights. Why all the lies? Partly because if we had a discussion on the actual merits of the issues, Prop 1A would pass and Props 4 and 8 would fail by large margins. The media plays a role here as well, letting groups like the Reason Foundation or the Mormon Church spread false claims without pushing back for the truth. Stenography has replaced journalism, as media outlets just report what "both sides" have to say regardless of whether or not there's any truth to the claims. And the op-ed pages and TV ads exist in a zone of truthiness, where nobody holds the liars accountable. Except us. California progressives, the blogs, the grassroots. All the more reason for us to Stay For Change and save California from the liars on the right who wish to set this state back decades instead of help us embrace a better future. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLQS http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLQS/commentary#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:53:31 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLQS Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLQS/ It's really refreshing to see an article like this in a California newspaper. From today's LA Times comes a story with the headline California's next budget battle could get easier : Democratic gains of even a couple of seats on Nov. 4 could ease California's annual struggle to match spending with revenue. Eight Republican votes are now needed to pass a budget by the required two-thirds majority of lawmakers. If voters reject Republican candidates in some districts, Democrats may have a smaller anti-tax bloc to battle and fewer arms to twist to pass a budget. The media typically resists speaking this particular truth to the public. Instead they prefer to blame "partisanship" or some unknown budget god for creating this crisis. Of course the budget problems are a direct cause of Republicans, whether it was Prop 13, or their reckless 1998 tax cuts, or Arnold's VLF and budget balancing bonds, or recent Yacht Party-induced budget delays. Yet another reason for California progressives to Stay for Change - don't travel to swing states, travel instead to the key swing districts in the Assembly and the Senate, races that will be the difference between a sane and fair budget and another crippling Republican-induced delay. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLQx http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLQx/commentary#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:56:06 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLQx Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 6 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLQx/ Last week I had the honor to speak at a No on Proposition 8 event in West Hollywood.  Thirty people joined together share their passion for equal rights, donate their money and learn how they can help defeat the discriminatory measure to eliminate the right of marriage for gays and lesbians in California.  This was the third such event I had attended in 2 weeks, but this one was different. This event was to raise money to support Republicans Against 8 , a PAC created to mobilize republicans to vote no on proposition 8. In the weeks preceding the event, I invited dozens friends and acquaintances to attend, but only one joined.  Friends know I am a proud democrat and I was repeatedly asked why I was involved with an event supporting republicans.  Many used the conversation as an opportunity to put down our LGBT brothers and sisters who are affiliated with the GOP. At first I wasn't bothered by their reactions or shunning of our Republican counterparts because it has become so commonplace, but as the conversation repeated itself again and again I found myself increasingly agitated. For years, organizations like The National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce and Equality California have demonstrated that community organizing is the backbone of the LGBT rights movement.  However, to win we need to organize the masses, leaving no ally on the side lines.  So, my friends, how can you be so quick to leave anyone behind who agrees with us on defending the right of same-sex couples to marry?  Are we really willing to alienate our Republican LGBT brothers and sisters at the detriment of our civil rights movement?  Republicans across the State of California, gay and straight alike, are willing and ready to vote No on Proposition 8.  LGBT Republicans through Log Cabin Republicans and Republicans Against 8 were at the California Republican Convention working to educate fellow Republicans why voting No on Prop 8 is important.  And, LGBT republicans want and deserve all the same rights and privileges as LGBT Democrats, Independents, Green Party members, etc., and we can't afford to leave them out of our civil rights fight. All across California, openly LGBT Republicans are fighting for equal rights as they change hearts and minds by educating members of their party.  They are helping to defeat Prop 8 and ensure a win for equality in CA. This is about people .  This is about legal equality .  This is NOT about party politics . Embrace ALL of our allies and brace for the celebration of victory in defeating Proposition 8 on November 4th. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/darrelltucci/CLLq http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/darrelltucci/CLLq/commentary#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:53:48 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/darrelltucci/CLLq DevoPro http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/ed7ea701393ec9c9a5_jovgmvkr6.jpg DevoPro 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLLq/ To expand on the voter fraud in San Bernardino County that the CDP alerted us to yesterday, funded by would-be governor Steve Poizner, Carol Robb of the San Bernardino County Democratic Central Committee has provided more details, including Republican DA Mike Ramos' unwillingness to even return Democrats' calls: Here's what has happened: ·Immediately after the Labor Day weekend, we saw a large increase in San Bernardino County in Republican Registration, as compared to Democratic, for the first time in 14 months ·The office of the Registrar of Voters was alerted to this situation by Carol Robb. ·The Secretary of State's office was also alerted by a phone call from Carol Robb. ·Knowing that voter registration fraud was taking place in Riverside County, Carol Robb got a list from the Registrar of Voters, containing new registrations and re-registrations between Aug. 18 and Sept. 3. That file was used to identify over 400 voters whose registration changed from Democrat, or "declined to state," to Republican. ·Calls were made to about 100 randomly selected voters from the 400+ on the list. Because of incorrect phone numbers, only 33 interviews were completed. · Phone interviews determined that 27, of the 33 voters reached had been "slammed" -- their party affiliation was improperly changed. ·The advice of the California Democratic Party was sought, and Bob Mulholland was designated to assist us. ·Carol Robb, Patrick Kahler, Sam Clauder, and Phil Robb (Carol's husband, retired Deputy DA) met with Kari Verjil and her key staff on Friday, September 12. The Registrar was given all information, including copies of our 33 telephone interview forms. ·Carol Robb also filed an on-line complaint with the DA's Public Integrity Unit. ·Carol and Sam kept in close contact with Bob Mulholland, who constantly urged us to "go public." ·When our calls to the DA's office were unreturned Monday and again Tuesday morning, Mulholland took matters into his own hands, and sent out a press release from the state party linking San Bernardino's situation to State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner's repeated press releases, about his personal funding of Republican voter registration bounty programs. ·In the meantime, the Registrar's office has handed over all information to both the District Attorney and the Secretary of State, with her request for immediate investigation. ·Congressman Baca was asked to call DA Mike Ramos to urge immediate action. ·Supervisor Josie Gonzalez has pledged to contact the DA's office and urge immediate action. ·A copy of our press release and other information has been shared with a representative of Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. Karen Bass will be meeting with both Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Attorney General Jerry Brown in the next day or so, and will share our information directly with them. SBD Republicans are trying to cast this as Democratic sour grapes but it's clear that there is something worth investigating here. Democrats held a press conference at 11 AM today to explain the matter to local media and demand an investigation and accountability. It's worth keeping in mind that this isn't just about the 2008 cycle - but that the involvement of Steve Poizner, a leading candidate for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2010, suggests this could be a long-term strategy for Republicans in California. Certainly the track record of YPM , the Republican firm at the center of the scandal and with many years of voter registration fraud dating back to at least 2004, suggests this to be the case. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLLj http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLLj/commentary#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:39:30 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLLj Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 2 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLLj/ According to the LA Times Don Perata is ready to wave the white flag and give in to Republican anti-tax demands: http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLLx http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLLx/commentary#comments Sat, 13 Sep 2008 07:13:21 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLLx Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLLx/ For the last seven years, today is usually a day I spend alone or with close friends reflecting on the horrific occurrences 7 years ago. As a 9/11 survivor, it's deeply personal. I usually call the people I worked with that day, who I evacuated with that day, who I feared I would never see my loved ones again with that day. Today, seven years later, I simply emailed them. Instead of being able to reflect and mourn what once was, I find myself furious as the Republican party continues to exploit this National tragedy for political gain. McPalin says they are very different Republicans who will change Washington. What's so different? The rhetoric is all the same and it is as simple as.. 1. Make people relive and relive and relive 9/11 with repeated comments and visuals to create fear 2. Talk about their national security prowess 3. Claim that Dems will make us more vulnerable 4. Count their millions of moderate votes Enough already! Last I checked, the Republicans, not the Democrats were running this country when we were attacked. The Republicans, not the Democrats, haven't found Bin Laden. The Republicans, not the Democrats brought us into a needless war crippling our economy. Not that any Republicans read this site, but to the GOP, "Stop exploiting a National tragedy for political and professional gain!". I'm a 9/11 survivor. I am and always have been against the war in Iraq. I support our troops. I CONSISTENTLY VOTE FOR PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS WITH GREAT PRIDE. To our progressive electeds...take the GOP on head-to-head on their exploitation and show them the Democratic party is better for national security and don't need to scare the public into voting for us! http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/darrelltucci/CLLC http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/darrelltucci/CLLC/commentary#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:07:12 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/darrelltucci/CLLC DevoPro http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/ed7ea701393ec9c9a5_jovgmvkr6.jpg DevoPro 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLLC/ That's what the Correctional Officers are considering, according to Matier and Ross : http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL34 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL34/commentary#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:10:47 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL34 Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL34/ The primary reason Republicans continue to hold the state hostage and deny us a budget is they are afraid that if they vote for a necessary tax increase, they will face a primary challenge from within their party, either for their current seat or for another office in the future. All such a challenger would have to do is say "Joe Blow voted for a tax increase" and the challenger, flush with money from the Club for Growth, the Howard Jarvis Association, and the other usual suspects will take out the incumbent. The only way to challenge that calculus is to suggest that these Republicans will face a greater backlash from voters than from other wingnuts. California voters, especially those in districts represented by Republicans, hold the most leverage in the current budget stalemate. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3f http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3f/commentary#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:19:46 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3f Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3f/ It's 1995 all over again, as Republican-induced government shutdowns are all the rage. Congressional Republicans are planning a shutdown in September if they don't get their way on drilling, which looks to be their core electoral strategy going into November. Here in California the possibility looms as Republicans show no sign of budging on the budget . Saturday is the deadline for adding propositions to the November ballot, and as most budget solutions proposed have involved going to voters - whether it's Arnold's lottery bonds, his sales tax plan, or the Republicans' spending cap demands, the deadline becomes all-important: http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3q http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3q/commentary#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:05:34 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3q Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3q/ That's what California Republicans are planning this summer, according the LA Times : GOP lawmakers hope to use their leverage over the state budget, which cannot pass without some of their votes, to roll back landmark policies implemented by Democrats and the governor. Among them are curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, regulations banning the dirtiest diesel engines and rules dictating when employers must provide lunch breaks for workers. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLXT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLXT/commentary#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:26:59 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLXT Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 1 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLXT/ Here in the dog days of April, as the state awaits the governor's May Revise, frustration seems to be setting in over the budget. The real political battles will begin in earnest after the May Revise, but the jockeying for position has been going on for some time, including in the state's media. Unsurprisingly, the media wants to spin the budget crisis as a failure of all Sacramento politicians, when in fact the current impasse is the responsibility of one group alone: the Republicans. As an article in Sunday's Sac Bee would have us believe , there is "scant support for budget changes." But a deeper look shows that while Democrats have already proposed budget fixes, such as closing the yacht loophole and creating an oil severance tax (as exists in nearly every other state), it is the Republicans alone that have blocked meaningful budget action. And why have they done so? Republicans want us to believe that *any* revenue solution is economically damaging: However, Sen. Dave Cogdill of Modesto, the GOP's incoming leader, said the state should not take away credits at a time when the economy is struggling. Other ideas that have yet to gain traction would raise income taxes on high-wage earners or amend Proposition 13 to assess businesses in the same way as residential property. The latter, known as "split-roll" property tax, would require that commercial and industrial properties be reassessed more regularly, bringing the state an estimated $3 billion annually. Cogdill dismissed all as non-starters. "We should help the general fund by stimulating the economy and be a more beneficial partner with industry, rather than stifling them," Cogdill said. But whose economy is stimulated by revenue cuts? Who actually sees this so-called economic growth? And who suffers from the spending cuts that are forced by the revenue cuts? A closer look at the overall situation shows that the Republicans' claims are nonsense. Tax cuts provide economic growth for a wealthy few, but cause economic distress for pretty much everyone else - *especially* when those tax cuts come at the expense of education. More below. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/BtX http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/BtX/commentary#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:17:10 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/BtX Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 1 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/BtX/ A new political advocacy group, California Forward has been established to further the pie in the sky notion of governing from the center. Its website says its charting a new path to more effective state governance and helping the state overcome political gridlock and improve government performance. All of this is counter to 158 years of state history. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/BWl http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/BWl/commentary#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:04:29 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/BWl Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/BWl/ The back and forth between the candidates, the fights over pastors and passports, is feeling less and less relevant and important. Especially for those of us here in California, where nearly 20,000 teachers got a layoff notice . Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative Republicans want to balance the budget on these teachers' backs, and refuse to even consider any tax increase to help close our structural revenue shortfall . As despicable as that is, perhaps the worst and most telling moment came last month when Republicans voted against closing a loophole favoring wealthy yacht owners . But with your help, we can turn this into the political breakthrough we need to finally turn this state around and beat back far-right ideology. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/BcS http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/BcS/commentary#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:02:43 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/BcS Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/BcS/ Why is it that when Democrats didn't vote for cloture on bills in the US Senate that it was called a "filibuster" by the media, but now that the Republicans are in the minority and won't vote for cloture the bills are "blocked" because they "didn't receive the votes" to clear a "procedural hurdle?" Of course I already know the answer to my own question. The media reports what politicians say and not what they do. Mitch McConnell says the Democrats are filibustering and the media reports that Democrats are filibustering. Harry Reid says they failed to get the votes for cloture, and the media reports that a procedural hurdle wasn't cleared. Don't get me wrong, I like Harry Reid. But he's lousy at spinning the media, and these days that's all the coverage we get. In a perfect world I'd prefer Harry Reid's accuracy over the buzz-words and sound bites of the Republicans, but this is not a perfect world. The Republicans, from their place in the minority, are still great at spin-- and as a result the coverage still paints them in a better light than they deserve. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/VMd http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/VMd/commentary#comments Wed, 04 Jul 2007 18:48:07 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/VMd Michael Ditto Michael Ditto 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/VMd/