When Republican officials aren't relying on denial when explaining away the "war on women," they rely on an old standby: questioning their opponents' patriotism.
"I find it offensive that the Democratic National Committee is using a term like that to describe policy differences," said Sean Spicer, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee. "It's not only bad, but it's downright pathetic they would use a term like 'war' when there are millions of Americans who actually have engaged in a real war. To use a term like that borders on unpatriotic."
Now, if Spicer wants to argue that "war" is an overused metaphor, reasonable people can at least have a conversation about it. Some on the left may even agree with him.
But the RNC spokesperson is just pushing his luck when he says the "war" metaphor itself is offensive, bordering on "unpatriotic." As Rachel noted on the show the other day, this is the same Republican National Committee that's complained about Democrats waging a "war on Appalachia," a "war on coal," and launching a "trade war with Mexico."
But we can go a little further with this. Poking around Mitt Romney's campaign website, for example, we see the likely Republican nominee expressing concern about Obama waging a "war on the entire coal industry," a "war on carbon dioxide," and a "war on the Catholic Church." Romney has also said the Obama administration has launched a "war on free enterprise" and a "war on religion."
I'm curious, does the Republican National Committee believe this is "downright pathetic," too? Or has Sean Spicer concluded that only one party's patriotism deserves to be questioned, even when Republicans are using the identical metaphor?
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"Or has Sean Spicer concluded that only one party's patriotism deserves to be questioned, even when Republicans are using the identical metaphor?"
Its actually the old GOP standby "Hypocrisy"! Do as we say, not as we do....
Another way to say war on women, " Giving liberal Men a Free pass when it come to being responsible" I thought that the only time a woman needed contraception that a Man was present too. I guess when it comes to liberals there are no men.
amazing how a supposed medical doctor doesn't know that contraception is used for more things than stopping pregnancy
Sigh
doctor troll
chemdmd
In this day and age, are you ACTUALLY implying that women should turn over the responsibility for their bodies and their reproduction to MEN?????
What cave have you been hiding out in for the last 40 years???
Wow, as slow a reader as I am, I just finished reading that part in Ms. Maddow's book!
Every day poses a fresh opportunity to say; IOKIYAR.
War on the coal industry? Really? I suppose they're claiming that with new EPA regulations, they (the Obama administration) are killing the coal industry by forcing power companies to close coal-fired generating plants. The truth is that, while some plants factor in EPA regulations in deciding whether to close, an equally important factor is the price of the coal they would burn. Right now, coal prices are way up from 10 years ago. That drives up the price to produce a MWHr. The higher prices are due to demand from other countries for our coal. So I don't think the coal industry is going to die anytime soon. In fact, they are probably seeing record profits. Nice try (but just another lie), Mitt.
Where did you get your info, because I just watched an interview with the Pennsylvania coal associations president and he said just the opposite of everything you just claimed. I would love to have see just one liberal give one complete fact to any of their many claims.
So he said there's no war on coal? Good to know
chemdmd,
I got my info from the Director of Generation Assets at the electric cooperative where I work. I'm in charge of regulatory compliance there. Still don't think I know what I'm talking about?
And if the president of the PA coal association really said the opposite of everything I said, that means he said that power plants don't factor in EPA regs or the cost of coal in their decisions, the price of coal has gone way down the last 10 years, and when the cost of coal goes up, it costs LESS to produce electricity. If he really said those things, he's either lying or he's a fool.
Coal was $31 a tonne in 1990. The price remained steady until 2001. It has risen since then and was $70 a tonne in 2010 the last year I could find stats on it. Looks like the world market has priced some coal fired plants out of the coal business. Thank you Google and BP oil for the stats. There's a railroad line a couple of miles from my house that goes to the port of Norfolk VA. Coal train traffic is picking up. I think the coal industry is doing just fine.
I live in Alaska, and while I want to believe Lisa Murkowski the entire situation leave me feeling like a scorned girlfriend. Lisa tells me she will never cheat on me again, she loves me, I take her back and low and behold she cheats again. I don't believe anything she says anymore. She gets no pass from this woman at war.
If Sen. Murkowski is so upset about the GOP's "war on women," then why did she vote for Blunt-Rubio? Doesn't that make her one of the party's foot soldiers?
Too bad no one seems to be waging a "War on war".
that would be sort of like the (self-contradicting) Myanmar slogan "Crush all destructive elements" wouldn't it?
Maybe they prefer the word Battle like in the old days. The Battle of Gettysburg or The Civil War Battle They are after all living in the past.
Yes, American women have engaged in foreign wars, and we are just as well-prepared to defend our home front. Don't expect it to be just a friendly game of tug of war either. This is serious political business, and we know how to strongly voice our opinions, as well as vote our enemies down.
How about the next "war on" be the war on tax dodgers like Willard Mitt Romney.Does the republican/tea party consider him a true patriot when he hides his money in offshore accounts to avoid paying his fair share of taxes? This is a man that wants to be elected President? As far as I'm concerned,he does not love his country,he loves Willard Mitt Romney. Other tax payers supplement his income to pay for those multimillion dollar homes and the Cadillacs his wife drives.
Well said.
It's a war on war. I think the left should start a war on hypocrisy.
Actually I believe with all accuracy this should be a news story.
"RNC spokesperson implies Mitt Romney's campaign is 'unpatriotic.'"
Sean Spicer, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, when referring to use of the term "war" to describe policy differences between Democrats and Republicans, Spicer stated "It's not only bad, but it's downright pathetic they would use a term like 'war' when there are millions of Americans who actually have engaged in a real war. To use a term like that borders on unpatriotic." Mitt Romney's campaign has used this term often. On Romney's website we see the likely Republican nominee expressing concern about Obama waging a "war on the entire coal industry," a "war on carbon dioxide," and a "war on the Catholic Church." Romney has also said the Obama administration has launched a "war on free enterprise" and a "war on religion." Clearly the RNC spokesperson has indicated he does not agree with the rhetoric used by the Romney campaign is being run.
The news story is accurate and does not take his quote out of context because he does imply that ANYONE who uses the term does so improperly.
They don't want to call it a war unless some profits are to be made
Ouch!! Bingo!!!
The only thing the GOP is actually consistent about is their uncanny and unwavering ability to be utterly hypocritical. "do as I say not as I do" would be the most truthful campaign slogan for a Republican running for office ever.
But in the interest of compromise, ok no more "war on.." then what should we call everything they've done to under mind the rights of women? An attack? A Battle?...nope...I got nothin...
Why do Republicans suck so much?
Actually Republicans don't suck. What sucks are these "new" people who have NOTHING in common with real Republicans except that they appropriated the name. They are not like anything I knew when I was with the party and what they want is sometimes hard to describe, so I guess the shortest way to describe these "new" Republicans is with a story:
Once upon a time in the 70's, there was a little boy who walked into a roomful of toys. Boy, was he happy! These ALL belonged to him!!! That is - until Mother came in and said he had to share the toys with his brothers and sisters. He was MAD!
Now he couldn't get mad at MOTHER so he got VERY VERY mad at his brothers and sisters. Well, as he grew up, he accumulated as many toys as he could get. Then one day, he had almost all the toys!! But he was still MAD at his brothers and sisters!
Now it is 2012, and because he had to share with his brothers and sisters when he was little, he is determined that they would NEVER get any of the toys and not only that, he is going to punish them forever for the fact that they even wanted any of the toys!!!
If you consider the little boy as "old white guys", brothers and sisters as minorities and women - VOILA - you have the "new" Republican Party!!!
What "oncearepublican" said - the neo-publicans claim the Democrats all of the sudden have become card carrying Communists - which is stupid since even the communists are converting to capitalism. If anything the Democratic party has drifted to the right. Some older Democrats even view President Obama as "Bush Lite".
Dig out your copy of Asimov's Foundation Trilogy for the fable about man domesticating the horse to understand what happened to the Republican Party.
===
The Horse, fearing the Wolf decided to offer Man a temporary partnership in order to kill their mutual enemy - the Wolf. The Man agreed but pointed out that he needed to put a saddle and bridle on the Horse in order to do the job. The Horse agreed, Man mounted up and together they killed the Wolf. The Horse thanked the Man and said "Now that our enemy is dead, remove the bridle and saddle and restore my freedom." In response to this the Man laughed and said "The hell you say - giddy-up Dobbin" and applied the spurs with a will.
===
The Neo-Teao-Theo-cons offered the mainstream Republican Party the same thing - "we can help you defeat the Democrats". Once they were firmly in the saddle with bridle in hand, they then went about applying the spurs with a will - Giddy-up Dobbin!
Adam_Selene
But I thought that is the only word they understand? "WAR" that should get their attention, no? Isn't that the point of a catchphrase?
Ohw....and who is screaming "Class Warfare"? Or is that ok since the word "war" is in the middle? I swear I can't keep up with the Republican logic.
Because there is no logical reason(s) to explain way reasonable thinking republicans surrender their party to the far right radicals. They have allowed themselves to be bullied by zealots of all stripes.
The RNC is "pathetic" and "un-patriotic"- it's about time they get some brain cells and realize we're not all as gullible as the right wing idiots-
We can only hope.
So, they don't like what they see in the mirror, and somehow it's the mirror's fault?
You forget the War on Drugs, the War on Terror and the War on Families.
The reason the Right don't like "The War on Women" and terms like Class Warfare, isn't because they dislike the metaphor, or because they, the great exaggerators, are somehow offended by hyperbole. No.
It's because they firmly believe that they hold the copyright to that phrase.
"How dare the liberals declare there is a war on something. We are the patriots, we declare the wars."
Don't forget the "War on Christmas"
War on women flows off the tongue more smoothly than the GOP's formerly surreptitious, ALEC inspired systemic, repression of women's freedoms on a statewide level.
Oh for crying out loud, people. With all the major problems facing this country, they're bickering about semantics? Get a life!
It doesn't matter what you call it, it is what it is. Like I care what they think- they are the ones who brought all of it on themselves. These crackpots probably thought women would be thrilled with all the disgusting legislation being passed and the slurs being cast. They are all, quite clearly, idiots. By the way, it isn't the DNC that came up with the phrase, it was the WOMEN in the country that came up with it.
Republicans believe that corporations are people, but they clearly believe the WOMEN are NOT!
Life is beginning to perilously imitate fiction with the republican party. Where is our James Bond to save us from the Auric Goldfinger's and Hugo Drax's of the world, in this case being the Koch brothers from destroying the American system as we know it.
I would like to carry Wendy Isabel's comment further. Why would any woman ever vote republican again. They are the abusive boyfriend/husband who abuses and then promises he'll never do it again if you take him back. You take him back, and of course he abuses again. Republicans will say ANYTHING to get elected but they don't mean it. Just look at the 2010 midterm elections. Weren't they promising to work on jobs. What were their proposals? All sorts of things against women's choice--nothing on the jobs front. So don't talk about what they can do to win women back. Talk about the fact women should never trust them again, EVER. Contraception is vital to women. Planning families gives them the power to control their lives and do what they think is best. The repubs will wake up one of these days are start singing the tune they didn't mean to attack women and we need to respond that we will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER again trust them no matter what they say.
I just wonder whether they think about the fact that the more they ban/make it hard to get contraception, the more men, including those legislators themselves, will have to wear condoms?
Professional Republicans are liars who have a keen sense of how to manipulate the language. There is no substance in the person, and no credibility in the rhetoric. Their ideology has given them some catch phrases that have worked well for the last 40-50 years, and the spokespeople toss them about with abandon. The best thing is just to shake your head and walk away. There's nothing but rot and filth if you get too close.
Jim I agree burning all republicans at the stake is to nice of a sendoff.