Now that the Republicans are in control, their "reform policies" are conveniently abandoned

deftron

Lifer
Nov 17, 2000
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Remember the whole GOP revolution promising term limits, new ethics rules, and a "balanced budget" ?


Guess they forgot

"Party adopts practices that it once criticized "

Term limits = dismissed

Congressional ethics rules = reversed

Balanced budget = abandoned





 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
26,521
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I'm sure this is just a fabrication of the "liberal media"......
rolleye.gif
 

Peetoeng

Golden Member
Dec 21, 2000
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Originally posted by: deftron
Remember the whole GOP revolution promising term limits, new ethics rules, and a "balanced budget" ?


Guess they forgot


Term limits = dismissed

Congressional ethics rules = reversed

Balanced budget = abandoned

People forget, you know. But don't worry they will remember when they are up for re-election.
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
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Bah.. I don't believe you; I haven't seen any such coverage on FOX News, and they're "fair and balanced"..
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
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I'm sure this is just a fabrication of the "liberal media"......
Well, not a fabrication of fact, more like bias by suggestive or implied meaning, yes. Here is one of their favorites:
Eight years after wresting control of the House of Representatives, the party that waged the ''Republican Revolution'' has become somewhat less revolutionary.
Did you see it? When the Democrats take control of either house, or the presidency, a governorship, a mayoral seat, mainstream media typically describes it as "winning" control. Hey, winning! Everybody loves a winner! Viva la winning!

Ah, but the Republicans, presumably supported only by corporations who cannot vote, "wrestle" their elections away from their opponents. That sounds like a big bully, nobody likes a bully. Booo! Down with bullies who 'wrestle' elections away!

Its this kind of unmistakable suggestive metaphorical use which OOZES from the mainstream media. Another common one is how their darling political organizations are referred to as "advocacy groups", "public interest groups", "civil liberties groups", while those they do not like are "special interests" and their "lobbies". Yay for advocacy groups! Boo for evil lobbies and special interests!

There are DOZENS more, but you get the idea.

Now I don't believe for one second this is all the result of some organized or deliberate 'effort' ala 'the vast leftwing conspiracy', but at the same time, one would be a fool NOT to believe that at least SOME of it is deliberate and witting.

Instead, I believe most of it, not all, but most, is done rather innocently and stems from the fact that some 70% - 80% of journalists in mainstream media consistently identify or categorize their personal viewpoints in surveys and questionares as being left of center in some form or another. Even when they identify themselves as 'centrist', they don't mean Anthony Kennedy 'centrist', they mean Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'centrist'. Note: Generally Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not described as 'centrist' by anyone other than those who are left of her.

Their own personal viewpoints unwittingly come through in their journalism. If you personally despise the National Rifle Association and everything it stands for, there is a real chance that you will fall short of writing a balanced and fair article touching upon the National Rifle Association and its positions even if you make it your professional mission to be fair and balance. Some might approach this goal of 'neutrality' in both overtone and undertone, yet still fall short. Some will hit close enough to call a bulls-eye, for all intent and purposes. And that is only those journalists who make an honorable attempt to restrain their personal viewpoints.

We still have those who make not an honorable attempt to restrain their personal viewpoint, but more of an attempt to appear as though they are restraining their personal viewpoint, and those who make no attempt at all.

I believe MOST journalists make an honorable attempt to be fair, whatever the result or outcome.
 

deftron

Lifer
Nov 17, 2000
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The word they used was wresting ... not wrestle.


Wresting means "to gain with difficulty by or as if by force, violence, or determined labor "

The last example seems to be the implied one. The Republican party was a minority for 40 years in the House, but
with persistence, they were able to overcome the difficult challenge of "winning" a majority.

 

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
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tcsenter,
failed to talk about the issue there, you got kinda cought up in the wording and the writers opinion, you should be a politician

nice rant though
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,896
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The word they used was wrestling ... not wrestle.
Well, that makes all the difference then! It was "wrestling", not "wrestle". lmao!
rolleye.gif


Definitions in a vaccum do not capture how using a particular word in a particular way might convey a certain connotation.
The last example seems to be the implied one. The Republican party was a minority for 40 years in the House, but with persistence, they were able to overcome the difficult challenge of "winning" a majority.
Hmm, the word was, as you've kindly pointed out, "wrestling", not "winning".
 

NogginBoink

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
5,322
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Originally posted by: deftron
Remember the whole GOP revolution promising term limits, new ethics rules, and a "balanced budget" ?


Guess they forgot

"Party adopts practices that it once criticized "

Term limits = dismissed

Congressional ethics rules = reversed

Balanced budget = abandoned

As a republican, yes, I remember. :(

It pisses me off too. I don't know if I can bring myself to vote democrat, however. You know, the whole lesser of two evils thing.
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,896
553
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tcsenter, failed to talk about the issue there, you got kinda cought up in the wording and the writers opinion, you should be a politician
Well it was not my intention to discuss the finer points of the article, which I clearly indicated by my quoting of Flavio's statement about 'being fabricated by the liberal media', to which I was responding.
nice rant though
Thanks! :D
 

nord1899

Platinum Member
Jun 18, 2001
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tcsenter, you have to admit that very little of the "Contract With America" has been fulfilled. And that was one of the key points of the Republicans wresting control of Congress from the Democrats.
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
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553
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Ah! Ok, my mind seemed to insert an "L" in there. Wrest-ING. Got it now. Thank you to those who were trying to bring this to my attention. :D

Ok, so Wresting means 'to gain with difficulty by or as if by force, violence, or determined labor'. Hmm, I'm not sure if that is worse, better, or the same as "wrestling". To gain with difficulty by or as if by force or violence.

Still conveys pretty much the same connotation if not worse.
 
Dec 27, 2001
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Er, um, didn't they just wrestle control a few weeks ago? Seems a little premature to be whining already, but, hey, stick with what you do best I guess.
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,218
8
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Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Er, um, didn't they just wrestle control a few weeks ago? Seems a little premature to be whining already, but, hey, stick with what you do best I guess.

"Eight years after wresting control of the House of Representatives"
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
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Originally posted by: deftron
Remember the whole GOP revolution promising term limits, new ethics rules, and a "balanced budget" ?


Guess they forgot

"Party adopts practices that it once criticized "

Term limits = dismissed

Congressional ethics rules = reversed

Balanced budget = abandoned



What did you expect. Talk all you can to get poor people to vote for ya, then when in office only do whats good for you and the people that gave a couple of 100K or more, it the Republican way.

 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Er, um, didn't they just wrestle control a few weeks ago? Seems a little premature to be whining already, but, hey, stick with what you do best I guess.
You're thinking of the Senate not the House of Representatives.
 

LH

Golden Member
Feb 16, 2002
1,604
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The reason they abandoned term limits, was it would never pass the house and senate, and self-imposed term limits severely hurt the party. The only hypocrits are those that signed the term limit pact, theres 10 of them that reneged as stated in the article. Most that went along with it quit after 3 terms.

And about the balanced budget. You cant compare the republicans demanding a balanced budget in a boom peace time, and now trying to balance a budget on in a waining economy during war.

 

flavio

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,823
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Originally posted by: tcsenter

Its this kind of unmistakable suggestive metaphorical use which OOZES from the mainstream media. Another common one is how their darling political organizations are referred to as "advocacy groups", "public interest groups", "civil liberties groups", while those they do not like are "special interests" and their "lobbies". Yay for advocacy groups! Boo for evil lobbies and special interests!

You know a lot od peolple think that the media is run by conservatives too. I happen to think that THE MEDIA is made up of more than one person and that some of them have different viewpoints than others.

 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
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Originally posted by: LH

And about the balanced budget. You cant compare the republicans demanding a balanced budget in a boom peace time, and now trying to balance a budget on in a waining economy during war.
Yes, you can never compare anything Republicans do with anything that they criticize the Democrats for doing. It's always TOTALLY different.
rolleye.gif
 

Quixfire

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2001
6,892
0
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Marlin1975
I thought you said Bill Clinton balanced the budget, but this article claims the Republicans did it. Doesn't that upset you?

Supertool
Democrats=Liars
 

deftron

Lifer
Nov 17, 2000
10,868
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Originally posted by: Quixfire
Marlin1975
I thought you said Bill Clinton balanced the budget, but this article claims the Republicans did it. Doesn't that upset you?

Supertool
Democrats=Liars



If read the article, you would have seen that Republicans=Liars


Clinton balanced the budget by streamlining the military in a good economy...

Mow we have a bad economy, and are builiding up our military for war... wonder whats gonna happen.