...which pundit / columnist / blogger / whoever it was who suggested back in the ancient times before the 2004 election that we run on the narrative that this article's headline suggests: the Repukes are all phonies, fakes, imposters.

They pretend to a common touch that they have to put on, to conceal their privileged backgrounds and lives.

They talk tough and swagger to cover the fact that most of them never even put on a uniform, let alone put themselves in harm's way, as they ask hundreds of thousands of other Americans to do.

They prattle on about getting government and the "elites" off our backs, while they put that same government into our bedrooms and our hospital rooms, and put big business on our backs.

They promise to give "us" back "our" money -- and then give US federal income tax cuts of $30 to $300, while our state and local taxes go up by MORE than that to offset the loss of federal funds -- AND our payroll taxes go through the roof. Meanwhile, the top 1% get tax cuts of 30 to 300 THOUSAND dollars.

The Repukes are phonies -- and every normal American hates a phony.

THAT's a story that the "Reagan Democrats," the "Security Moms," the "NASCAR Dads," all the consultants' favorite voter-flavors-of-the-month can respect and get behind. THAT's a winning narrative. It even takes a leaf from the Rovian playbook: don't attack your enemy's weak spot, attack their strongest spots.

Why won't our side use it?

The article referenced an enterprise to "help" youth "afflicted" by same-sex temptations called "Love in Action's Refuge" -- which could of course be referred to only by its acronym, "LIAR."

WHAT could possibly possess anyone with the slightest clue about PR to name their organization "LIAR"?! Could it be.....

SATAN?!

Hmm??

Or, to be more precise, not JUST the war -- not even primarily the war.

For most of us, the war is secondary -- there are lots of Dem "leaders" (one does have to use the term very loosely of course, as the dictionary definition clearly does not apply to people who don't... lead) who supported the war at the time, and a large number who still do. We don't necessarily agree with them, but we don't challenge their Dem bona fides.

What puts Lie-berman WAY beyond the pale is his unremitting, unfailing willingness to parrot Republican lies, to further their narratives, to give aid and support to an entire cabal and its underlying "philosophy" that are directly antithetical to what America itself has always, at least in terms of ideals, stood for.

This has provided the Bush administration with its veneer of "bipartisan" support when necessary, and has furthered the entire reframing of the political world around the axis of deceit promulgated by the Hannitys, the Russerts, the O'Reillys.

And that's before we even bring up the support for the toughening of bankruptcy laws at the behest of Lieberman's obvious real constituency, the banks and financial firms; the support he gave to the Alito and Roberts justice-ships; the willingness he showed to demolish Social Security, under the guise of "reform;" and his obscene willingness to allow hospitals to turn away rape victims and others in need of "morning after" contraception. (Oh yeah, let's not forget the willingness to help Lynne Cheney in trying to muzzle all those outspoken academics who are, needless to say, working to destroy America.)

Even his declared intent to run as an independent, should he (G-d willing!) lose the Democratic primary is less of an issue unto itself than it is a metaphor, a thumbnail encapsulation, of an entire career that has clearly been given over to the pursuit and maintenance of power by the powerful -- and screw the citizenry.

No, Joe. Screw you.

ps -- 6 out of 8. Just as the possters upthread said: look for the less articulate wording, and That's Our Bush!