We are seeing all over the MSM the reports highlighting the Republicans in the House and Senate who are turning away from the Party line and voting against -- or at least seeming to vote against -- the President's Iraq war policies. The MSM is presenting this revolt as a momentous thing, unprecedented and presenting it as a loss for the President's ideas. Yet, even as a small number of Republicans have, indeed, voted against the Party line, an even larger number of Democrats are voting against their Party, too. Yet, somehow, we are not hearing this being brought up by the tongue waggers and controversy-mongers in the MSM.
In a July 12th vote in the House of Representatives to mandate a certain date to pull out of Iraq, for instance, the fact that four Republicans broke ranks is treated as a stampede of GOP defectors. Yet, in that same vote, 10 Democrats did not vote with their Party -- in effect "defecting" to the GOP side of the argument. Of this fact, the MSM seem strangely quite.
Why is it that four Republican votes against the President's plans is some sort of landslide, yet 10 Democrat votes against their Party line is ignored?
Here are just a few reports that take pains to highlight the GOP defectors and either never mention the Democrat votes, or they do not much focus on them.
(Reuters) REPUBLICANS BREAKING RANKS
The White House report is being sent to Congress after several prominent Republicans have broken ranks with Bush on Iraq, adding momentum to Democratic-led efforts to try to force a scaling-back of troop levels more than four years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
For now, at least, Mr. Bush has rejected the advice of those who have urged him to hint at a timeline for withdrawal, concluding that to follow that course would only have emboldened Republican rebels and others in Congress to go even further in trying to reshape his strategy.
(San Francisco Chronicle) Republican congressional support for President Bush's Iraq war policy may be splintering, but enough GOP senators remained united with the president Wednesday to sidetrack legislation that would have made it harder to return military units to the war zone.
About the only more in depth story I could find that gives the actual vote totals, was on on the AP.
House OKs Plan to Withdraw US Troops
The vote generally followed party lines: 219 Democrats and four Republicans in favor, and 191 Republicans and 10 Democrats opposed.
But, this is the only mention I have seen of the Democrat votes against their Party being so much higher than the GOP "defectors" votes.
So, once again, we have the troubles of the GOP spotlighted as if nothing like this has ever happened, yet the even larger Democrat "defectors" is ignored as not worthy of discussion!
Once again we see the MSM at work, folks. At work smoothing the waters for the Democrat Party.
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When Republcans vote opposi
July 13, 2007 - 05:31 ET by motherbeltWhen Republcans vote opposite to most of the party, they "defect"; a Democrat doing the same "takes a principled stand" in opposition. When Democrats all vote the same, they are "united", Republicans doing the same are "in lockstep."
See how easy it is?
And a RINO who defects from t
July 13, 2007 - 07:53 ET by HypocriteHaterAnd a RINO who defects from the GOP is a "Maverick" while a DINO is a "traitor".
RINOs are never identified.
July 13, 2007 - 07:53 ET by drillanwrRINOs are never identified. Democrats supporting the Republican President on something are party weasels that will not get party support in re-elections (see Joe Lieberman).
When Democrats all vote the same, they are "united", Republicans doing the same are "in lockstep."
You forgot and are in violation of the Constitution, when it regards Republicans.
Warner, please post for the
July 13, 2007 - 07:54 ET by dscottWarner, please post for the record which four House Repubs do not stand behind our troops. Better yet, please post the 10 Dems who actually have a lick of common sense to put their country ahead of their party.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius
The usual suspects on the Sen
July 13, 2007 - 13:47 ET by dscottThe usual suspects on the Senate side: Sens. Lugar, Voinovich, Domenici, Snowe and Warner
Just wait until you guys have to get to the primaries when your terms are up, you know about paybacks...
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius
AKA saying the vote was large
July 13, 2007 - 08:11 ET by FishFace222AKA saying the vote was largely along party lines when a couple of dems vote with Republicans and a vote is bi-partisan when a couple of republicans vote with dems.
I saw the Democratic Defectio
July 13, 2007 - 08:12 ET by JayTeeI saw the Democratic Defection numbers on C-span last night, and I did hear the republican Denounce the ignorant Journalists and remind them the numbers have not changed all week....zero defections...same 4 guys on Republican side no new defections.
They iterated this "Can you count?" at the News Conf. on the Report on Iraq Benchmark progress......one wonders if the 8 out of 18 Benchmark numbers are even accurate coming from the Press.
We are now at the point where the "journalist" and MSM can't even be depended upon to COUNT. A new low in Reporting.....Americans can count, and I think we are pretty much counting the MSM out of the picture for Information and Reporting of same. Bias has deteriorated to ignorance and Flatulance......they're blowing smoke at us, and it stinks.
What good is a Free Press, if it is a False Press ? David Foote GoE
Thanks for the story WTH -
July 13, 2007 - 08:15 ET by Dee BunkThanks for the story WTH - I didn't even know that 10 dems had broken ranks. I was thinking about the situation when Zell Miller and Joe Leiberman broke ranks and how they were treated. There were also other Dems who agreed with them in 2004 but because those two were able to get publicity about it they portrayed them as traitors.
Dems who break ranks receive no coverage unless they happen to manufacture it on their own (by speaking at a large public event or running for Pres) at which point they are demonized. Reps who break ranks receive as much coverage as possible and are celebrated for being independent.
I heard the outcome of the vo
July 13, 2007 - 13:10 ET by RESTLESS 1I heard the outcome of the vote while leaving work yesterday. 223-201. Then it dawned on me, the difference is only 12. I knew that some republicans voted with the democrats and surmised that more democrats must have voted against the bill than there were republicans who voted for it. Simple math. You can't expect the msm to be able to do such things in their head. This is complicated stuff. I was going to research the votes to figure the true numbers as pertains to defectors but this thread has saved me some time. Thanks.