FROM THE URBAN DICTIONARY:
2. ratfuckWe Democrats aren’t particularly adept at ratfucking, having a tendency to foolishly focus on, you know, boring old issues instead of, say, suggesting that a white primary opponent fathered a black love child to swing a race.
Politics: Formerly known as "the double-cross," it refers to infiltration and sabotage of the opposition party, particularly during (but not limited to) an election campaign. The second half of "All the President's Men" describes ratfucking done to 1972 Democratic presidential candidates by employees of the Committee to Re-Elect Nixon.
That’s why most Americans are not familiar with John McCain’s nickname at the Hanoi Hilton – “Songbird” – and why last night’s claim that McCain never turned his back on America during his captivity (despite the fact that he made more than 30 propaganda films for the Vietnamese) likely sailed over most viewers’ heads without a hint of cognitive dissonance.
Let me be clear: I would have made 3,000 propaganda films if I were in McCain’s shoes, and my captors wouldn’t have had to severely torture me to get my cooperation either. Lighting a match, blowing it out and threatening to touch me with it probably would have done the trick.
But the point isn’t whether or not McCain’s actions were wholly understandable – they were – it’s that probably not one in a thousand voters even knows about them. Why? Because Democrats don’t operate that way. And you know what? That’s okay with me. It’s more than okay – it’s one of the reasons I’m proud to be a Democrat.
To paraphrase the Holy Christian Bible (Mark 8:36, as right-wing Christianist loon Governor Palin would surely know), “For what shall it profit a party, if it shall ratfuck its way to electoral victory, and lose its own soul?” Can I get an a-fucking-men? But does this mean we can only turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38) while ratfuckers go wilding on our candidates and not offer a peep in protest? To paraphrase Jesus, “Not!” (Matthew 5:42).
I propose we lift another page from the fundie playbook. I say to prevent ratfuckery, we hold a rat purity ball. Oh, I know purity balls don’t always work, but that’s merely a flaw in my metaphor, not a fault in my plan: Unlike hormonal teens, political rats can’t get it on if they’re exposed for what they are. Call it Operation Rat Chastity.
Like any cause festooned with military imagery, Operation Rat Chastity needs a mission statement:
To expose anti-progressive organizations attempting to sow discord within the Democratic base as the GOP shills and/or tools that they are.My friends, we are in a target-rich environment, what with the PUMA organizations casting about for another cause under which to rally (and raise money) and finding that – surprise! surprise! – they like the cut of the feisty Governor Palin’s jib.
This surprises no one who has been paying attention. Kevin K. at Rumproast has done more than anyone to reveal the PUMA PAC founder, fake Hillaryite Darragh Murphy, as the avid McCain supporter she has been for at least eight years. But we need more rat chastity belts, folks.
I think I’ll start with The Denver Group, which was founded by former Taylor Marsh pimper and bovine apparel aficionado Heidi Li Feldman, a woman so incredibly pretentious that she signs each blog post as “Heidi Li Feldman, J.D., Ph.D.”
I’ve been watching this group for awhile because I find it galling that they are using ActBlue, a fundraising tool designed to promote progressive candidates, to trash Obama. I had an email exchange with ActBlue about this in mid-July, and they informed me at that time that there was nothing they could do about The Denver Group using ActBlue to raise funds since the group had not formally come out against the Democratic nominee but was instead agitating for a roll call vote for Senator Clinton. Fair enough, if not entirely accurate since the group was relentlessly trashing the presumptive nominee long before the convention.
But predictably, after the DNC concluded, The Denver Group shifted gears, and it has currently raised nearly $40K -- via ActBlue -- to run ads in swing states urging voters to help defeat Obama to “send a message” to the DNC. Today, I called ActBlue’s attention to this latest twist, and they were, shall we say, a bit more receptive.
We’ll see what comes of it, if anything. Maybe Heidi Li (J.D., Ph.D.) will be forced to raise money via PayPal instead. Maybe she’ll have a harder time getting access to the money while ActBlue investigates the group’s status. Maybe nothing will happen at all and the group will be allowed to continue to use a progressive fundraising tool against the most progressive candidate in the presidential race.
But the point is, my friends, we can be flies in the ointment, monkeys in the wrench. If nothing else, we can expose the GOP operatives and dupes for what they are to whatever audience we have. Next up, a group that styles itself as The New Agenda. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: I have just been informed by ActBlue that they will be giving The Denver Group the heave-ho! Suck on that, Heidi Li Feldman, J.D., Ph.D., Esquire!
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