We found this transcript of a David Welna NPR broadcast via Lexis-Nexis. And while the transcriber appears to have mis-heard "Defense of Democracies" as "Defensive Democracies," there's some perverse ring of truth to that malapropism.
From Immunity Issue at Center of FISA Fight:
WELNA: Already a group calling itself Defensive Democracies [sic] is airing this ad on TV stations across the nation.
(Soundbite of TV ad): Senate Democrats and Republicans vote overwhelmingly to extend terrorist surveillance, but the House refuses to vote and instead goes on vacation, so new surveillance against terrorists is crippled.
WELNA: In the ad's kicker, the group targets House Democrats in specific districts such as Minnesota Freshman Tim Walz.
(Soundbite of TV ad): Tell Tim Walz that Congress must do its job and pass the Senate's Terrorist Surveillance bill to keep us all safe.
WELNA: But Walz appears unbound. Outside the House chamber he declares he's confident he won't be punished at the polls for opposing retroactive immunity.
TIM WALZ (Democrat, Minnesota): I think that the confidence comes from the fact that we know what they're saying is untrue and I know that the administration has tried to spin this issue that's reckless and dangerous because there's many of us who have concerns with updating FISA, having the ability to listen to those who want to do harm to us, but we also know what they're saying is simply not the truth. So I think many of us are reflecting a confidence in that this crying wolf thing isn't sticking anymore.
We can think of one Minnesota Congresswoman who is stuck to that rhetorical fly paper. Joe Bodell at MnCR easy dispels her Crying Wolf, version 34567.2. Particularly cutting:
Bachmann continues:
Since 2001, attack after attack has been averted -- including a plot to destroy American-bound airliners with liquid explosives. Indeed, last year, the Heritage Foundation compiled a list of 19 confirmed terror plots against American targets that had been thwarted.
This sounds nice, except that the Protect America Act was the temporary legislation, put into effect last August, that expired this month. That's about six and a half months of life for that legislation, which Bachmann tries to turn into the sole barrier standing in the way of terrorist attacks against American citizens for the past seven years. Every one of those 19 attacks was thwarted before the passage of the Protect America Act.
Do you suppose Congressman Walz had Bachmann's particularly bogus talking point on his list when he said "What they're saying is simply not the truth"?
Photo courtesy of Joe Lencioni's Shifting Pixel.
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