Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Joe Biden Torches Mitt Romney For 'Flagrantly Dishonest' Jeep Ad

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden tore into Mitt Romney on Wednesday for running ads with a widely debunked claim about Chrysler and General Motors shipping American jobs to China, saying it calls into question the character of the Republican presidential nominee.

During a campaign event in Sarasota, Fla., Biden called the latest ad one of the "most scurrilous" and "most flagrantly dishonest ads I can remember in my political career." The worst part, he said, is that the ad actually caused workers to call United Auto Workers and ask if it was true.

"What a cynical, cynical thing to do," Biden said of Romney.

The ads, which are being run on TV and on the radio, state that Chrysler and GM are shipping their jeep production overseas. A GM spokesman responded Tuesday with an unusually sharp rebuke, saying Romney has "clearly entered some parallel universe" and that it reflects "campaign politics at its cynical worst." Similarly, a Chrysler spokesman said there was "no validity" to the ad. Instead, the spokesman said, the company is looking to open new factories in China to meet increasing demand there, a move that would not involve outsourcing American jobs.

Biden's comments on Wednesday marked the first time he's addressed the matter. He said he's never heard of a corporation wading into a election in the final hours of a campaign to give a description of what a presidential candidate is doing. But he said GM's response was right on the money.

"That's the best description I've ever heard of the Romney/Ryan ticket," Biden said.

The vice president said the ad calls into question something even greater about Romney: his character. He asked people to consider who they trust more in this election.

"Presidential elections are overwhelmingly about character," said Biden. "My guy, your guy, has character ... [He] does not engage in deception. He means what he says."

Shortly after Biden's remarks, Romney's vice presidential running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), responded by insisting the campaign's ads are accurate.

"American taxpayers are on track to lose $25 billion as a result of President Obama’s handling of the auto bailout, and GM and Chrysler are expanding their production overseas," Ryan said in a statement. "These are facts that voters deserve to know as they listen to the claims President Obama and his campaign are making. President Obama has chosen not to run on the facts of his record, but he can’t run from them."

Original Article
Source: huffington post
Author:  Jennifer Bendery 

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