Note Found In Vandalized Classroom: "A Republican Was Here."

[paft.livejournal.com]

Boston Herald.com

When the teacher, Paul Clifford, returned to his classroom Monday morning, he discovered that a collage depicting the history of the labor movement was missing. In its place, someone had left a bumper sticker reading: 'Working People Vote Republican.'

Caucus members also apparently looked inside a closed cardboard box near Clifford’s desk that contained copies of the U.S. Constitution donated by the American Civil Liberties Union. Clifford later discovered a note left behind reading, 'A Republican was here. What gives you the right to propagandize impressionable kids?' according to an account in the Portland Press Herald.

A public school in Maine allowed a contingent of Republicans to meet in their classrooms over a weekend. The result was a rifled and vandalized classroom and stolen materials.

It’s nice to know that the Maine Republican Party had the grace to apologize:

Villagesoup:

The Maine Republican Party does not condone the destruction of property nor does it encourage the lack of tolerance that these people demonstrated. Over 900 other people attended these caucuses without incident and I hope that the actions of few do not tarnish the image of many. We appreciate the hospitality of the staff from the King Middle School and hope to work with them again in the future. We sincerely apologize to the faculty and student body at King Middle School.

The problem is, that same contingent rooting around and looting the classroom – the Knox County Republicans -- is influential enough to have replaced the Republican Party Platform with one more to the liking of Tea Party activists.

In short, the vandals are the ones writing the party platform in that state.

But they're just a fringe group right? I mean, just because they're actually writing the Maine Republican Party platform doesn't mean anything. Right?

Comments

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

To be fair, the construction of the platform is hardly the most important thing parties do. While it's a sign of the growth in power within the central bureaucracy, it doesn't necessarily reflect the majority of voters. It's like primaries - this sort of internal party maneuvering generally only draws the super-involved, super-interested individuals, who tend not to form a majority of the electorate come election day. And in the American democratic process, variations from platform are the norm, and toeing the line 100% is the exception.

But then I wager you already knew that.

[paft.livejournal.com]

anm: While it's a sign of the growth in power within the central bureaucracy, it doesn't necessarily reflect the majority of voters.

It reflects the direction of the party.

The Republicans can't keep saying "oh, those people are just fringe extremists" while pandering to them to the extent of rewriting their party platform to suit those "fringe extremists."

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Oh, hai, agent provocateur.

Bets? Anyone?

[paft.livejournal.com]

Do you have a point, or are you just here to emote?

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

No, I think it was Jesus, since we're talking about assuming convenient positions with absolutely no proof.

[debergerac.livejournal.com]

"One poster cited by Dyer was a collage that showed former President George W. Bush without eyes and saying, "I can still see the face of evil." Dyer said he was also offended by a poster that had a swastika in the place of the "O" for FOX News."

Yup...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... that's typical under-cover Fed activity.

Actually, if the Feds were trying to make the Republicans look bad, their agent would have trashed the place more thoroughly.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much why I quit Democratic politics on the local level. Hoodlums and hooligans brandishing internets platform proposals and vandalizing The Man as a past-time.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Examples?

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Seriously, the Dems have a much longer history of this.

[tridus.livejournal.com]

Is there any evidence that this was anything other then a couple of hooligans staying after the meeting to cause trouble?

[paft.livejournal.com]

The fact that the Maine Republican party apologized and promised to return the poster is a pretty big indication that this was not just some hooligans who broke in after the meeting.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Here's prediction for paft's next post: "RNC functionary steals candy from a baby"

[paft.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, if an RNC functionary, in his or her capacity as serving as an RNC functionary, steals candy from a baby while announcing that he or she is doing so as a political gesture, I may very well post about it.

You have a problem with that?

To conservative members of the Community:

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Because we all know that outright falsifying history by such claims that say, Hitler was a Marxist internationalist who believed in worker's rights or that the Founding Fathers were 21st Century Assemblies of God Christians is entirely *not* propaganda, right?

Re: To conservative members of the Community:

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

No one ever claimed Hitler was a Marxist Internationalist.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

Wow...you fly off the handle about every non-story while dismissing anything that makes your side look bad.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Its almost like she was a member of this community.

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

I like how the constitution was deemed "propaganda"...

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Yes, amazing how the reporter managed to make that connection in your mind without the person leaving the note actually saying that.

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of the civil rights speaker at a college a couple of years ago that vandalized her own car, but since I can't cite it I guess I won't bring it up.......

I agree with *Policraticus*. Also I wonder if you jumped all over the Trawana Brawley and Duke Lacrosse team reports too?

Actually what I did there was just try to show, it doesn't matter if you can cite something or not, unless you are willing to make retractions if when the truth comes out, you were wrong.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Really? Did somebody apologize for doing it and return items stolen from the car when, in fact, they'd not vandalized the car or stolen anything from it?

[headhouse.livejournal.com]

Really? "The republikkkanz is ruining our skoolz?" That's what you've got to post about today?

Seriously, this is why nobody reads your blog. I'm so very glad that you've got a captive audience here to spam once or twice a day while you wait for your pills to kick in.

In short, the vandals are the ones writing the party platform in that state.

Mods? Can I get another "whackadoodle" tag for this one?

[paft.livejournal.com]

Scritch, scritch, scritch..

[ofbg.livejournal.com]

"I mean, just because they're actually writing the Maine Republican Party platform doesn't mean anything. Right?"

I didn't see any evidence in your OP that proved or even suggested that those that committed the vandalism were the same that wrote the platform.

Is that just a convenient partisan assumption or is there evidence?

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

I think the reference is that they were members of the group meeting in the room, and the group meeting in the room was the group replacing the Republican's platform.

Re: This is satire, based on your grasp of the issues...

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

It's funny how the only 3 who commented on this cross-posted post in politicsforum, also cross-posted their comments in here. Of course the real debate happens here as paft has chosen to respond on TP rather than PF. But still: funny!

Great leap of "faith"

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

"In short, the vandals are the ones writing the party platform in that state."

Strange that I didn't come to the same conclusion, but then I did read ALL the accounts.

Re: Great leap of "faith"

[paft.livejournal.com]

What accounts did I miss?

[rainynights.livejournal.com]

Sigh I get so tired of bash the republicans articles in this group.. Maybe if both parties and their followers would stop arguing stuff could get done.

I am sorry this is just laughable. There is no proof anyone affiliated with the GOP did this. People could have known Republicans were meeting here and did this and the GOP is doing the responsible thing and apologizing and trying to make things right. I would hope the Democratic party would also do the same instead of playing the blame game.

Again I have said it before and I will say it again. Just because both parties have idiots and lunatics in them does not mean they are horrible people are all so bad.. I dislike what democrats stand for and I am not a big fan of the GOP right now but I do not think that people who belong to either party are all so bad and evil. Sigh I am just tired of people being morons today I think..

[paft.livejournal.com]

So what's your theory about the Republicans promising to return the poster?

The "idiots" in question -- the contingent of the Republican Party who was meeting in that class -- is calling the shots about what goes into the Maine Republican Party Platform.

Certainly if such a thing happened it is to be condemned, however...

[reality-hammer.livejournal.com]

Another post, another logical fallacy.

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/hasty-generalization.html

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/composition.html

Not to mention the possibility of a hoax.

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/10/10/gwus-leftist-hoax-crime-update-what-will-the-administration-do/

Because when Republicans commit such crimes they always leave behind a vault copy of their birth certificate written confession.

And of course the counter-examples from the left.

http://www.ccn-usa.net/news.php?id=271

Re: Certainly if such a thing happened it is to be condemned, however...

[paft.livejournal.com]

So what's your theory about why the Maine Republican party apologized, and how they got their hands on the stolen poster in order to return it?

And was that crazy woman you cited in the last link involved in writing the party platform for the state Democratic party?

[reality-hammer.livejournal.com]

Why does this entry have a Tea Party Movement tag?

[paft.livejournal.com]

From the Boston Herald:

"That same Knox County contingent later would lead a surprise campaign to replace the generic Republican Party platform with a new--and much more controversial--platform embodying many of the positions espoused by Tea Party activists."

[404.livejournal.com]

I do believe this is one of the stupidest arguments you have tried to push, and coming from you, the exemplar of half-baked conspiracy theorists in this community, is saying something.

[paft.livejournal.com]

How does this qualify as a "conspiracy theory?"

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

This has been another broad generalization brought to you by someone with no originality.

http://torchwood-us.com/2010/05/15/note-left-in-vandalized-classroom-a-republican-was-here-%E2%80%9D/

We now return you to intelligent political conversation, already in progress...

[paft.livejournal.com]

Do you have something original to say?