November 7 is election day here in the good ol' U.S. and A.  Since there's only a week left, that means that the campaigns are going into overdrive.

My least favorite local politico, Rick Renzi, backed by Big Bucks, always comes out with a boatload of slick, four-color, nasty, slime-slinging, insinuating flyers stuffed into the mailbox in the last week of campaigning, and it's oh-so-nice to see he's at it again, and in fine form.

The flyer takes the fact that his opponent was a higher-up in the ACLU, then conflates it with the fact that the ACLU has fought for NAMBLA (unpleasantly so, but it's their shtick to protect everyone's right to free speech, no matter how vile and noxious) to imply she is specifically being for NAMBLA.  The flyer talks about "her group", the ACLU, making it sound as if she, and she alone, is the person responsible for any and all unpleasant actions taken by the ACLU.

I just love guilt by association. 

But, since we're doing that, let's look at some other folks the ACLU has defended or filed amicus curiae briefs in support of:  Rush Limbaugh (privacy of medical records), The National Rifle Association (opposition of expanding governmental wiretapping authority), Oliver North (right not to incriminate yourself), Phyllis Schlafly (opposition of national "smart card" identity card), Fred Phelps (religious freedom of expression), The Church of the Good News (religious freedom of expression).

A quote widely attributed to Voltaire (but not ever found in his writings) is, "I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  The ACLU sticks to its principles:  they believe the Bill of Rights applies to everyone, whether we like those people or not.

If ever there was a politician whose campaigns--from the very start--epitomize "negative campaigning", Renzi is it.

Technorati: Politics, Rick Renzi, negative campaigning