The New Republican Fallacy Is Out!

Here it is, folks, the newest Republican fallacy. Atrios is sending readers to torture the Republicans again. But check out the wording of the poll:

"Do you find Sen. John Kerry's comments associating National Guard service with draft-dodging offensive?"

President Bush himself used this ploy on MTP last weekend. When Russert was asking him about the irregularities associated with his TANG service, Bush responded by saying (not an exact quote): Don't denegrate service in the guard.

But, of course, no one is denegrating service in the guard, and it's pathetic sophistry to suggest otherwise. Noting that Bush may have gone A.W.O.L. from his guard service is not "associating National Guard Service with draft-dodging," except in the sense of using the relevant terms in the same sentence. If we point out that he may have gone A.W.O.L. while stationed in Alabama are we thereby denegrating the state of Alabama or associating living in Alabama with draft-dodging?

This is despicable.

This ploy seems to transparent to succeed...but that's what the Dukakis campaign thought about Bush '41 campaigning in flag factories...

[HEY! Jeffrey Kramer's got a good objection to the above in the comments section. My bad--hadn't heard that Kerry quote. I thought Kramer was right at first, but then Dixie's response (just after his in the comment section) seemed right...oh...I dunno...I'm so confused... One thing's clear, though: that part isn't as clear as I thought it was when I wrote this. However, Bush's comment on MTP was clearly sophistical. Not that that gets me off the hook for the Kerry quote, though.]