Don't be afraid! What's outstanding about the partisan rift in American politics is the tendency among conservatives to characterize attacks against the left as having a pure basis in moral justice while any scrutiny of their own actions is characterized as groundless and entirely political. When the left opposes the right, conservatives find that their strength is not in putting forth their own merits, but in selling the misrepresentation that the opposition is without merit. The front of moral certainty is best defended through disarming opponents by stigmatizing the entire process of opposition. Conservatives work hard at demonizing the political process itself for their own survival. Opposition is called obstructionism. Those who defend their views are said to be "playing politics." Such characterizations have made some Democrats shy away from fervently defending Democratic principles, to avoid association with the stigma of partisan politics, a stigma which is unevenly applied. In January 2002, former White House Press Secretary, Ari Fliescher, warned Democrats against any initiative to investigate the administration's involvement with Enron, saying that it would amount to a "partisan witch hunt" and that Americans are sick of "endless investigations." Similarly, in May, forgiving pleas from a very few fellow Republicans for an investigation into the failure to act on intelligence briefings prior to 9/11, Republicans characterized any call to investigate and assess surrounding circumstances as reflexive partisan behavior initiated solely by Democrats, malicious and inappropriate during a "time of war." The call to investigate the administration's handling of intelligence prior to 9/11 through an independent panel was a call to serve the public and increase public safety. When Republicans characterized this call as a "fishing expedition" or as purely political, that was the true example of a malicious and reactionary political stance. And even after lie after lie is exposed, the right must characterize the questioning of the administration's insane Iraq policy as "unpatriotic" because their primary lifeline is to stigmatize dissent and avoid a true debate. Democrats allow this false debate to continue, Democrats allow Republicans to set the terms by avoiding instead of challenging the stigma of opposition. By shying away from the partisan rift Democrats allow Republicans to use its negative characterization to provide a smokescreen for their own self-serving and corrupt deeds and to disarm the left. The solution is to embrace the stigma of partisan competition and oppose the Republican agenda without inhibition. A stigma can only be as strong as the fear we invest in it. My name is René Bouchard. I'm happy to introduce this web space, Partisan Witch Hunt--its unabashed mission is to expose the hypocrisy of the Republican Party and to serve progressive causes.

Partisan Witch Hunt takes on... ...the War on Terror. ...Right Wing Opposition to the ICC. ...our Corporate Sponsors. ...the Overwhelming Need for Media Reform. Original Articles Partisan Witch Hunt endorses Kucinich...but also likes Dean. (June, 2003) Checking In. A few words from René (May, 2003) Dear American Chumps (November, 2002) Patriot Games: Civil Liberties after September 11 (February, 2002) Slideshows Anti-War Demonstration, Washington DC (October 2003) Anti-War Demonstration, NYC (March 2003) Anti-War Demonstration, Washington DC (October, 2002) New York City (September, 2001) Action Alerts Current Action Archived Actions Correspondence Write to Partisan Witch Hunt Partisan Witch Hunt Replies Links Massive Links Page Election 2004 Links