Dr. Word: Republicans’ Ram, Jam, Thank you, ma’am

by David Safier

It's been a long time since we've heard from the Dr. Word. Well, the good Word Doctor is back, looking at the amazingly well coordinated spin from Republicans on the Democrats' attempts to pass health care in a small "d" democratic way — by majority votes in both Houses.

I have to ask Jonathan Paton, Why do you hate democracy? Look at his latest press release, where he asks,

“Does Gabrielle Giffords support Nancy Pelosi’s plan to ram through a government health care plan?” [bold face added]

"Ram through." What a bold, clever, anti-democratic way to mischaracterize a majority vote as some kind of strong-arm tactic.

Clever, yes, but don't give Paton, or his scribe Daniel Scarpinato, any credit.

Media Matters has assembled a long list of Ramming and Jamming from Republicans and their friends in the media. Here's a sampling.

"[T]hey're going to ram it through, whether we like it or whether the American people like it." Jon Kyl

Pelosi aide said Dems are working on plan "to bypass rules in the Senate and ram legislation through on a one-party vote." John Boehner

"Ramming through a partisan bill" is like "going to war with out asking Congress's permission." Lamar Alexander

"The summit's predictable failure will be a pretext for trying to ram health legislation through the Senate by misusing 'reconciliation.' " George Will

"Now they're going to ram it down America's throat." Sean Hannity

"You can't, in a free society, ram through legislation" that Americans oppose. Newt Gingrich

"[T]hey're trying to jam this thing through." Rick Santorum

Now that's coordination. That's staying on message. That's the kind of thing Republicans do so well — and Democrats, each of whom is apparently trying to win a debate at Harvard, do so poorly.