"There are no Republicans left. Only Anti-Democratic crooks and charlatans!”
Here's an interesting idea presented as "payback" for the Republican Party practice of insulting Democrats by referring to their party as the Democrat Party. (Reminds me of the longstanding patriarchal practice of insulting women by tagging us as just girls.)
As Josh Marshall notes, Bush actually used the SOTU to deliver the slur:
"What a strange man. After disarmingly gracious opening remarks about Nancy Pelosi's speakership, the president congratulates the 'Democrat majority' -- words most every Democrat takes as a calculated insult. The prepared remarks say 'Democratic majority'. But apparently he couldn't help himself."
Lambert at CorrenteWire terms the strategy "a massive negative rebranding of the Republicans" and offers this example:
BEFORE: Republican operatives from the Heritage Foundation hosted a wienie roast for Joe Lieberman.
AFTER: Anti-Democratic operatives from the Heritage Foundation hosted a wienie roast for Joe Lieberman. [via The Sideshow]
It is also true that by the time Bush is done, the cruelest insult you will be able to hurl at Republicans may well be that they ARE Republicans.
Graphic via Public Theology
Anti-Democratic Republicans Bush Democratic Party Politics News 2008 SOTU 2007
