You should read this piece by Gene Lyons over in Salon.  It’s all about Republican fundraising scams — which also, it appears, is how they foment right-wing furor with their true-believer base.  As any good grifter knows, every scam has a mark — the simple, unsuspecting target from whom money shall soon be parted.  In this case, the Republican mark is, basically, the people of America:

The key to raising cash from small donors, according to a PowerPoint presentation given by RNC operatives Rob Bickhart and Peter Terpeluk at a retreat in Boca Grande, Fla., is to dazzle them with scare talk about “Socialism,” images of President Obama as “the Joker,” Nancy Pelosi as “Cruella de Vil” and other bright, shiny objects. The idea is to exploit “visceral” emotions, “fear” and “extreme negative feelings” toward Obama.

Unfortunately, their tactics are working.  Pelosi is hated by many, including some of my friends, who know nothing about her, and, in all honesty, can’t even spell her name correctly.  The President — well, you can see for yourself how reactionary and insane — should I mention racist? — the right-wing’s feelings are.

It’s a shame there aren’t any facts to back up their crazy beliefs.

I think it’s about time everyone took a good look at the Republican smear machine.  To defeat the enemy — and the current GOP is not the enemy of Democrats or Liberals: it’s the enemy of all Americans who aren’t rich or industrialists — we must know them, first.

Then, we have to use their tactics against them.  It’s war . . . and it’s a war they’ve started against regular people like us.