"The use of the noun "Democrat" as an adjective (e.g., "the Democrat Party") is a long-standing and deliberate right-wing refusal to call the opposition by its name. (If you visit the Democrats' website, the very first words below the site header are "We are the Democratic Party"; the party is run by the "Democratic National Committee.") Petty? Sure! But that's a feature, not a bug."
"The Office of Special Counsel, which is supposed to prosecute violations of the Hatch Act, notes in a training flyer that most executive branch workers "may not engage in political activity-i.e., activity directed at the success or failure of a political party." Employees may also not "use any e-mail account or social media to distribute, send, or forward content that advocates for or against a partisan political party.""
"When asked about its suggested out-of-office message blaming Democrats, the Department of Health and Human Services told CNN that yes, it had suggested this-but added that this was okay because the partisan message was accurate. "Employees were instructed to use out-of-office messages that reflect the truth: Democrats have shut the government down," the agency said. Truly, as even a sitting Supreme Court justice has noted, the "rule of law" has now become " Calvinball.""
Right-wing actors deliberately use the noun 'Democrat' as an adjectival slur to avoid calling the party by its proper name. Federal agencies suggested partisan out-of-office messages that blame Democrats for a government shutdown. Such messages appear to violate the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan political activity by most executive branch employees while on duty. The Office of Special Counsel warns that executive branch workers may not engage in political activity or use official email or social media to advocate for or against a political party. The Department of Health and Human Services defended its suggested message as 'accurate' and said employees were instructed to reflect the truth. Department websites have added prominent partisan content.
Read at Ars Technica
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