Joe Lieberman's
despicable reaction to Richard Clarke's accusations that the President and his top advisors dismissed his concerns about Al-Queda before and after to 9-11:
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., said Sunday he doesn't believe Clarke's charge that the Bush administration -- which defeated him and former Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 election -- was focused more on Iraq than al-Qaida during the days after the terror attacks.
"I see no basis for it," Lieberman said on Fox News Sunday. "I think we've got to be careful to speak facts and not rhetoric."
Dear Senator Lieberman,
I realize that by not living in CT I have little relevance to Senator Lieberman, and my comments will probably never be seen by the Senator. However, to whomever it is that categorizes and tallies emails into your office, please count this in whatever category you may have for "people who are tired of trying to defend Senator Lieberman's over his continued weak-kneed response to the ruthless Republican onslaught, and now want him to know that he's gone too far in dismissing the claims of former White House terrorism expert Richard Clarke."
While I'm quite to the left of Senator Lieberman, I have long defended him against the charges that he's nothing more than a Republican with a "D" after his name. But no more. His actions on Fox News Sunday were repugnant and unconscionable. Senator Lieberman, if by some amazing fluke you actually see this email, I have a message for you: STOP BLAMING DEMOCRATS FOR THE ATTACKS WAGED AGAINST US BY REPUBLICANS!!!!!!! I suspect there is some cognitive disconnect that prevents you from believing that the Bush/DeLay/Rove Republicans could be so venal and contemptuous of the truth. But dammit, they are. They don't care about America the way you do, and you need to stop deluding yourself into thinking that they simply have a different view of what's best for America. We need not, and we should not respect them for having what you apparently think are good-faith differences. Their political initiatives are grounded in bad faith, and it's long past the time you should have figured that out. Your friend John McCain seems to have figured them out; why haven't you?
All your coddling of the right wing to this point was ridiculous, and it's severely tainted whatever historical legacy you may leave. But today you went too far. When you dismissed Richard Clarke's claims and tacitly accepted at face value the statements and actions of the Bush White House, you sided with those who dismiss the real security concerns of our country in favor of political advantage and expedience. You showed that all along you really did lack the temperament, skepticism, and judgment to be President. I am glad you were defeated in the primary, and I hope that a responsible Democrat who is actually capable of recognizing the real security interests of the United States replaces you in the Senate in 2007.
Sincerely,