I'm watching Senator Kit Bond on Hardball doing what republicans do best - apologizing for George W. Bush's war. We all know they're
factually wrong when they "remind" everyone that the dems and repugs looked at the same intelligence. There are more examples but democrats certainly are not privvy to the Presidential Daily Briefings for example. Once again the POTUS at best has not told the whole truth, and at worse he lied yet again in his speech on Veteran's Day defending the indefensible and calling those who disagree unpatriotic.
Now we're all used to Dubya's proclivity for living in some alternate universe (You're doing a heckuva job, Brownie) But can someone please explain to me - forgive me - how practically every other fucking republican can conveniently reside in La-La Land while explaining away this war?
I think we need some newer and perhaps a bit more aggressive talking points. Let me explain below the fold:
Before I start talking about talking points please take a moment to think about the republican's mission here. Think of what George W. Bush has asked them to do. He has led them astray and dashed whatever good qualities the party may have once had in the past on the proverbial rocks. I suspect he will do more damage than Herbert Hoover - after he occupied the White House it would be a long, long time before another republican would live there again.
We need to point this out. Bush is not the republican's friend and is tarnishing their legacy.
We need to point out to the republicans that George W. Bush has abandoned and hurt his party - and hurt them personally in a much more profound way.
This can even be done subtly, with a forlorn, faraway look in the eye while recalling the days of Eisenhower (remember what he said about the military industrial complex) - not to mention building our interstate transport system for example.
Remember when republicans wanted fiscal responsibility? Remember when they wanted a small government? This president has led them away from the (admittedly very few) noble ideas they once had of small government and personal responsibility. Just who is taking personal responsibility for this war? Certainly not the president who makes no mistakes! This from a guy who promised to be humble.
And apart from everything else he's screwed up they must be reminded that Bush has asked the party faithful to condone a war that they admit was started in error. Let me repeat that... condone a war that was started in error!
Aside from natural disasters is there anything worse that man can inflict on mankind? People, real live human beings, are being slaughtered - American and Iraqi - and for what? Let's see... Mushroom clowds, anthrax (Boo!), 911, freedom's on the march, Saddam's a tyrant, chemical & biological (Boo!), yellow cake, freedom's on the march, elections, insurgents (Boo!), Iran, Syria, Terrorism, 911, Terror Alert! (Boo!) Saddam trial... What's the excuse de jour?
Ask a republican just which one of those excuses is actually worth a war and just when did they change their mind? They may reply "Change my mind? What do you mean?" To which I'd reply, "If you think republicans would've thought this a good idea 10 years ago - 911 or not - you're crazy!" And laugh at them because it's true. What has happened to these people? They are insane.
Somebody needs to point that out.
Still watching Hardball and J.C. Watts is doing it now. He says we (democrats) are "disingenous". How does he sleep at night? (Quick aside: I believe it was J.C. Watt's father who, upon finding out his son was a republican said "A black man voting republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders" I happen to think that's brilliant!) But I digress...
We need to stop treating war - especially a war started by mistake - as something that is acceptable. And one thing above all is clear: Dubya's war in Iraq was absolutely, 100 percent a war of choice and not necessity. It was the choice of one man and one man only. (OK, maybe two) And most of the people in his party - people who should know better - are supporting it.
They should be ashamed of that and we need to make that point often and loud. They are condoning fighting a war based on a a faulty premise. (If the WP asks for a username/password please use: BugMeNot.)
Oh, they'll admit they're fighting a war. They'll admit the premise was faulty. They will not admit that's a bad idea and that's more denial than a thousand cocaine addicts carry around in their skulls.
We need to point that out.
There have been many bloggers speculating about Dubya's mental illness - his being a "dry drunk". (I have a simpler explanation. He's an idiot) But can someone out there somewhere tell me how to explain away the entire republican party's denial? Somebody needs to do an intervention here. It might as well be us.
Now I'm no student of political science. I have no credentials in politics at all and don't profess to know if this would be an advantageous strategy or not, but maybe someone can explain to me why it's OK for them to say "Oh the intelligence was bad, true... but so what? The democrats saw it too and it's only a war".
The next time they say dems saw the intelligence too I wish to god someone would grow the balls and say The democrats did not start a fucking war! That should be the response to that lame-ass argument. A republican started the war and you, Mr. or Mrs. Republican, are defending and enabling him. That is wrong. You should be ashamed. People are dead and suffering greatly, in part because of you Mr. and Mrs. Republican.
We need to point that out.
Well it's near the end of the show now. Chris Matthews has done a pretty good job of holding his guest's feet to the fire and the look on Bond's face at times was one of amazement as if to say "What's your problem Matthews? It's only a war." Bond literally shrugs his shoulders and looks perplexed like a child who was simply caught stealing a cookie out of a cookie jar.. So what's the big deal?
The MSM is just now starting to awaken like a sleeping giant but it's still too soporific. People (many of them Americans in the prime of their lives) are killed every day because the elephant in the room is still not pointed out to the republicans who are in denial that elephants exist at all. ("But isn't it your party mascot?".. "No!") The enormity of their screw-up is still being largely ignored - particularly by the ones who should pay the most attention: Republicans.
This ain't no party. This ain't no disco. This ain't no foolin' around; George W. Bush started a fucking (sorry) war for no reason and regardless of your party affiliation, if we knew then what we know now there would be no way in hell this war would've been approved and a lot of people are dead because of a mistake that, to hear them tell it, is just not a big deal.
It is a big deal. We need to point that out.