Browsing Atrios this morning, he linked to an "interesting" piece on the Washington Post by one Liz Cheney.
It's titled "Retreat Isn't an Option" and it is what you would expect from the daughter of Richard Bruce Cheney, an predictable and trite screed of neo-conservative talking points vaguely tied to Hillary Clinton's announcement just to give it some passing rationale for being published at all.
It isn't what I'm most interested in, read it if you want, but the best part is the comments section, let's take a look!
Give it up Cheney! The war is lost. Victory is an antiquated notion from a time when countries had armies. Were fighting a group of people with a mix of allegiances. Some of them are terrorists, others have legitimate grievances, and others hate some of the others who are attacking us nearly as much as they hate us. There is no way to win a conflict of this nature. How would we even know if we did? What you really mean is to stay there indefinitely, building a generational loathing of our country. It makes no sense - we have no business there. They never did anything to us, remember that you right wing bozo!
By gus | Jan 23, 2007 12:23:40 AM | Request Removal
That was the first comment I encountered, after posting my own somewhat acerbic rebuttal to her piece.
But it gets better:
Excuse me Ms. Cheney, but what exactly does Senator Clintons campaign strategy have to do with Dick Cheneys foolish folly? How low can the man go as to send you into harms way. Sounds just like an American Terrorist to me. Tell that coward I said come on out to play. God Bless you child. Now please get out of the way.
By Golden_Rule | Jan 23, 2007 12:23:51 AM | Request Removal
My thoughts exactly.
With all due respect, I think these predictions are wrong. We do not face an existential threat. Despite 9/11, when we were sucker punched, they will not easily be able to attack us here. It has not happened since 2001. Surely they would if they could. These are the same arguments that kept us in Vietnam.
By Tim_G | Jan 23, 2007 12:26:18 AM | Request Removal
I don't think much respect is due, but I won't slag anyone for politely refuting anyone, even a neo-con.
The writer is former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs because of the nepotism of her father. Hmmm... why didnt she enlist? Oh, thats right - other priorities, just like dad.
By diane | Jan 23, 2007 12:28:18 AM | Request Removal
Ha, now we're getting personal.
May the ghosts of our war dead forever haunt your beautiful mind, Ms. Cheney, together with the shrieks of all the Iraqi children slaughtered in this stupid, wasteful war of choice. Culture of life my sweet ass.
By marnoldtk | Jan 23, 2007 12:29:17 AM | Request Removal
Real personal.
I would repeat what your father told Leahy on the Senate floor, but Im too nice a person. But that sums up what I think about this article. Your father is a draft-dodging coward. He says we dont have the stomach for war. Where was his stomach during the VietNam war? Lets see, how many draft deferments did he get? Its so easy to send soldiers to die, when you have no idea what its like. His bravado and warmongering has severely cripped this nation and made it less secure. Next time, he should not invade a country until he has a plan to secure it. All he had was oil on his mind. I could go on and on, but why? He hasnt learned a thing. How does it feel to have a father that is probably one of the most hated men in the country? Shame on you, shame on him...
By harothberg | Jan 23, 2007 12:31:10 AM | Request Removal
(emphasis mine) - and her family getting brought into this!
isnt the reason you were conceived is so that your dad did not have to go to vietnam? werent you his 5th deferrment? i guess you think you have all the answers but why dont you enlist like other mothers and fight in iraq? then you would be more credible. or are there just cowards in your family?
By k-dicker | Jan 23, 2007 12:33:08 AM | Request Removal
This made me laugh out loud. I believe we have a new pejorative nickname coined for Liz, "Good ol' deferrment 5" or D5 for short.
I think Liz and her Daddy have been hiding in the same bunker for the past 3 years, because her spin brings me right back to bad old 2003. Gotta love the talk of terrorists as a single unit, as if anyone throwing bombs works for the same unified evil organization. That was true in Inspector Gadget cartoons, not in real life. Wake up, Cheney. The vast majority of terrorists in Iraq have nothing to do with al Qaeda. They dont care about America, except to the extent that were in their country. Leave them be, and theyll focus on their 1000-year old shiite/sunni war. Then we can focus our attention on Afghanistan, where the real terrorists have been allowed to regroup thanks to the incompentence of your fathers--oops, I mean Bushs--incompetence.
By zdevil | Jan 23, 2007 12:48:33 AM | Request Removal
And the question I would finish with:
Why is the WaPo giving this numbskull space on the editorial page? That in itself is a statement of mind numbing stupidity. Propaganda for the gullible.
By boog | Jan 23, 2007 12:41:46 AM | Request Removal
Do read it. It goes on for pages and pages. It used to be that any such comments section on a mainstream news source invariably saw legions of right wingers show up to defend whatever nonsense, here there is almost none.
The outrage is real and palpable and this isn't Democratic Underground, but it really reads like it.