It was great to see that polling done in Kentucky recently, posted on the front page yesterday by mcjoan, shows that folks in the Bluegrass support our troops and not the President's escallation gambit. The same post also reminded us that Texas gives Bush a disapproval rating of over 50%. Montana has shown the enviable wisdom of electing Jon Tester and Brian Schweitzer. So it leaves one to wonder- Which state is the poster-boy for knee-jerk Republican stoogeland? What is that reddest state that needs to be brought into the light?
I'll submit that my native state of Georgia is now the most aggressively backwards state in the union. I'll explain why below the fold.
When I say Georgia what do you think of? President Carter? Ted Turner? The Braves? Rep. John Lewis? Well, that's a fine list, but its not a realistic view of Peach State politics right now. Both our Senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, are Bush toadies. You may recall that our voters ran Max Cleland out of office based on a campaign that labeled him anti-soldier. We replaced him with a man who has never worn the uniform. We have a sitting congressman, John Linder, who proudly co-authors books with hate-radio crank Neal Boortz.
Sure, Abramoff money-changer Ralph Reed lost his bid for Lt. Governor in the GOP primary. But the fact that he could be a viable candidate here says alot. We have Republic party Governor, Lt. Gov., state House and Senate. Our state legislature refused to vote on a proposal that would allow beer and wine to be sold on Sundays. You can drink at a bar or restaurant and drive home, but can't buy a beer at a grocery store to enjoy at home. Why? It would make baby Jesus cry if you did it. Newt Gingrich tours the state and presumes the time may be right for him to run for President. Yeah, its that bad here.
I read 2 newspapers every morning. I get the AJC for local coverage, the weather, sports and the comics. I get the NY Times for news coverage. I don't get much out of the A-section of the AJC. But the one thing I never miss is the letters to the editor. Just to see how proudly unhinged those around me remain. Two letters in today's edition made me blink and do a Scooby-Doo style double take. Complete with sound effects. They reflect how folks in these parts reacted to the Pat Tillman/Jssica Lynch propaganda testimony. This is not 2 from a group of 20. Its 2 of the 3. Read 'em and weap:
Silence is better for the families
I find the regurgitation of the Pat Tillman incident incredibly uncaring of the suffering this reinflicts on the Tillman family. Mistakes happen in war, and the consequences are often fatal. My infantry company had two such incidents in Vietnam. In one, an inquiry sought to shift the blame, and in the other, we all kept a discreet silence. I therefore speak from some experience: The second course is better. You can't change what happened, so at least let the family think it wasn't a mistake. The officers in Tillman's chain of command were not trying to cover up their "error," they were just trying to lessen the pain of the loss.
ROGER SOISET, Lilburn
So BushCo dishonesty shows more caring? And we should applaud that? The second letter:
Raising morale in wartime more important
If I were a Tillman or Lynch family member, I would rather believe the stories told than what really happened. This is nothing new. Colin Kelly was reported to have intentionally piloted his plane down the smokestack of a Japanese ship during WW II. Most everyone knew it wasn't true but it made us feel good and it was good for morale. Morale is the one most constant in any war but in these times, political posturing rules the day.
Remember how proud we were when we heard the first reports on Tillman and Lynch? I hardly believe the reports were intended as cover-ups.
BOB ARNOLD, Fayetteville
Lying to miliary families supports our troops. Remember how much we enjoyed the lie? Can't we just embrace fairy tales?
That's a little illustration of how far behind reality we are here in Georgia. What state do you think is mired further in denial than us?