I have been appalled watching the conservatives do everything they can to avoid giving any compliment to Obama over the military operation that led to Osama's death. It just fed into my belief that conservatives have become anti-American, substituting that with pro-Republican. A desire for national success has been supplanted by a desire for party success.
So, I thought it would be funny to compare the reaction of Dems to the capture of Saddam Hussein -- the only event comparable in the past decade. We, of course, would congratulate the President for authorizing Operation Red Dawn, which led to Saddam's capture. Laying the comments one against the other would say a lot. So I looked them up, ready to laugh.
The results weren't funny.
Not one prominent dem said anything close to tipping a hat to Bush. In fact, some used it to criticize him.
John Kerry: "This is a great day for U.S. forces, the Iraqi people, and the world. Capturing Saddam Hussein and ensuring that this brutal dictator will never return to power is an important step towards stabilizing Iraq for the Iraqis. Let's also be clear: Our problems in Iraq have not been caused by one man and this is a moment when the administration can and must launch a major effort to gain international support and win the peace. We need to share the burden, bring in other countries, and make it clear to the world that Iraq belongs to the Iraqi people."
Former Gen. Wesley Clark: "I congratulate the Iraqi people - and to say that this is a great day for both the American military and the American people and for the Iraqi people."
Sen. John Edwardsz; "We are all so proud of (US soldiers') efforts not just today, but every day as they work tirelessly to bring democracy to Iraq. I hope President Bush will use this opportunity to chart a course in Iraq that will bring in our allies in a meaningful way to achieve a democratic and peaceful Iraq."
I could iist a bunch of others, but they are all kind of in this vein. Congratulate the military, congratulate the Iraqis and only mention Bush to criticize.
I'm not saying Saddam is on par with Osama -- but in much of the American mind, he was. I'm not saying Bush didn't screw up massively with the war and its execution. I'm not saying anyone should have supported the Iraq war.
What I am saying is, we need to take a step back and look at the petty, unAmerican reactions of the conservatives, and realize we are looking in a mirror.
I have been growing more and more dismayed by the tone of political discourse in this country, attributing evil intent to our policy differences. They can be wrong without being Hitler. We can be wrong without being Stalin. And yes, sometimes we will be wrong. No one has a monopoly on truth.
I'm not saying give up the fight. What I am saying is, this is not just a day to be proud, but also ashamed of what all of us -- this country -- have become.
We're better than they are. Rather than making fun of them, I think this is just a day to ignore them and instead, just celebrate success.