What the MCM and Kossites Missed Yesterday
Yesterday, the media and many on Kos watched the Senate Committee hearings just to see Crocker or Petraeus make a misstep. Many watched so that we could pick apart the statement and questions of the various candidates for president.
However we missed something. What did we miss?
Jump w/me!
Yesterday Petraeus and Crocker spoke in-front of two different committees. The first committee, is what I will call the past, or the status quo.
This committee (viewed here) was almost entirely split on party lines. We watched one candidate basically do a stump speech (McCain). We watched Inhofe (the inane Senator from Oklahoma) do what he does best (shill). We watched Crocker give prepared remarks to certain questions (that happened to come from Republicans) and we watched Crocker say "uhm" about a hundred times when asked non scripted questions (that seem to come entirely from the Democrats). Of course, there was the exception of Hagel, but all in all, it seemed the first committee was continuous and fractured, with many members just trying to score political points.
Basically we saw the politics of the past.
Then there was a 2nd committee. (again you may view this on C-span). On this committee it did appear that Crocker and the General had a prepared statement (to Sen. Lugar's questions) but that was it. Even Lugar seemed bemused and upset w/the non answers from Crocker especially.
On this committee I watched Republicans such as Voinovich voice that they agreed w/Democrats like Feingold!
I watched all day, (I'm sick I have nothing better to do), and I did not see one Republican Senator on the 2nd committee agree w/the status quo. The Committee seemed united in at least trying to pin down a definition of success.
My mother (who is from Indiana) remarked that she had never been proud of Sen. Lugar before.
Voinovich
Hagel (2nd comitte)
Lugar
Russ Feingold
Obama
Boxer
Don't take my word for it, watch the videos. If you agree w/me someone should make a mash-up of the videos to show the difference. This is the way that Kossites (IMHO) should have framed yesterday. C-span(again you may view this on C-span). viewed here)McCain
One more thing, here's the Amazon link to the book that Sen. Voinovich mentioned. It looks like a good book has anyone read it?Amazon link to the book that