American politics has proven that many people can find some kind of redemption. I've not been a fan of Joe Klein over the years -- especially the past decade -- but lately he's been sounding more like someone with real, honest-to-God integrity and passion.
Of course, sometimes pundits break in one direction for a tiny bit, get freaked out, and come roaring back to their former comfy Beltway "wisdom" all the stronger. Joe Klein may yet do that.
But it was hard not to notice last week when Klein, a notorious strawman-fighter, spoke some hard truths about John McCain's shameful, nasty campaign:
This is the ninth presidential campaign I've covered. I can't remember a more scurrilous statement by a major party candidate. It smacks of desperation. It renews questions about whether McCain has the right temperament for the presidency. How sad.
Klein pulled no punches. And who knows, maybe he was invigorated by the experience of truth-telling... because today he outdid even the above, and followed up with this humdinger of a statement. It's not about John McCain per se -- it's about WAR, and those who push it without giving a damn about the consequences for the U.S.A. or the young soldiers who defend it. (Including, yes, McCain.)
In early 2003, during my first weeks as a Time Magazine columnist, I wrote a handful of skeptical columns about the coming war in Iraq, including this one about Israel's security as a hidden casus belli. Then, with the troops in place and the war about to begin, I said something stupid on Tim Russert's cable TV show--reluctantly saying ok, we should proceed with the attack. It was the only statement I made in favor of the war and I quickly came to my senses--but that's no excuse. We have lost more than 4000 Americans, tens of thousands have come home grievously injured, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed and wounded, and we are weaker, palpably and morally, as a result.
I am not going to make the same mistake twice. I don't think a war with Iran is coming, thank God, but this time I am not going to pull any punches. My voice isn't very important in the grand scheme of things, but I'm going to do my job--and that means letting you know exactly where I stand and what I believe. I believe there are a small group of Jewish neoconservatives who are pushing for war with Iran because they believe it is in America's long-term interests and because they believe Israel's existence is at stake. They are wrong and recent history tells us they are dangerous. They are also bullies and I'm not going to be intimidated by them.
Good for you, Joe Klein. Well said.
I'll welcome anyone back to sanity, reason, and truth, and Joe Klein is no exception. Here's hoping he and his media brothers and sisters make the truth their guiding star from now on.