They're Lovin' It

This is as frightening as anything I"ve read in the last two weeks. From a Newsweek commentary by Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey:

 Judging by the twin speeches of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday, the big theme of the 2006 elections is the same as it was in 2002 and 2004. It’s the war, stupid.... According to the veep, speaking to the conservative Heritage Foundation, it’s essentially the same debate whether you’re talking about the elections in Iraq or the NSA eavesdropping program. You’re either with the administration or a naive fool who helps the terrorists. Or, as Cheney put it more elegantly, "Either we are serious about fighting this war or we are not. And as long as George W. Bush is president of the United States, we are serious-and this nation will not let down its guard."

....The debate over the NSA and the Patriot Act is one the White House wants to have. Bush and Cheney have come out swinging-against ... those who say Bush doesn’t have the legal authority to conduct domestic wiretaps without warrants and, above all, against their political opponents. For most of 2005, Bush was forced to defend himself on Iraq against a faceless but deadly enemy: the insurgents. Now, in early 2006, he is reverting to his faithful strategy of painting Democrats as weak on defense and national security.

....When one reporter asked if the Patriot Act vote reflected his loss of power and public support, Bush’s face brightened and he flashed a smile. "If people want to play politics with the Patriot Act," he warned, before catching himself, "it’s not in the best interests of the country." White House aides were actually looking forward to the Senate’s six-month extension of the act because it pushed the debate closer to the midterm elections in November. (In the end, the House insisted on a one-month extension.)

Frightening because it’s true.

Comments

[S.W. Anderson]

Frighteningly true, yes. But in addition, something should be said about a voting public so easily swayed by Swiftboat lowlifes, by half truths, distortions and outright lies.

Let's not forget all those voters so ready to opt for a dishonest incompetent with a horrible record because, evidently, he struck them as preferable to go have a beer with.

John Kerry worked hard to thwart the opposition's obvious eagerness to brand him a mindless pacifist holdover from the days of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He refused to be painted into the corner of calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq; he called for enlarging the Army by two active-duty divisions, etc. In the end, those things and his obvious better qualities and qualifications didn't matter to millions.

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me, the old saying goes ." Maybe the most frightening thing of all is the willingness of so many Americans to be shameless in the wake of being fooled repeatedly and with impunity.

[Tim]

Here's what I don't understand: the claims by Bush and Cheney are easy to bat down, especially given what has come out in the past year. Cheney thinks warrant-less spying would prevent 9/11? How about the intelligence they did capture before 9/11 but didn't translate or ignored? Or were confused about FISA rules (e.g. the local FBI offices)? What about the failing grades the 9/11 Commission gave the Bushies late last year?

The press are really lame if they just pass on this crap without bothering to also point out facts that clearly refute the Republican talking point. They might as well quit their reporting jobs and find other useful work.

[B.L. Keating]

Where should I even begin? It looks like George may actually get his first internationally supported middle eastern show down. The whole world is weary of Iran's nuclear ambitions, especially after a bold move like this one. If we are forced to take action in Iran, can the West afford the oil shock that would be produced if both Iran and Iraq were not pumping at full capasity? More importantly, can China continue their rate of growth that finances American account deficits? This can surely not bode well for the American Federal Government who has committed to paying for a middle eastern conflict with no end in sight. What are we going to do when we are still in the middle of a war, and the Chinese knock on our door asking for a better interest rate? In theory we would increase productive output and exports, but how can we do that if we already sent a ton of those jobs overseas. I will use a baseball analogy and say that it looks like we could be in for a hell of a pickle...

[Farell]

Let's not forget all those voters so ready to opt for a dishonest incompetent with a horrible record because, evidently, he struck them as preferable to go have a beer with.