Some much needed perspective from Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA):
Kennedy sparked a political firestorm last week with charges made to the Herald and other news organizations that the president’s war plan was “made up in Texas” to boost the political stock of Republicans.
Republicans accused the senator of hitting below the belt. Bush branded the senator’s charges “uncivil.”
But many Democrats backed Kennedy, charging the White House was seeking to brand critics as unpatriotic.
“If it’s unpatriotic to challenge the leadership of this country, it’s a different America than I grew up in,” said U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Somerville). “Sen. Kennedy obviously has a big microphone and I’m glad he used it.”
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton) said he disagreed with Kennedy’s charge that the GOP was playing politics with Iraq.
“I don’t think they started the war for political purposes,” Frank said. “I do think that they very demagogically exploited it politically.”
Frank also suggested some Democrats were being overly sensitive to Bush’s criticisms of Kennedy. “Uncivil?” said Frank. “I mean, let’s not overreact. Being called uncivil is not being persecuted. People have a right to defend themselves and argue.”
Calling someone’s remarks ‘uncivil’ is not the crushing of dissent. In this case, as Frank noted, it was merely a defense.
*** Update ***
John Hawkins has some interesting thoughts abut the Democrats attempts to characterize any rebuttal as ‘crushing of dissent.’
Emperor Misha I
Fat Teddy is probably just cranky because he hasn’t knocked any young women up and drowned them lately.
Kimmitt
Mm. Degradation of the national discourse. Tastes like chicken(hawk).
Moe lane
I cannot -believe- that you just typed that out.
John Cole
Kimmitt has a weird form of tourette’s- every now and then he spews some weird line from Raimondo or BartCop. Usually it has NOTHING to do with the conversation at hand.
Moe lane
“Usually it has NOTHING to do with the conversation at hand.”
When it comes to this particular case, I’m hoping that you’re correct.
Kimmitt
The statement stands as written; if it’s not where you’re at, I respect that.
Moe Lane
“The statement stands as written; if it’s not where you’re at, I respect that.”
I’m going to do you a favor and give you one more chance to figure out precisely where you put your foot in it. Look at the entry again, Kimmitt: look very, very carefully. If you still haven’t figured it out after that… believe me, it’ll be pointed out to you in full and loving detail.
Kimmitt
Lemme rephrase:
The post was an ad hominem attack on Misha, because I think he’s a fascist who goes to great effort to degrade the quality of discourse in this country. So first I called a spade a spade, and then I vented.
Moe Lane
Clarification of the target of original comment noted; arming mechanism on verbal bomb disabled.
Emperor Misha I
“I think he’s a fascist who goes to great effort to degrade the quality of discourse in this country. ”
My IronyMeter just blew another fuse, and I get the industrial grade ones from “Fascist Direct”.
Ah Kimmi, kimmi, kimmi.
Lou
http://home.comcast.net/~l.bertone/fourth_district.htm