As we all know, Democrat Presidential campaigns are all about issues:
Archives for 2003
Bring It On
Go for it guys. Just do it. Pretty please, try this:
Ever since President Bush’s controversial victory in the 2000 election, die-hard Democrats have dreamed of revenge for the Clinton impeachment.
Now, as the country braces for war, some liberal Democrats in Congress are preparing to introduce articles of impeachment against Bush and perhaps members of his Cabinet, according to lawmakers and congressional aides.
Over the past few weeks, some of the most liberal members of the House have discussed the possibility of impeaching Bush. Talks have intensified this week, lawmakers say, largely because war with Iraq appears imminent.
I want some of what these people are smoking.
O’Reilly
Did anyone else catch Bill O’Reilly call the Pope naive last night?
I am no big fan of the Catholic Church (nor am I Catholic), but it seems to me that if it was ever appropriate for a bolt of lightning to come down from the heavens and strike someone dead, O’Reilly asked for it last night.
The Catholic Church has flaws. The pedophile scandal was/is outrageous, I am against many of their positions regarding sex, and I think the pope is wrong regarding the Iraq issue. Having stated that, the Pope is one of the most decent, kind men to have ever walked the earth, a worldly and wise man (who, btw speaks about 62 languages), and a man who has obviously contributed greatly to providing hope, peace of mind, and spiritual fulfillment to millions (billions?).
O’Reilly just needs to be beaten in a public square.
Tapped Out
Why anyone would believe the shoddy thinking over at Tapped is beyond me. It is near impossible to find a ‘professional’ web site that is so consistently wrong. For your reading pleasure today, Robert Musil discussing why the hacks at Tapped don’t understand what an economist is, and then a post by Steve Verdon explaining that Tapped’s fawning praise for an Atrios piece is undeserved and evidence that neither understand markets.
Have fun.
Repeat Offender
Apparently the loudmouthed huckster that I posted about here, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), is a repeat offender according to Hanks. I am still waiting on the official party line from the left, as well as the snide and condescending ripostes explaining how I am simplistic and just don’t understand that she was talking in the broadest sense (like Patty Murray, and not like Trent Lott, you see).
In case you are forgetting who Rep. Kaptur is, she is the original “no war for oil” useful idiot.
*** Update ***
If you listen closely, you can probably here the Charge of the Lightweight Brigade rushing to Kaptur’s defense:
Bow-tie implied that she was making the “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” argument. Click the link to discover that she was doing no such thing. She was just warning of the dangers of confronting an enemy which combined political cause with religious zeal, not in any way being an apologist.
Betcha those guys don’t read Clayton Cramer.
Psychological Operations
Ted Barlow wonders whether Psychological Operations, leaflet drops in particular, are successful. The answer, of course, is yes. Here is a link to some information on psyops usage by the military and here is a link to some of the leaflets dropped during Desert Storm. And here is my absolute favorite leaflet they used:
“Flee and preserve your life, or stay here and meet your death.”
“You have suffered horrendous losses as a result of us using the strongest conventional bomb in this war. It has more explosive power than 20 scud missles. BEWARE! You will be bombed again soon. Kuwait will be liberated from Iraq
Bush Policy
In particular, the Euro-axis is alarmed at the consequences of a successful Iraq war on the broader Middle East. They are dismayed at the prospect of Israel being strengthened strategically, as they pointed out today in their press conference. They are terrified of Arab and Islamist militancy and are instinctually reluctant to confront rather than appease it. And they are equally concerned about the damage a war without U.N. support would do to their diplomatic leverage in the U.N. No new formula will change any of this. If I’m right, then the current neo-lib whining about the Bush team’s alleged incompetence is partisan hooey. Josh Marshall and Fred Kaplan, who both support a war, nevertheless complain about alleged Bush administration “incompetence.” It seems to me that both have to give some real reasons as to what the Bushies did wrong.
Answers:
1.) Bush is stupid.
2.) Bush acts like a Cowboy.
3.) He withdrew from the ABM and Kyoto.
4.) When it comes to acting on the international scene, he does what he says he is going to do, violating the basics of international diplomacy and fragmenting the framework of the UN, which is:
“Talk often and hit the U.S. over the head with any stick, but don’t DO anything.”
Did I mention Bush is a cowboy?