Our long national nightmare is (almost) over
Our long national nightmare is (almost) over
The world is indeed ending in 2012 -- for Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman, the leader of his one-person Connecticut for Lieberman political party. He'll announce tomorrow that he's not seeking re-election for the only reason that most U.S. senators don't seek re-election: He knows he'd be clobbered at the polls.
I wish Lieberman would leave the Senate tomorrow. I know a lot of people think that Lieberman's unpopularity -- which exists among all thinking people but is probably strongest among the left -- is because he's a victim of extreme partisanship, that a man can't be a centrist or a bi-partisan bridge builder in this country without tounching a political Third Rail.
That's a lot of malarky.
Because when it comes to the one thing that matters most in life -- war and peace, life and death -- Joe Lieberman was not a centrist at all. He was an extremist, a warmonger -- an ethusiastic cheerleader for a conflict that was based on lies from Day One, and when those lies were exposed, and when the citizens of Connecticut that he purported to represent turned righteously against the war in Iraq, Lieberman did not care. He doubled down on support for a war that was clearly wrong. Some 4,000 American men and women died, spilling real blood for Lieberman's warped abstract concept of how the world needed to be arranged 11,000 miles away from their hometowns and their loved ones. So did thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, including women and children. I'm sorry if I'm not able to praise Lieberman as "a statesman" as he slinks away into retirement.
It's hard to fathom which is scarier -- the fact that Lieberman was a handful of votes in 2000 from being a heartbeat away from the presidency, or the fact that he spent 2008 campaigning to put Sarah Palin in that same job.
Whatever. Goodbye, and good riddance.
- "...He was an extremist, a warmonger.." keep that civility flowing, Will. We're all proud of you. jmc
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Bill Bill Bill be fair you have to remember when liberals call for people to be killed its because they 'care', its nothing like when conservatives put bullseyes on a state, oh no thats an obvious far right call to kill, now do you see the blind hysterical hypocricy ?. Will what happened to the more civil tone you were blogging about oh last week ? didnt last long before you were back to your usual BS, no wonder your part of the marginalized minority you guys had your chance for two years you had the house, senate ,and white house people had a long good look at what you all stand for and gave the conservatives the biggest gains in eighty years, the country spoke loud and clear but people like you only see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear, this country is moving towards the right and theres nothing the left can do to stop it except of course lie, smear and make threats. PAEnglish
so, your anger is becuase he's a lib who voted for the war? how ridiculus! if you're so concerned about innocent people losing their lives (and you should be), why aren't you worried about the 4,000 people who have been killed in philly since 9-1-1?? No one is talking about their bloodshed. Don't use death as your platform Will if you don't really care keapitreal- "Aside from hating the man, your point is???" . . . . . Well, aside from hating Bunch, your point seems to be that we should praise the man simply because he was elected by his constituents? If that's your standard, then where's your praise of Obama?
- "Whatever. Goodbye, and good riddance." . . . . . Very polite and civil, Will. Who needs crosshairs?
- The hate is so evident in you Bunch.
Will Bunch must have graduated at the bottom of his class! I just started reading some of his commentaries...who did he know to get this job? He understands as much about political commentary as the coffee cup he smilingly holds in his photo! So much for respecting one's opinion...why don't you join some of us and get a real job! marcamp
While commenting LAST NIGHT on healthcare reform legislation Arlen Spector said "the healthcare will be permanent but the republicans will have some real bullets to fire..." - any comment Will? here's the link, see for yourself - http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/my_view/the_take/the-take%3A-spector-on-health-care-vote?CMP=201101_emailshare
michael_b
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Gotta say, Will, our much beloved ARts do make a valid point: I realize that you can drive up the blog his by throwing the red meat out there, but aren't you, basically selling divisive rhetoric - on a different scale, but in much the same was as Glenn Beck?
Technically, I guess the warmonger label is fairly accurate. Lieberman was, in fact, an advocate for invading Iraq. But I'm not sure that "extremist" is accurate in that much of the body politic and the American populous were in favor of the invasion as well.
As long as you write posts like these, all you'll do is further the ability of haters on the other side to justify their own vitriol. Obviously, they don't need much help, - they're filled with self-generated rage - and libz toning down their own rhetoric will not have a significant impact in the short term; but at least it would be starting to head down in the right direction. Talking point sleuth- TPS -- fully agree with your post. As to the Wars, I am almost finished reading "Decision Points" from George W. Bush and HIGHLY recommend everyone read it, particularly those who drive themselves insane with the "Bush lied, people died" rhetoric. It's interesting to get Bush's opinion and thinking on why he made the decisions he did. Having read it, I am convinced, as he obviously is, that he made the decisions to start the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with his heart in the right place -- to protect Americans. The results are also pretty impressive, if you think about it -- he's provided a path to freedom and democracy for 30+ million people, and made UNBELIEVABLE strides in human and women's rights in the region.
IggleFan68
Birdie - have you read about he PNAC yet?
From 1997:
-snip--
[What we require is] a military that is strong and ready to meet both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national leadership that accepts the United States’ global responsibilities. Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its power. But we cannot safely avoid the responsibilities of global leadership of the costs that are associated with its exercise. America has a vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. If we shirk our responsibilities, we invite challenges to our fundamental interests. The history of the 20th century should have taught us that it is important to shape circumstances before crises emerge, and to meet threats before they become dire. The history of the past century should have taught us to embrace the cause of American leadership.
--snip--
Among the signatories to the PNAC's statement of principles?: Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Eliot Cohen, [Jeb] Bush, Scooter Libby. The list of contributors to PNAC, and signatories to their letters and reports reads like a Who's Who of key players in the Bush administration.
Talking point sleuth- TPS -- what's wrong with that statement from PNAC?
IggleFan68 - Whether it is "wrong" is a matter of perspective. But my point is that it shows that the fear-mongering about Saddam presenting an eminent threat was bogus. Bush's key advisors had been advocating a nation-building invasion of Iraq for years.
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