From the New Republic’sLawrence Kaplan, “The Knowledge Gap”:
Maybe it was a slip of the tongue. But, when Nancy Pelosi confessed last year that she felt “sad” about President Bush’s claims that Al Qaeda operates in Iraq, she seemed to be disputing what every American soldier in Iraq, every Al Qaeda operative, and anyone who reads a newspaper already knew to be true. (When I questioned him about Pelosi’s assertion, a U.S. officer in Ramadi responded, incredulously, that Al Qaeda had just held a parade in his sector.) Perhaps the House speaker was alluding to the discredited claim that Al Qaeda operated in Iraq before the war. Perhaps. But the insinuation that Al Qaeda’s depredations in Iraq might be something other than what they appear to be has become a staple of the congressional debate over Iraq. Thus, to buttress his own case for withdrawal, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “We have to change course [away from Iraq] and turn our attention back to the war on Al Qaeda and their allies”–the clear message being that neither plays much of a role there.
What is going on here? There are two possibilities: First, Reid and Pelosi could be purposefully minimizing the stakes in Iraq. Or, second, they don’t know what they’re talking about.
Ouch.
So does this mean there really are moderate Dems—or at least Democrats beside Joe Lieberman or Zell Miller who don’t believe localized partisan victories should trump long-term national security?
Color me gobsmacked.
Of course, if I remember correctly, Kos—who, let’s face it, runs the Democratic party base—excommunicated the New Republic from the Church of the Authentic Liberal, so I’m not sure we can put much stock into what Kaplan says. He is, after all, just another tool of the right wing.
But who knows? Maybe Rosie will come out with something similar, and the clouds will part—revealing a brilliant, clarifying sun whose rays will evaporate the fog of truthiness and reveal the cold hard stone that’s been hiding beneath it lo these many (Bushco) years…
(h/t CJ Burch and Ace)
I’m instead banking on the hope that the next Comet will get close enough soon enough that the authentic Faux Liberals can just “go home”.
h/t Negrodamus
what angers me changes often, but this is one that gets me particularly steamed. Reid and Pelosi give no indication publicly that they understand what our military is doing in Iraq.
The more I read about the sheer ignorance from the leaders of the democratic party about who and what our enemy is, the more I wonder if we would be better off just letting an Obama or Silky Pony get elected so they can screw things up so bad that no one will ever let them in charge of national security again.
I’m just afraid that the damage would be irreversible.
In the meantime, we have to watch as the congressional leaders slowly drive us over the cliff, and even though it’s comforting to see other decmoratic supporters beginning to realize just what a mess their leaders are getting us in to, I fear it may be too late to do anything about it.
I mean jebus, did you know how many dissenters were thrown in jaiol in Syria during Pelosi’s visit?
Is she REALLY this fucking stupid?
Is it stupidity or narcissism?
is weird how Kaplan seems to make a distinction between Harry&Nancy and the media. Maybe he hadn’t had his coffee
Yes. Yes, she is.
I would say, probably not. I think, rather, as Jeff has shown, this is all in service an ultimate end. If you have to break a few (million brown) eggs to get that tasty power omelete made…oh well. It helps when you don’t have the press calling you on things like this either.
MJ,
So does that mean she’s aware of the fact that she’s making things even worse and doesn’t care as long as she gets more power?
That’s worse than just being stupid, that’s almost evil. I refuse to demonize political figures in the US because I don’t believe that they are really evil that way, but it’s pretty sad that the choice I’m faced with is that she’s either stupid or evil.
Yay democracy!
Dems overshadow all front runners with surprise candidates.
Please folks, a nice hand for candidate Pelosi and running mate Rosie.
A team fully unencumbered by reality.= TG
I haven’t taken a Iraq situation briefing since 2004—and it hasn’t clouded my judgement!
I’ll see you, Madam Speaker, and raise you to 2003—and proud of it!
Hell, even if I do go to a briefing from that Patraeus chump, I don’t have to believe him, so why bother?
Believe me, windsurfing beats security briefings on Iraq any day. Hey, is that camera on?
Where’s the bar?
Look, I’m a busy man. Schedule a briefing on military rapid strike force from 4,365 miles away–y’know, right next door–and I’m there.
I actually feel sorry for the folks @ TNR. Whenever somebody leaves the liberal plantation, they tend to start cannibalizing their own. Unfortunately, they will attempt to destoy one of the few left of moderate voices amongst them. I really agree that at some point, if we knew they would not cause permanent and irreparable damage, we could be well served to have the libs give it a go at running things, so they could showcase their aggressive ignorance for all to see.
She’s not stupid in the conventional sense, nor do I believe that she is evil. Nancy has been conditioned to deal with every problem as one of a political grievance group (gay rights, abortion rights, etc., etc., etc.)who can be schmoozed and used. The terrorists and their state supporters are merely (to her) another grievance group. Sure, they do naughty things, but that’s because we make no effort to understand them and address their needs. Added to this “we all have value” approach is her absolute frustration that the GWOT, particularly Iraq, is taking away assets and attention from what to her is really important—the domestic agenda. To her, the GWOT is merely a distraction.
It’s simply the way she thinks.
You know what’s more fun than briefings? Windsurfing. I tried it on the Me Kong back in ‘Nam and couldn’t get enough of it.
You know, I think that dude from Iran is a guy I could do business with. I think we share the same sportsjacket and pants size.
FWIW, and I know it is OT, but I do not buy pheelater’s “apology” for a moment. After having witnessed the Frisch-asm in real time, I no longer have an ounce of sympathy when the vermin are exposed for their antics. The only thing that pheelander is “sorry” for is that he was exposed for the ass that he is, not for what he said, which is fairly obvious that he believes. So, many of you are better men and women than myself, because I would not even entertain a pseudo-apology from the penile version of Rosie.
Does craven, two-faced, pandering to voters make my ass look fat?
Denny, I’m not sure he has your raw animal magnetism though. The only way Mahmoud can get a woman who looks anything like your wife is if he resorts to DIY and starts robbing graves.
Actually John,
You know what beats windsurfing? Talking shit to your kids. Just reaming them a new a-hole. Try it sometime.
Now wheres the butcher knife? I feel the need to stab some old pictures of Kimmy.
The way I figure it, fatalities in Iraq = more seats in the Senate. Damn, why didn’t I come up with this sooner?
But, Alec, what do you wear when you’re reaming an 11 year old? Lycra? I really like the figure-slimming a wet suit offers.
No Honey – your ass makes your ass look fat.
and thats not phat (in the ghetto sense).
Heh.
Wheres my fried chicken and orange juice?
John,
I prefer the loose flowing comfort of a Mumu nowadays.
Best Regards,
Alec.
I tied my own shoes today and Mr. Harry gave me a pudding cup.
With the lb.’s you’re packing around these days, Alec, I can understand the Mumu things.
Listen Alec, you fat-faced, unemployed, not-Canadian putz, I told you you’d never see the kid again and I meant it. You want me to leak the vid with you and those pink pumps and the pool boy too?
Not to interrupt the show, but this tibit from the article kind of leapt out at me:
Is that claim really discredited?
I want my “Dance Party” show back….
Who’s up for an 8-ball?
All
CNN (of all places) seems to put a bullet into the heart of the Dems with the following article:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.scenarios/index.html
Baby steps, Tom. Baby steps. They can’t handle the (real, factual) truth all at once.
Who’s up for stains on a blue dress?
Protesting the Vietnam War in Moscow?
Violating the good virtue of the lovely ladies of an Arkansas trailer park?
Well, making the US cut and run from a war thereby leaving a civilian population to the tender mercies of ideologues worked so well in the past, I can’t think of any reason for the Democrats not to demand that they do it again…..
Dennis, John, Jack, Nancy, Hills, Bill and Chuck,
Drop by the lake of fire. We’ll have a strategy meeting and decide what to do next.
Is that claim really discredited?
From what I’ve heard, al Qaeda didn’t have actual operations in Iraq prior to the invasion. One of their folks had refuge in Iraq, and I’ve even heard that Saddam wooed al Qaeda but they didn’t return his calls.
That’s not to say there weren’t other terrorist groups with training camps in Iraq, or that Saddam wasn’t slavering to use terrorists to serve his purposes. Just that al Qaeda was busy in Sudan, Afghanistan, Morocco, and elsewhere instead.
I may be mistaken, but I was under the impression that Zark and his merry band of freedom fighters were given at least tacit approval to operate in Northern Iraq, with Ansar al Islam. If an AQ affiliate operating openly within Saddam’s borders does not count, what does ?
The 9/11 Commission Report states the following regarding Ansar al-Islam:
Of course Zarqawi was with these guys and then “coincidently” became head of Al-Qaida-in- Iraq which-is-not-in-Iraq.
Pelosi’s behavior is very simple:
(1) She is a ‘Progressive’ Democrat
(2) Progressives have a strong Socialists streak
(3) Socialists bitterly hate Republicans and Bush
(4) Bush is attacking Islamists and might win
Therefore,
(5) Pelosi, Socialists, and Progressives want to keep Bush from winning a “Republican” victory
(6) They will do anything to stop Bush
I think slackjawedyokel has it about right.
I second (or third as the case may be) Major John’s comment of slackjawedyokel’s comment. She’s obviously fairly bright and I doubt that she is evil, but she just doesn’t understand that Al Queda or other islamist nutbags are not another constituency or more preceisely, another grievance voting block. Now, that makes her incredibly dangerous and I would rather have her serving me ice cream or handling my dry cleaning or handling a litigation for me, than being a congress critter, but until the schleps in her district wise up…
A couple of weeks ago, I got into a light but spirited discussion of global warming with left of center friend with great cleavage. She seemed genuinely confused when I said that I was more worried about radical Islamists than global warming. The thought that they were an actual threat had never even crossed her mind. You could tell that many people who were around us were similarly confused, it was like I was speaking Klingon. The number of people who “got it” was quite small. It is important to remember that for most people who don’t actually seek out news, the actual cultural danger we are facing is beyond their horizon. Al Gore on the other hand has won awards.
I think she is evil.
Well, if the red states can at least hold a line in the Appalachians, we can probably take the Northeast back from Eurabia eventually…
NO BLOOD FOR MAPLE SYRUP!!!