September 27, 2004, Integrity Disconnect
While President Bush calls John Kerry a traitor for questioning just how rosy things are in Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell chimes in to tell us that the situation in Iraq is worsening as we prepare to rig that nation's elections this January. I sure as hell hope that Senator Kerry is listening, and can now add Secretary Powell's remarks to his litany. The reality, of course, is that we are killing around twice as many innocent civilians as the insurgents, and once in a while, the President might want to check what his own Pentagon is saying about how rotten things are in Iraq, becuase it might prove, you know, that the President is a bald-faced LIAR.
Listening to National Palestine Radio (NPR) this morning, hardly a right-wing mouth-piece, I heard concerns of so-called "security moms" in swing states, or in plain English, women who Bush has successfully scared the bejeezus out of that only he can prevent Chechen terrorists from seizing and blowing up their kids' schools. Indeed, some even lauded Bush for the Iraq adventure for "how much safer" it has made us. (Senator Kerry may have only himself to thank for this, having himself blasted Howard Dean for daring to tell the truth, i.e. that we are no safer whatsoever with Saddam Hussein in custody, about this last winter; but I digress.)
As many of you know, my own interview with Dick Morris last year hinted that if this election is about terror, Bush wins. If its about anything else, the Democrat wins. Well, for all of his much maligned prognostocative powers, current polling is showing Morris's prediction to be alarmingly prescient.
Which is totally pathetic. Because Kerry COULD have taken this off the table a long time ago, instead of wasting time on reliving 'Nam (which was a no-win then!), and domestic issues, which kind of have to be tied into the big picture (i.e. how can we "support our troops" if tax cuts are a bigger priority than equipping them; or perhaps-- on a 'Nam theme-- our troops are winning battles in the field only to be denied victory in the war because there was no planning to win the peace.)
If Kerry starts highlighting stories such as this one, about entirely unarmed units being sent into Iraqi combat zones, to train the new Iraqi army no less! In short, Kerry must not stop HAMMERING at national security and terror issues, until the President starts talking about something else. He's doing this late. I don't know if I respect a strategy that involves only doing your real campaign for six weeks against a guy whose been campaigning non-stop for four years, but it's all we got.
This one is close enough, still, so that we can recover and take this. But Democrats (and human beings of good will in this country, if there are any left) have got to realize that Kerry's situation right now is urgent: "tracking poll internal gigashmite analysis" belies that hearts and minds are shifting toward the "strong man on a horse" (forgetting, of course, that the President is afraid of horses.) It's crunch time.
Comments
Hey Libs,
Bob Dylan is coming out with a book saying that a lot of his followers were freaks and losers. Seems like he grooved on getting the money from them, but he "wanted to set fire to these people."
Far out, man.
"I can fill up a song with symbolism and metaphors, but an autobiography has to tell the truth," states our Minnesota troubador.
What is he now, the Kerry speechwriter?
The answer my friend---this is John Kerry reporting for duty---is blowing in the wind.
Power to the People.
Posted by They Call Me Mr. Crabcake at September 27, 2004 1:52 PM
Mr. C...
My personal favorite:
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Oh well...We shall see, won't we?
Posted by alicia at September 27, 2004 10:59 PM
With all the talk about elections in Iraq scheduled for January, tell me exactly, just who's running?
I mean it's one thing to be struggling to get all the appropriate voting apparatus set up, which is what all the focus of news reports seems to be about, but don't you need representatives of the people putting themselves forward, stating their positions and vieing for the countries highest position? Isn't this exercise part of the fundamental roots of a democracy?
Posted by The Jettha at September 28, 2004 11:52 AM
Alicia:
I presume W leans more toward:
"Everybody must get stoned."
Posted by They Call Me Mr. Crabcake at September 29, 2004 3:59 PM
Mr. C, You are correct sir!
Posted by alicia at September 30, 2004 10:51 AM