Friday, September 19, 2003
‘This was made up in Texas’: Ted Kennedy has gone over the top. The quasi-conspiracy-theory nature of his attacks on the Bush administration’s Iraq policy are just weird and often just historically wrong. Example: “This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. ... This whole thing was a fraud.” ... Um, er, well, what about the administration’s fatuous talk of going after Saddam only hours after the Sept. 11, 2001 WTC attacks? What about the Axis of Evil speech in early 2002? What about the entire, drawn-out debate during 2002 over Iraq, weapons inspections, pissing all over Europe and the UN? What about John Kerry’s vote last fall to authorize force if Saddam didn’t comply with UN demands? Texas? January? Please. ...
Like most criticisms, there are elements of truth to what Kennedy says, including the administration’s rush to war in Iraq (see above Sept. 11 reference), the shifting explanations for the conflict, etc. Hub Blog, a wobbly warrior from the start, would add the following: the administration’s trashing of allies and the UN, promoting an openly imperial/Woodrow Wilson like foreign policy, the boasting “bring ‘em on” comment to cover up for lack of WMD, the crass politicizing of the war (landing on an aircraft carrier in pilots’ garb -- for Christ’s sake!).
FYI: Here’s what Kennedy said after hostilities broke out in Iraq last March:
“Our thoughts and our heartfelt prayers are also with our president. ... We join our president in pledging our commitment to victory, to disarm Saddam and to bring freedom and opportunity to all the people of Iraq.”
Seems like we achieved some of those aims, at least. The senator should try to find some of the graceful equilibrium that gave that rhetoric meaning last March. Otherwise, his latest comments, coming so soon before the presidential primaries and election, smack of the same type of politics he’s denouncing. (Scroll down a bit to see the March Kennedy quote.)
Update -- Not sure I believe everything Gerhard Schroder says, either. But he does sound like a guy who's reaching out and not all that comfortable with Germany's exclusive footsie playing with the French. ... Watch the Bush administration bungle this one too. ... Getting diplomatically outmaneuvered by the French: embarrassing.
Like most criticisms, there are elements of truth to what Kennedy says, including the administration’s rush to war in Iraq (see above Sept. 11 reference), the shifting explanations for the conflict, etc. Hub Blog, a wobbly warrior from the start, would add the following: the administration’s trashing of allies and the UN, promoting an openly imperial/Woodrow Wilson like foreign policy, the boasting “bring ‘em on” comment to cover up for lack of WMD, the crass politicizing of the war (landing on an aircraft carrier in pilots’ garb -- for Christ’s sake!).
FYI: Here’s what Kennedy said after hostilities broke out in Iraq last March:
“Our thoughts and our heartfelt prayers are also with our president. ... We join our president in pledging our commitment to victory, to disarm Saddam and to bring freedom and opportunity to all the people of Iraq.”
Seems like we achieved some of those aims, at least. The senator should try to find some of the graceful equilibrium that gave that rhetoric meaning last March. Otherwise, his latest comments, coming so soon before the presidential primaries and election, smack of the same type of politics he’s denouncing. (Scroll down a bit to see the March Kennedy quote.)
Update -- Not sure I believe everything Gerhard Schroder says, either. But he does sound like a guy who's reaching out and not all that comfortable with Germany's exclusive footsie playing with the French. ... Watch the Bush administration bungle this one too. ... Getting diplomatically outmaneuvered by the French: embarrassing.
