This is old news at this point, but I missed it back in the day. 2000 Presidential candidate Bill Bradley comes out against the Iraq war after hearing Dubya’s State of the Union address. Particularly with Moynihan now gone, we could use Dem statesmen like Bradley to cultivate a higher profile. The questions facing America today aren’t going to get any easier, even if we took out Saddam tomorrow.
Author: KcM
War Games.
Who’s running this war, anyway? As the American offense tentatively bogs down, more information surfaces that the Bush Hawks ignored the Pentagon and downplayed possible guerrilla resistance by the fedayeen in order to sell their war to the American people. I never thought I’d agree with Barry McCaffrey, but there you have it. Why would you ever put American lives at risk without preparing for the worst possible consequences? God willing, the Bushies bet correctly and our forces will be able to break the back of Saddam’s regime regardless. But, if our men and women start dying because of Rummy’s unbridled optimism, there’ll be hell to pay. Update: The wartime hubris of Rumsfeld is further explored in this week’s New Yorker.
Advise and Dissent.
As the protests heat up in NYC, Slate‘s David Greenberg evaluates the many contributions of American antiwar efforts over the centuries, and reminds us anew that anti-war advocates are also more often than not pro-troop. Something for the Right to consider before they break out the paintball guns.
Music for the Masses.
One minor comfort as war rages in Iraq: Some of my favorite artists are emerging from obscurity to step up with new material. Michael Stipe and R.E.M. have released “Final Straw”, while the Beastie Boys offer “In a World Gone Mad.” (The former and better song via WebGoddess.)
The Gentleman From New York.
R.I.P. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan 1927-2003. At a time when the Democratic party needs articulate, intelligent, and principled statespersons more than ever, we lose one of the big ones. He will be missed.
Crichton Signs Off.
I didn’t get a chance to say this while I was in Vegas, so I’ll do it now…So long, Farscape. Your time came much too quickly.
Voting, Schmoting.
Also via Medley (and Genehack), GOP ops in several midwestern states, trying to stay afloat after the Dubya dip, have keyed in on the ultimate money-saving device: cancelling primaries. I mean, we all know Bush is going to win again anyway, right? Right?
High-Power FM.
Paul Krugman explores Republican radio conglomerate Clear Channel’s role in inciting pro-Bush rallies around the country. (Via Medley.) You have to wonder if the people smashing Dixie Chick paraphernalia felt even a little bit sheepish. After all, it’s not like they’re French or anything.
Fleeing from History.
Speaking of silence and smokescreens, Dubya chose the biggest night of fighting yet to rewrite the disclosure rules for government documents, gutting Clinton administration policies that facilitated the declassification of papers. One could argue that Dubya is merely trying to keep WMD knowledge out of the hands of America’s enemies, but given his track record on the Reagan papers, the President doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on. There’s a lot of information out there that might “impair relations between the United States and a foreign government,” and most of it has very little to do with WMDs. And, sadly, this looks to be only the first of many such wartime night massacres.
Smokescreen.
A Texas D.A. has achieved what once seemed impossible: getting the Exterminator to shut up. GOP freakshow and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay remains mum on reports that one of his PACs is on the wrong side of the law. Another story that hopefully doesn’t get lost in the crevasses between war coverage.