Month: September 2006

Has ‘Victory in Iraq’ Morphed Into the Unwinnable ‘War on Terror?’

Buck Banks

Fear factor: As George Bush continues his Scary Terror tour of American Legion conventions and gatherings of military folk to put the fear of Allah into Americans everywhere, it’s interesting to note that it was only last November that he had ginned up something called the “National Strategy for Victory in Iraq.” He unveiled it at the U.S. Naval academy in a speech that is reminiscent of his current warlord warblings except for its focus on victory as opposed to a neverending slog through an ever deepening crisis in the Middle East.

By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans in uniform are defeating a direct threat to the American people.
— G.W. Bush, Sept. 5, 2006

On Nov. 30, 2005, Bush described the enemy in Iraq this way:

The terrorists in Iraq share the same ideology as the terrorists who struck the United States on September the 11th. Those terrorists share the same ideology with those who blew up commuters in London and Madrid, murdered tourists in Bali, workers in Riyadh and guests at a wedding in Amman, Jordan. Just last week they massacred Iraqi children and their parents at a toy giveaway outside an Iraqi hospital.

This is an enemy without conscience, and they cannot be appeased. If we’re not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and within our own borders. By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans in uniform are defeating a direct threat to the American people.

Yesterday, in his “War on Terror” speech, Bush described them this way:

The terrorists who attacked us on September the 11th, 2001, are men without conscience — but they’re not madmen. They kill in the name of a clear and focused ideology, a set of beliefs that are evil, but not insane. These al Qaeda terrorists and those who share their ideology are violent Sunni extremists. They’re driven by a radical and perverted vision of Islam that rejects tolerance, crushes all dissent, and justifies the murder of innocent men, women and children in the pursuit of political power. They hope to establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call a “Caliphate” — where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology. Osama bin Laden has called the 9/11 attacks — in his words — “a great step towards the unity of Muslims and establishing the Righteous… [Caliphate].”

This caliphate would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. We know this because al Qaeda has told us. About two months ago, the terrorist Zawahiri — he’s al Qaeda’s second in command — declared that al Qaeda intends to impose its rule in “every land that was a home for Islam, from [Spain] to Iraq. He went on to say, “The whole world is an open field for us.”

Is it me, or is Bush saying the same thing again? And it’s interesting to note that earlier versions of both of these “national strategies” were released in 2003 and have been updated annually. So what is it? the War on Terror or Victory in Iraq? According to an article today in the Boston Globe, both themes are defining Congress’ approach to the last full month of law-making until December as well as the midterms this fall:

… the Republicans have shelved high-profile bills on immigration and lobbying and ethics reforms for a streamlined agenda emphasizing domestic security.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate are planning votes this month on legislation concerning Pentagon spending, port security, bioterrorism, Bush’s controversial warrantless wiretapping program , and military tribunals for terror suspects. The goal: allowing the GOP to tout its credentials in fighting the threat of terrorism.

“The bottom line is that there have been no terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11, and that is the ultimate measure of success,” said Senate majority leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican. “Democrats have urged retreat from Iraq, and, as we all know, that has become the central front in this war on terror.”
[…]

Quote du Jour

Buck Banks

We spend our lives doing things we detest, to make money to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like. We never want to be doing what we’re doing. When we eat, we read; when we watch TV, we eat; when we drive, we listen to music; when we listen to music, we work around the house. When we want to be with friends, we go to a noisy restaurant; when we want to party, we spend the evening trying to converse.

— Laurance Peter (1919-1990), American educator, creator of the Peter Principle

Plame Was the CIA’s Operations Chief of the Joint Task Force on Iraq When Bush Illegally Outed Her

Jon Ponder

Republicans have tried to portray CIA agent Valerie Plame as a desk jockey whose work was insignficant. But Michael Isikoff, in his new book, Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal and the Selling of the Iraq War, says she was a key player in determining Iraq’s WMD capabilities during the run-up to war:

She was operations chief of the Joint Task Force on Iraq (JTFI), a unit of the Counterproliferation Division of the clandestine Directorate of Operations.

For the two years prior to her outing, Valerie Wilson worked to gather intelligence that would support the Bush White House’s assertion that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was loaded with WMDs. This means that Armitage–as well as Karl Rove and Scooter Libby–leaked classified information about a undercover CIA officer whose job it had been to look for evidence of Saddam’s WMD programs. Any irony here? During this part of her career, Valerie Wilson traveled overseas to monitor operations she and her staff at JTFI were mounting.

Poll: 65% of Republicans Still Believe Saddam Caused 9/11

Jon Ponder

Read it and weep. In the Muslim world, the mullahs spread lies about America to young men in order to foment terror for political gain.

Meanwhile, in America, rightwing radio spreads lies about terrorism to an eager audience of impressionable, un-smart Americans — in order to foment the fear of terror for political gain.

Which is more cynical, and which is more dangerous?

Florida’s Dark Days Could Be Over: The Boring Guy and the Possibly Gay Guy are Ahead in the Governor’s Races

Trish

No matter what, if U.S. Rep. Jim Davis (the boring guy) and Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist (the possibly gay guy) continue to maintain the leads they have now in the governor’s primaries, Florida will be so much better off soon that we will all dance in the streets for the rest of the week!

Here’s some background on the race, but it appears there are blue skies ahead for the Sunshine State, because either of the two finalists are so much better than Jeb that I might wet my pants. Thanks, Florida voters, for helping get us out of this nightmare!

P.S. Yes, Katherine Harris is winning the Repiglican primary.

P.P.S. And pro-life extremist Randall Terry’s getting stomped!

Going to walk the dog. Will update in a little while…

Update: Tom Gallagher has conceded the Republican primary to Charlie Crist in the governor’s race. In what will hopefully represent a trend repeated nationwide this fall, the St. Petersburg Times described how the two candidates conducted their campaigns, and how Gallagher’s style is so two years ago.

Crist ran as someone who champions consumer causes and [Jeb] Bush’s policies – at least when it came to crime, taxes and education. But he wasn’t afraid to step out of line with the governor on some issues.

He questioned Bush’s decision to intervene in the Terri Schiavo right-to-die case and said that he won’t try to change the class size limits that the governor tried and failed to put back on the ballot.

“All I want to be is the people’s governor and they should rest assured that if they elect me in November, no one will fight harder for the people than Charlie Crist,” he said. “This is a time when we need all of Florida to come together – Republicans, Democrats and independents.”

Gallagher lost despite positioning himself to come across almost exactly the same as Bush all the way down the line, abandoning a more moderate stance on social issues he had the last time he ran for governor for far-right positions opposing all abortions, gay marriage and adoption and stem cell research. He also promised to outlaw billboards for adult businesses like strip clubs.

Update: Harris has 49% of the Republican vote, splitting the remaining votes with her three challengers. So she won the primary, and will go on to try to unseat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November. Yeah, right.

Quote du Jour

Buck Banks

Who would be cleared by their Un-American Committees? Not Washington, who was a rebel. Not Jefferson, who wrote that all men are created equal and whose motto was ‘rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.’ Not Garrison, who publicly burned the Constitution. Not Lincoln, who admonished us to have malice toward none, charity toward all. Not Justice Holmes, who said that our Constitution is an experiment and that while that experiement is being made ‘we should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught with death.’

— Henry Steele Commager (1902-1998), American educator

GOP Starts ‘Security September’ Campaign Today – Control of Congress in November All But Assured

Jon Ponder
“From homeland security to national security to border security, House Republicans will focus first and foremost on addressing the safety and security needs of the American people throughout the month of September.”
— House Majority Leader John Boehner

Be afraid: Despite an increasing number of reports of polls indicating that the Democrats could take back the House and Senate on November 7, we all know that the likelihood that Republicans will lose control of either body is extremely remote.

We have seen that the GOP will lie, cheat and steal to win an election. The stakes could not be higher this year. If the Dems take either house, they will quickly catch up on the proctological oversight of the administration that the Republican majority has let slide. If the Dems take both houses, Bush will only have the courts he has packed with rightwingers to protect him and his cronies.

Over the past five years, Republicans have instilled a fear of terrorists into the American “psyche,” as Pres. Bush calls it. He and his message team — Cheney and Rumsfeld, primarily — use fear in the public mind like a lever to manipulate voters to do their will.

When things go wrong, as appears to be the case now, Republicans play the “terror card” and the public snaps to.Predictably, then, the GOP is launching its fall election campaign theme for this year on the day after Labor Day:

With GOP control of the House and Senate hanging in the balance in the November midterm elections, Republican leaders want to use the monthlong session that begins today when Congress reconvenes to press what has traditionally been their biggest advantage over Democrats: national security.

House Majority Leader John A. Boehner issued a statement last week emphasizing the theme Republicans plan to hammer. In fact, he reminded voters four times in one sentence.

“From homeland security to national security to border security, House Republicans will focus first and foremost on addressing the safety and security needs of the American people throughout the month of September,” Boehner said.

What sort of leader deploys campaigns to ratchet up fear in order to manipulate and intimidate his citizens? What sort of regime needs a pliant media to reinforce the myth that it is trustworthy and competent?

What we need now is a leader who can credibly remind us, as FDR assured Americans during the Great Depression, that fear only serves to weaken us — that the American tradition is to stand tall even as bombs are exploding, to take out our enemies fair and square and to be benevolent to our enemies in defeat.

Where can we find a leader like that?

Maybe It Sounds More Convincing in Spanish

Buck Banks

Radio free Hialeah: Katherine Harris took her campaign for the U.S. Senate to the Miami Hispanic community over the weekend. She even aired a new Spanish-language commercial on local radio. Who knew she has so many Spanish Republican supporters? Here’s a translation, courtesy the Palm Beach Post:

NARRATOR: Attention Republicans! Next Tuesday, we can move one step closer to electing our second Republican United States Senator in Florida.

Katherine Harris is a gutsy woman who’s fought for Republican values during her entire life and won.

Katherine Harris is a leader, hard-working and believes in family values, but most of all she is loyal. And that is why the following Republican leaders have endorsed her. Senator Mel Martinez, Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, the United States’ first Cuban-American House Speaker Marco Rubio, and many other Republican officials.

Katherine Harris is the true Republican candidate who has always been loyal to our community, our state, our president, George W. Bush, and our Republican values.

Katherine Harris with #11 on the ballot!

This advertisement is paid for by Friends of Katherine Harris. I am Katherine Harris and I approve this message.

Jews and Moonies Encourage Muslims to Turn On Each Other

Buck Banks

Ecumenical collaboration: Friday afternoon I received a press release from a PR firm that caught my attention. It was from a woman with a Jewish name working for a PR agency with two Jewish names that promotes Jewish and ecumenical causes, and it was about an op-ed piece written by the United State’s first Muslim ambassador and printed in the pages of the Washington Times, which is owned and operated by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. It started this way:

Hello,

I thought you might be interested in this op-ed written by the first Muslim U.S. ambassador M. Osman Siddique wherein he calls on American Muslims to serve as sentries in their own communities in order to safeguard America and to protect Islam from being co-opted by extremists. It appeared in the Washington Times this morning . If you have any questions feel free to contact Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications.

Sincerely,

Jessica Rosenbaum
Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications

I read the piece, then wrote back to ask why I had been chosen to receive this weirdly ecumenical essay. As of today, I still have not heard from Rosenbaum, Rabinowitz or Dorf.

It’s strange to consider the provenance of the press release and one wonders what all these folks are really trying to accomplish. Do you really believe that these folks are trying to protect Islam from being “co-opted by extremists?” I think Siddique might actually be sincere, if misguided, but the Jews and the Moonies? Hmmmm ….

Siddique obviously is being used as a tool, and the cynics behind this piece of propaganda certainly don’t have Islam’s best interest at heart. Here are some excerpts. Read the whole thing here.

I am embarrassed when I read the names of the terrorists in the newspaper. What must non-Muslims think when some criminal claiming to act in the name of Islam and bearing the same name as the Prophet Muhammad is arrested?

I am also embarrassed that not all American Muslims do all they can to expose those in our community who would commit mayhem or would give succor in any way to those who would cause harm. Too many American Muslims hold back from publicly speaking out against extremist ideologies that threaten us all because they fear being stigmatized by their coreligionists for cooperating with security agencies.

Why is this? In part it is because some Muslim immigrants are relatively recent arrivals from nations in which security forces were corrupt and could not be trusted. Some shy from cooperation because of their immigration status or the status of those around them. Still others hold back because they disagree strongly with American foreign policy. They truly believe that the current administration is fighting a war against Islam under the guise of fighting terrorism. Regrettably, this sentiment is widespread among Muslims, more so abroad but to a substantial degree in America as well.

Our government may act incompetently and unwisely. But I’m confident that it holds no animosity toward Muslims simply because they are Muslims. Sadly, it is Muslims who perpetrate most of the worst terrorist attacks today. As we approach the fifth anniversary of September 11, this reality must be acknowledged by all Muslims.

Oh wait, now I see — the idea here is to get the good Muslims to rat out the bad ones!

If Muslims are to gain the full confidence of non-Muslim Americans they must come forward whenever they sense an extremist presence in their midst. If anything, we must go the extra mile in these suspicious times.
…

It’s often said that freedom is never cheap. For American Muslims, the price we must pay is taking responsibility for serving as sentries in our community. Our primary communal allegiance must be to the nation in which we thrive.

In no way do I mean to imply that the American Muslim community is ridden with potential terrorists or that extremist ideologies dominate. But we fool no one, and certainly not ourselves, if we fail to admit that within our ranks are at least some individuals who have the potential to turn on America.

There is no better time to act on this truth than the fifth anniversary of September 11.

So good Muslims — and you know who you are — get out there next Monday and report to the U.S. authorities all the bad or merely suspicious Muslims. Or use the opportunity to get even with your Muslim neighbors you simply don’t like.

Allah, Yaweh, Rev. Moon and George Bush will thank you for it.

Does It Matter That Karl Rove’s Father Is Gay?

Jon Ponder

Yes, it does matter that Karl Rove’s adoptive father is gay. It shows that Karl will pursue policies that will hurt people he cares about if the policies further his agenda:

Louis Rove had informed his wife that he was gay and that he was coming out of the closet and wanted a divorce. After he retired from his job in LA, Louis Rove moved to Palm Springs and befriended other retired gay men. He drank and socialized at the Rainbow Cactus and the Martini Burger and became part of a group of gay men who referred to themselves as “The Old Farts Club.” According to his close friend of many years, retired insurance executive Joseph Koons, Louis Rove was one of the best people he knew and that both Louis and his son Karl were comfortable with the father’s sexual orientation. Although Karl lovingly accepted his father as a gay man and treated Louis’ gay associates with respect, Louis Rove’s death was a private matter. His friends knew nothing of a memorial service and no death notice was published in the Palm Springs newspaper.