Just finished watching a segment of "Real Time With Bill Maher" because I was channel surfing. Howard Dean, Arianna Huffington (a REAL pol, ya), Andrew Sullivan and Jason Alexander. Notice how Maher stacks the deck? Why is that? Are the lefties so afraid of going one-on-one anymore that they have to outnumber their opposition?
Oh, and Pat Buchanan made a stop by via sattelite. What's up with Pat these days anyway? Oh, I forgot - he's schlepping his latest book. EVERYONE is writing a book these days! But that is a story for another day.
Maher has a good time trashing the president and his lamebrained audience always claps and cheers right on cue. Their hero is Michael Moore.
But one thing jumped out at me tonight when Maher went on another boring screed about Bush. He took Bush to task for nation building. Huffington screeched her agreement. Jason Alexander (what are his credentials? I forgot to ask) tried to pontificate that Bush has alienated 'the world'. Sullivan was difficult to read...supporting some of Bush's actions then stating that he wasn't voting for him for 'other reasons'.
Pat Buchanan made his point about Bush's pre-emptive war, then turned around and supported him, but clearly he was only supporting Bush because Kerry is unsupportable.
hmmmm...maybe a little history lesson is in order here....
"The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government -- a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people. Bringing change in Baghdad will take time and effort. We will strengthen our engagement with the full range of Iraqi opposition forces and work with them effectively and prudently.
The decision to use force is never cost-free. Whenever American forces are placed in harm's way, we risk the loss of life. And while our strikes are focused on Iraq's military capabilities, there will be unintended Iraqi casualties.
Indeed, in the past, Saddam has intentionally placed Iraqi civilians in harm's way in a cynical bid to sway international opinion."
Guess who said those words? President Clinton on December 16, 1998.
President Bush said nothing new on this topic. The worst thing that happened - and probably played a huge role in what led to 9/11 - was for President Clinton to give a hawkish speech and then follow it up with nothing. (bombing an aspirin factory doesn't count) President Clinton trained the terrorists to turn a deaf ear to America's threats.
President Bush now has the terrorist's attention. They know he means what he says. That is why they want John Kerry to be president. But it will never happen.
