The politics of fear
A scathing editorial from the NY Times:
It had to happen. [Awol McBlunder]’s bungling of the war in Iraq has been the talk of the summer. On Capitol Hill, some of the more reliable Republicans are writing proposals to force Mr. Bush to change course. A showdown vote is looming in the Senate.
Enter, stage right, the fear of terrorism.
Yesterday, the director of national intelligence released a report with the politically helpful title of “The Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland,” and Fran Townsend, the president’s homeland security adviser, held a news conference to trumpet its findings. The message, as always: Be very afraid. And don’t question the president. {Can we ask him if he's planning on taking the month of August off for vacation? - Ed.}
The White House denied that the report was timed to the Senate debate. But the administration controls the timing of such releases and the truth is that fear of terrorism is the only shard remaining of Mr. Bush’s justification for invading Iraq.
This administration has never hesitated to play on fear for political gain, starting with the first homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, and his Popsicle-coded threat charts. It is a breathtakingly cynical ploy, but in the past it has worked to cow Democrats into silence, if not always submission, and herd Republicans back onto the party line.
That must not happen this time. By now, Congress surely can see through the president’s fear-mongering and show Mr. Bush the exit from Iraq that he refuses to find for himself.
Enter, stage right, the fear of terrorism.
Yesterday, the director of national intelligence released a report with the politically helpful title of “The Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland,” and Fran Townsend, the president’s homeland security adviser, held a news conference to trumpet its findings. The message, as always: Be very afraid. And don’t question the president. {Can we ask him if he's planning on taking the month of August off for vacation? - Ed.}
The White House denied that the report was timed to the Senate debate. But the administration controls the timing of such releases and the truth is that fear of terrorism is the only shard remaining of Mr. Bush’s justification for invading Iraq.
This administration has never hesitated to play on fear for political gain, starting with the first homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, and his Popsicle-coded threat charts. It is a breathtakingly cynical ploy, but in the past it has worked to cow Democrats into silence, if not always submission, and herd Republicans back onto the party line.
That must not happen this time. By now, Congress surely can see through the president’s fear-mongering and show Mr. Bush the exit from Iraq that he refuses to find for himself.
Ha! Republican Senators have already made the decision to stick with Awol McStupid and his failed Iraq policy, reports Joe at AmericaBlog:
The Republican establishment is rallying to the defense of President Bush, with some GOP members of Congress cherry-picking intelligence about a resurgent Al Qaeda to buy at least two more months for Bush's Iraq "strategy." (quotes mine)Cherry-picking intelligence... isn't that how we got into trouble in the first place? Wtf is wrong with you people??
1 comment:
Am I the only person who goes cross-eyed livid at the term "Homeland"?? It just smacks of jingoism to me. Plus, um... doesn't someone refer to their 'homeland' when they are uh.. living ELSEWHERE? Oh yes, my homeland... that was that place I used to live that used to at least pretend to support civil rights. I'd like to protect it, but it's just gone, daddy. Gone.
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