The conservative blogosphere and most conservative commentators and radio hosts are making much about politicians who endorse and confirm well respected generals and state department officials, then immediately repudiate those same general's and official's positions on Iraq and the "surge" of troops currently underway.
And I remain convinced that the vast majority of these same politicians are poll driven stooges who primarily hope to be reelected. If they have a real opinion, they keep them to themselves.
It was interesting to watch Don Imus tear into Hillary Clinton yesterday in the most vitriolic and hateful way because he believes that Hillary is one of the "poll driven" politicos. Imus said that "Hillary is trying to play catch up because the polls are passing her by..."
I'm not ready to cast such a harsh judgment against Hillary, but, in general, Imus is not wrong. But, as usual, I digress.
My point is that many bloggers, politicians and media personalities are extremely guilty of the same blind stubbornness they ascribe to President Bush. They immediately discard any opinion from any source with which they disagree.
So the game being played by most Democrats and a few Republicans is to condemn President Bush for not listening to the military leaders THEN to completely ignore Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus when he pleads for Congressional support for his plan and begs Congress not to pass any resolutions that would embolden or give comfort to the enemy.
And, need I remind you, Patraeus is the General the Congress just unanimously confirmed to lead our military in Iraq.
Now we have former Secretary of State James Baker, only a few weeks ago the darling of the Democrats, author of the Iraq Study Group Report, endorsing the President's surge of troops.
"James Baker, the co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group, on Tuesday endorsed President Bush's troop surge in Iraq, urging the Senate to "give it a chance." "The president's plan ought to be given a chance," Baker told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Just give it a chance." "Baker, a former secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush, said it was wrong for the Senate to confirm Army Gen. David Petreaus to lead the new Iraq mission at the same time it was moving to pass non-binding resolutions opposing the deployment of at least 21,500 U.S. forces to improve security in Baghdad and Al Anbar Province." |
You remember the derogatory stories that littered the blogosphere and dominated the Keith Olbermann show. The stories that spoke of Daddy Bush sending his team in to save his bumbling son, only to have sonny boy repudiate his daddy by refusing to listen to reason.
Curiously, last night I didn't hear Olbermann condemn any of the "stubborn, closed minded" Democrat Senators who absolutely refuse to listen to James Baker today.
So, as a final thought today, I urge all who wander by my journal today to take a few minutes and listen to the commentary by Ted Kopple, formerly of ABC New's Nightline, and now a regular contributor for National Public Radio.
Kopple's commentary is titled How Honest Is the Debate over Iraq?
TECHNORATI TAGS: TED KOPPLE DON IMUS KEITH OLBERMANN IRAQ IRAQ STRATEGY DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS WAR ON TERROR PRESIDENT BUSH AL QAEDA LT. GENERAL PETRAEUS
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