Text 2020, 130 rader
Skriven 2006-08-10 15:21:00 av ROSS SAUER (1:123/140)
Ärende: "Patriots"
==================
The Bush lovers are in full meltdown.
Who was it who said, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel?"
Lots of phony "patriots" nowadays.

"The president is always right."

Kristol: Democrats oppose Lieberman because he is "pro-American"; 
Coulter claimed Lamont supporters are "anti-American"

Summary: William Kristol claimed that Democrats who oppose Sen. Joseph 
I. Lieberman do so because Lieberman is "unashamedly pro-American," 
while Ann Coulter asserted that those favoring Ned Lamont as 
Connecticut's U.S. senatorial candidate are "anti-American."
Commenting on the Connecticut Democratic primary race between 
businessman Ned Lamont and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Weekly Standard 
editor William Kristol claimed that Democrats who oppose Lieberman do so 
because Lieberman is "unashamedly pro-American," while right-wing pundit 
Ann Coulter asserted that those favoring Lamont as Connecticut's U.S. 
senatorial candidate are "anti-American." In his column for the August 
14 issue of The Weekly Standard (posted on The Weekly Standard's website 
on August 4), Kristol wrote that "[w]hat drives so many Democrats crazy 
about Lieberman is not simply his support for the Iraq war. It's that 
he's unashamedly pro-American." Similarly, on the August 9 edition of 
Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson, Coulter asserted that Lamont's 
victory in the Connecticut primary illustrates that "the anti-American 
wing" of the Democratic Party is "absolutely in the ascendancy right 
now."

As Media Matters for America recently noted, CNN congressional 
correspondent Dana Bash twice uncritically reported that Republicans 
planned to cast the victory by businessman Ned Lamont over incumbent 
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman as evidence that Democrats are "defeatist" and 
"weak on security" because of Lamont's criticism of Lieberman's support 
for the Iraq war. Bash further reported that Republicans were "already 
licking their chops" over Lamont's victory, because they believe it 
shows that the Democratic Party is "being taken over by the left wing of 
their party. And from their perspective, that's not good for the 
country."

From Kristol's column in the August 14 issue of The Weekly Standard:

Well, one might say, at least most Democratic members of Congress 
haven't criticized Bush for his support of Israel against Hezbollah. But 
these members are lagging indicators. Consider the views of the 
Democratic Party at large.

Last week, in a national poll, the Los Angeles Times asked the following 
(tendentious) question: "As you may know, Israel has responded to rocket 
attacks from the Lebanese group Hezbollah by bombing Beirut and other 
cities in Lebanon. Do you think Israel's actions are justified or not 
justified?" And these were the results: In all, 43 percent of 
respondents found Israel's actions "justified, not excessively harsh"; 
16 percent "justified, but excessively harsh"; and 28 percent 
"unjustified." What was the party breakdown? Among Republicans: 64 
percent justified, 11 percent justified but too harsh, and 17 percent 
unjustified. Among Democrats: 29 percent justified, 20 percent justified 
but too harsh, and 36 percent unjustified.

The Times also asked which of the following statements comes closer to 
your view: "The United States should continue to align itself with 
Israel," or "The United States should adopt a more neutral posture." 
Republicans: 64 percent say align with Israel, 29 percent want a more 
neutral posture; Democrats: 39 percent say align with Israel, 54 percent 
want a more neutral posture. So even with a centrist Israeli government 
that is responding to a direct attack and not defending settlements in 
the territories, Democrats have adopted a "European" attitude toward 
Israel.

And toward the United States. That is the meaning of Connecticut 
Democrats' likely repudiation of Joe Lieberman. What drives so many 
Democrats crazy about Lieberman is not simply his support for the Iraq 
war. It's that he's unashamedly pro-American.

From the August 9 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:

GIBSON: Susan, let me direct your attention to what Israel is doing 
right now, which is this big push. It's one thing, you know, the 
argument goes, that it's one thing for Israel to defend itself against 
people firing these rockets. It's another thing to go all the way to 
Beirut. Do you make any distinctions?

ESTRICH: Well, but nobody's going all the way to Beirut. I mean, I think 
if they were going all the way to Beirut, that would be another thing. 
But what they're trying to do, from all I understand, is clear an area 
for a U.N. peacekeeping force to be there. And what we're seeing right 
now is they're getting hit with rockets. I got to add one point, though -
- I can't let this whole time go by and have it be a little lovefest 
with Ann. I mean, that would be wrong. I don't think the whackballs have 
taken over the Democratic Party. I think something very exciting 
happened in Connecticut, and I say that as somebody who would have voted 
for Joe Lieberman. But I think we've got a tremendous amount of new 
energy in the Democratic Party. And I think that we shouldn't confuse 
what's going on in Israel right now with the war in Iraq, where we've 
got an issue against George Bush. I think there it was a tremendous vote 
yesterday against George Bush and against the incumbency. And I think 
you would agree, John Gibson, since you've come out against the war, you 
know, I mean, we just got that issue right there, John. Don't you agree?

GIBSON: When did I come out against the war? Ann, do you want to 
comment?

COULTER: Yes, Susan did an excellent job at sponsoring disagreements 
with that comment. No, I mean, it has everything to do with what 
happened yesterday. The free world is surrounded by hostile savages now, 
and the Democratic Party has had this McGovernite, anti-war, anti-
American wing that pops up every once in a while, and it is absolutely 
in the ascendancy right now. And, unfortunately, I mean, the Republicans 
can't keep winning every election. The fall elections will probably be a 
very good year for the Democrats. They ought to be, just out of 
historical precedent, having nothing to do with George Bush, having 
nothing to do with the war in Iraq. We picked up a enormous number of 
seats in the last midterm election. And this wing of the Democratic 
Party is going to be coming out strong and with -- would like to preside 
over a humiliating defeat in Iraq, allowing the savages a greater 
foothold.

GIBSON: I'm gonna have to --

COULTER: I think these are perilous times for America.

GIBSON: I think I'm gonna have to make that the last word. Thank Ann 
Coulter and Susan Estrich. Thanks to both of you. 

© 2006 Media Matters for America.

From Archae's Roost, Sheboygan, WI

þ CMPQwk 1.42 16554 þ
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Try Our Web Based QWK: DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:123/140)