UPDATED
“Over The Top” By Peggy Noonan
While anyone on the left would immediately discount the source because she was one of President Reagan’s speech writers, they’d be smart to at least look at this one. Whether it’s bombing a recruiting station as a demonstration of their support for peace and “the troops,” or calls on liberal websites demanding that the DNC convention “re-create 68,” or perhaps it’s the growing Dem vs Dem punditry on tv…it really doesn’t matter. The point is the same: there is a deep fracture in the Democratic Party between Senator Obama’s supporters and Senator Clinton’s supporters. This divide opened the wounds of the 1990’s using tactics that Republicans could never have dreamed of using. Those wounds-as Ms Noonan describe so perfectly-are the things that have been taboo for Democrats to talk about for ten years or more. In fact, not only have Democrats been forbidden by party partisanship and political politeness, but they’ve actually been compelled to EXCUSE them against all forms of rationality, historical fact, and patriotic responsibility.
This week the Obama campaign repeated the mass media call for her to release her present or past tax records, her Presidential library records, and/or other records (see also real-estate records) that would demonstrate her financial independence from special interests, her White House experience, and/or her financial brilliance. Rather than expedite the release of such sound substance to her political claims, the Senator compared the request to that of Ken Starr’s investigations.
Now, the words “Ken Starr” are bad words in the Democratic Party. They are those which should not be spoken without a spit to the right, a crotch grab, a sneer, and/or a flip of the finger. But…in her complaint/weak attack against Senator Obama she compelled the large and vibrant portion of Senator Obama’s supporters-youth voters-to ask, “Who is Ken Starr?” See, a lot of them were too young to remember or understand the long list of Clinton scandals, and in a moment of personal defense and political PTDS, she caused a firestorm of Google searches on “Ken Starr” and “Clinton scandals.”
My favorite part of the article (obviously) was where Ms Noonan let Democrats be Democrats.
One Obama supporter on Root.com apparently didn’t get the memo. That is the great threat to the Clintons, the number of young and independent Democrats who haven’t received the memo about how Democrats speak of the Clintons. Writer Mark Q. Sawyer: “If Obama won’t hit back, I will. Why aren’t we talking about impeachment, Whitewater and Osama?”
The answer is simple Mr Sawyer: because you were not allowed to hold your party accountable, and if you DARED point out the absolute disgrace and abject failures that went along with any successes in the 1990’s…you’d be described as a Joe Lieberman, a neocon, a conservative, etc. Now, the time has come-not to recognize that Republicans were right to complain about certain things, but to demand better of the party-not more of the same.
…and to those who would ignore this lemming-like, wide-eyed, unquestioning obedience and support of the partisan line in favor of distracting the conversation and using childish, “They do it too” styles of discussion, one need look no further for proof of being wrong that this article itself for Peggy Noonan, a conservative of stature that typically raises the hair on the back of her political opposition…has done more than her fair share of Bush-bashing (ie calls for accountability) herself. In fact, anyone who reads the article will see that she and other Republicans have at least less fear of holding their party to account. So the question isn’t do partisans on both sides of the aisle blindly follow their political dogma, but rather why are Democrats breaking out of that box now rather than when it was pertinent?
Or is now the most important time to step up and do so?
UPDATE
Looks like the Clintons are refusing to release the records of the pardons granted 8yrs ago as well. Gosh, why could that be? Nothing to do with money laundered through the UN-Saddam Oil For Food program, millions in income from Arab princes in the UAE that the 911 Commission claimed funneled money for the 911 attacks, or the FARC pardons (something kinda interesting given that 1/3 of South America is on the verge of war over FARC terrorists). Nah, it’s wrong to ask about such things. The Clintons are saints.
Federal archivists at the Clinton Presidential Library are blocking the release of hundreds of pages of White House papers on pardons that the former president approved, including clemency for fugitive commodities trader Marc Rich.
That archivists’ decision, based on guidance provided by Bill Clinton that restricts the disclosure of advice he received from aides, prevents public scrutiny of documents that would shed light on how he decided which pardons to approve from among hundreds of requests.
Clinton’s legal agent declined the option of reviewing and releasing the documents that were withheld, said the archivists, who work for the federal government, not the Clintons.
Author of “Reparations and America’s 2nd Civil War
Reparations and America’s 2nd Civil War: Malensek, Scott: 9798864028674: Amazon.com: Books
Having been born in the mid 1950’s some of us are the middle child of the boomer generation. I remember watching the 1968 Chicago convention with a familiar disgust as it reminded me of the tantrums of my older brother who was catered to and spoon fed from 1947 to the seventies. Taking a tired line from a variety show of the era “mom always liked you best”.
Now some of these favorite children of the boomer generation are attempting to revive their past experiences in an effort to prove that they matter. All this while much of the country watches their actions with disgust. Many of us now grown and remember their tantrums simply refuse to carry their water.
Now if we only had a candidate, but I digress …
I thought it was oddd that Hillary would play the “Ken Starr” card too. All that does is reinforce the negatives against Hillary.
I’m glad you put this piece up Scott. I’ve been worried that maybe we were spending too much time pointing out Obama’s dangerous faults and not enough time reminding people what a piece of work Hillary is.
But with 7 weeks until the big PA primary, it looks like Obama and Hillary will be reminding us all about the weak points of their opponent. Good stuff we can use in a the fall.
I am loving this infighting. By the time they are here in Denver, both will be reduced to bloody stumps-DREAM TICKET??? You have got to be dreaming. Obama has this Rezco trial just beginning and HRC has a closet full of skeletons-Anyone that says that God doesn’t watch over our country isn’t paying attention
They, the Republican Neo-Con’s, and some Democratic supporters are out of control. And most of the so called reasons for using the term “War with Iraq” is in it self a breach of the Resolution, worse a violation of the Constitution, Geneva Convention, United Nation Resolutions, the War Powers Act, Military code of Conduct, or the Iraq Resolution itself which specifically states rules that fall under the basics in reporting actions with consultation with Congress with respect to the Constitution. Likely no reporting was done, here we had a rubber turkey Congress all Republican controlled.
Also, serious abuse and false interpretation by the Supreme Court which is loyal friendships in the Republican Party rather than loyal to the public service and honorable reflection of whats right in the Constitution for America, all begs the question. Why Supreme Court Justices are not considered for impeachment? Here, would change the perspective in the turmoil and political fight currently going on. Face a solid truism, America will not and is not going to get the truth from Mainstream Media no matter how goody they seem to come across. It should rile a huge political circles, and the intellectual wheelers that are honest when one views an interview Brett Favre while he wheezes and cries about his about his success and wants to retire really coming across with compassion and sincerity for his work, yet when a political like Hillary Clinton gets chocked up or lightly wells gets blasted as not having the courage to move the country forward. Amazing the bias and the audience and Mainstream Media that interprets it.
The perpetrators are not only of President Bush and Cheney but this action includes many long time Republicans with support from Democrats, with a list of likely thousands of Institutions and corporation of which Mainstream Media has been a complicit key player that held control of the House and Senate before the 2006 election. A very difficult hurtle involving a huge mass of Americas public that are guilty of not only conspiring but actually carrying out the actions that are counter to the Oath and responsibility of the electorate and the Constitution.
America, looking back in history, America has sponsored, and supported through CIA and other secret Diplomacy, many such military actions around the world that involved everything from assaination of political leaders because of America’s interest not being gained. Which includes, support of tyrants and training of generals of other nations that eventually turned on America, and we simply kill them. Obama’s Indonesia home is an excellent example. Shameful and true these past fifty years have been a deceitful mix of secret corruption known and viewed by world governments, likely paid off with so called aid money, but kept from the general American public for decades through what is generally known as National Security Secrets. This is the executive pile of dirty reasons to profiteer while Middle, and Poor America pay the tax tab.
What is laughable is the tone across the Mainstream Media that it’s “Getting Ugly Out There” when in fact it always was ugly out there because the basics in public responsibility for over sight and honest reporting to the public is and has been abused for decades by Mainstream Media. Mainstream Media has not been doing its job.
The Constitution in all areas are have been abused, violated, and breached were those involved need to be held accountable were those first line Journalist of which there are many would likely be in that category of co conspirators that need to be investigated, convicted and serve terms along with others without pardons. If there is anytime in the History of our government that begs a needed a closer look at “A Unified Theory of American Government” it is obviously now. A huge topic to bring up about Obama and what he represents is more than shallow to even a disrespect for what is good leadership and decision making.
For if one reads Obama’s book “Audacity of Hope” Obama, even after eight years in the opportunity to teach the Constitution and laws at the University Of Chicago says, he, Obama, offers no ideals in the unified theory of American Government. Obama’s continuous display of harboring the ideal he, Obama was not in favor of the War in Iraq. But only after being installed without having to be under duress, encouraged by false affirmation, and lies by the administration, consciously uses the explicit ideal that after seventy percent of the Senate was actually duped into voting for the Resolution for Iraq, plainly shows me Obama’s mix of confusion and good sense, is actually irresponsible to use this leverage to position himself as presidential quality. It confounds me how the electorate can not see through Mainstream Media and how it dodges this primer example of arrogance that goes against the grain of what is right.
I have yet to hear any Democrats saying that they could not be happy to vote for either Clinton or Obama. The fact is that their positions on issues are very similar. Democrats are just looking at this as an intra squad scrimmage before the big game in Nov. Full contact?, yes, but with pads
Wow Zorro, do they give you free pot with that kool-aid?
If we strictly followed the Geneva Conventions on dealing with illegal combatants, they would have been executed, not living catored to in prisons which are better than almost all US federal prisons.
The only part where you begin to make sense is the last paragraph, though I have to say there is no “good sense” in Obama’s positions.
Zorro, I’d like to point out that the post May 2003 war in Iraq is not only supported by the UN, but MANDATED by UN resolution 1483 sections 1-4 under Chapter 7 of the UN charter (as if you’d bother to look it up).
John, I’ve yet to meet a Democrat who will vote for Hillary Clinton given that she
promoted the war in Iraq
authorized the war in Iraq
supported the war in Iraq
funded the war in Iraq
did nothing to stop the war in Iraq
called for more troops to go to Iraq before the President did
vows to keep US troops in Iraq until 2013 if the Bush Admin objectives are not met.
Nope. The American people are getting tired of being told by Democrats that if they’re elected they’ll end the war while those same Democrats (already in power) do nothing to end it, and instead do everything to continue it even citing the same objectives and strategies as the Bush Administration.
Besides, Senator Clinton was involved in the biggest campaign finance fraud case in American history, and she has yet to have her conditions of settlement determined. Once the pundits stop playing “what if” games and Oooooing/Ahhhhing over Barack…the ole Clinton scandals will return. I say it’s time for new blood, and that’s why I voted for Barack in our primary.
Barack is new blood? You have got to be kidding. Nothing new will come out of the south-side of Chicago, and the democratic machine run by Daley’s group!
@ChrisG, specifically the second paragraph. Uh. What? You are wrong. Flat wrong. You haven’t even taken a few minutes to check either have you? Forget it, I wouldn’t believe you if you said yes. There is absolutely nothing in the Geneva Conventions about executing anyone. There is no room for you to claim any type of defense. Period. You are just making things up. Further, unlawful combatants is just a phrase the Bush admin. came up with to try to skirt the Geneva Conventions, but no such group is defined in the Geneva Conventions. As plainly and slowly as I can explain it: There are essentially two groups, Prisoners of War, and not Prisoners of war. A person is either in one group or the other. There is no gap. And in all cases individuals are to be treated humanely. Now unless you take that last part to mean execute them. Seriously, what you are saying is made up. I encourage everyone to go read it for yourself. You’ll find that I didn’t list all of the subgroups of the non prisoner category, but that it also has no bearing on what I’ve said here. It’s not hard to figure out, you just have to have actually read it. And ChrisG hasn’t. To his credit though, that’s a pretty ballsy maneuver to just say something you haven’t taken time to research for even a minute. If only ballsiness were next to truthiness.
PS ChrisG you are the worst kind of uninformed halfwit. The kind that is brazen enough to dupe other halfwits that your lies are true.
Actually D, you’re the misinformed halfwit since you’re obviously looking at the latest version of the Geneva Conventions as opposed to the latest version that the U.S. agreed to. There’s a huge difference. While it might be true that the specific WORDS “enemy combatant” or “unlawful combatant” aren’t in the GC, you yourself have either demonstrated absolute incompetence, complete ignorance, or the very misleading characterization for which you accuse others, and that’s because the GC calls for tribunals or some sort of trial by the confining nation, and if someone is found guilty of espionage in a tribunal, then they can be executed per the nation’s law; our law. So, guess what…US law allows for people to be executed for taking up arms against our nation, and if they’re not wearing a uniform or acting on behalf of a nation, then they’re acting as either criminals subject to the death penalty or a treasonous citizens punishable by the death penalty. So D can play games all he wants. In the end, if the US wanted to shoot everyone at Gitmo, all that needs be done is to have a tribunal with a stamp that says guilty=death. But no, let’s ignore the facts that the detainees in US custody are treated better than Americans in Supermax prisons, are not tortured, and are not being executed or even sent to other countries to be tortured and/or executed. Seriously, if someone wanted to be cruel and torture em, they’d just hand em over the former Northern Alliance in Afghanistan for THEIR version of interrogation and incarceration [in shipping containers without food or water in the desert sun]. Nah, that’s all just more enemy sympathizing on the part of the far left like D. Sorry, but D’s either a halfwit or a liar.
It’s a pretty ballsy maneuver to say that D. Thanks for the inane insults. Now YOU do some research.
Unlawfull combatants are defined by both the Geneva Conventions and expanded upon in the US law of Land Warfare (FM 27-10).
From http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/375?OpenDocument
Legal combatants defined:
Since many of the terrorists we captured are paid by AQ, Iran, or others to fight, they can be defined as mercenaries. This is why the US and other Western nations have proposed making mercenary style units part of regular forces (with all the rules and regulations).
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977.
Now from the FM 27-10 US Law of Land Warfare (which I as a Soldier follow):
Chapter 3, Section 2
And now to the crux of the issue.
So please get over your pathetic and idiotic insults and do some research yourself “halfwit”.
ROFL! D got OWNED!