Which Side Are They On?
The left doesn't
have a leg to stand on. All they do is bash Bush and offer nothing more
than diatribe and vitriol. Have they ever thought to offer an
alternative?
from Opinion Journal
Which
Side Are They On?
Rumors flew last week that a U.S. missile strike in eastern Pakistan had killed
Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2 man. Reports of Zawahiri's death turned
out to be exaggerated, but yesterday came the news that the missile appears
to have hit another important target:
ABC News has learned that Pakistani officials now believe that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.
Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of four known major al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit in the village of Damadola early last Friday morning.
The United States had posted a $5 million reward for Mursi's capture. He is described by authorities as the man who ran al Qaeda's infamous Derunta training camp in Afghanistan, where he used dogs and other animals as subjects for experiments with poison and chemicals. His explosives training manual is still regarded as the bible for al Qaeda terrorists around the world.
"The bible for al Qaeda terrorists," huh? Someone's having a little fun over at ABCNews.com. Over at The Weekly Standard, the Manhattan Institute's Dan Darling elaborates on Masri's importance:
If [Abu] Khabab can be said to have had a lasting effect on the development of Islamist extremism, it would be that he moved the possibility of Islamists using unconventional weapons out of the theoretical and into the practical. Those wishing to view his legacy need look no further than the extremely crude but deadly chemical and biological experiments set up under the auspices of Ansar al-Islam in northern Iraq prior to the U.S. invasion.
Or as the Democrats call it, northern Iraq which has nothing to do with northern al Qaeda.
Anyway, the TigerHawk blog has a roundup of reaction from left-wing blogs, before it was reported that Masri was hit:
AmericaBlog: "At least when Clinton 'lobbed cruise missiles at tents' he wasn't blowing up entire innocent families in small villages who had no idea what was about to happen to them."
"mcjoan," DailyKos.com: "What this strike has achieved is the further alienation of Pakistan, and provided further proof of the Bush administration's utter ineptitude. It's a reminder that the disastrous Iraq debacle diverted resources from the critical effort to contain al-Qaeda and calls into question exactly what it is that our intelligence agencies are doing."
Juan Cole: "Ooops. The bombing of a village in northern Paksitan, apparently done in hopes of killing al-Qaeda #2 Ayman al-Zawahir, missed its intended target."
"Scrolling through perhaps a dozen big lefty blogs, I did not see a single post that actually expressed regret that we had not killed al Zawahiri," TigerHawk notes. And it's not just the bloggers; consider this column from Derrick Z. Jackson of the Boston Globe:
The airstrike in Pakistan reaffirms how our behavior is plummeting in the direction of the evil we proclaim to fight. At home, we are appalled by drive-by shootings that take out innocent children. Abroad, the fly-by airstrike is the source of no remorse, with dead children and mothers taken very lightly.
It strikes us that some of these people are so consumed with hatred for President Bush that they have crossed the line into reflexive anti-Americanism. As a prominent politician once said:
The speaker: Bill Clinton, May 5, 1995There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending that you can love your country but despise your government. There is nothing heroic about turning your back on America, or ignoring your own responsibilities.
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If you wonder why you aren't hearing what they have to say, examine the facts:
1. The Republican Congress has consistently stiffled debate and dissent by the Democrats. For example, the Republicans will print a bill at 12:00 midnight, and introduce it for a vote the very next morning, before anyone has had a chance to read it so they know what they are voting on.
2. Moreover, when Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) wanted to hold a hearing on media bias, he was not permitted by the Republicans to use one of the regular hearing rooms in the House. They sent him to a small room in a basement. Moreover, they would not let him call it a "hearing" on media bias. They told him he had to call it a "forum" because they would not allow him to subpoena witnesses, and not ONE Republican showed up for the forum.
3. Additionally, when Republicans are short of votes in the house, or fear the vote will be really close, they will hold the vote open for an extended period of time, so they can arm twist members into voting their way. For example, they took what was supposed to be a 5 minute vote on the Gasoline for America's Security Act, and turned it into a 40 minute vote. When they realized they were short of the votes to pass the bill, the Republicans forced the vote to be held open for 40 minutes until they could get enough votes to pass the bill.
These are the things they have done to stiffle debate on the Hill, which is why you don't hear the Democratic viewpoint.
Moreover, you also have to blame the conservative media who refuse to challenge this administration.
http://progressiveminds.bloghi.com/2006/01/18/plantation-politics.html
http://progressiveminds.bloghi.com/2006/01/18/house-plantation-at-work-the-day-that-house-republicans-called-capitol-police-to-evict-democrats.html
http://progressiveminds.bloghi.com/2006/01/17/why-sen-clinton-was-right-about-the-house-plantation.html
Comment by SMillard— 2006/01/19 @ 01:39 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 01:44 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 01:45 PM — (Reply)
'Nuff said.
Comment by C-Mom— 2006/01/19 @ 01:57 PM — (Reply)
Comment by A Conservative Realist— 2006/01/19 @ 02:24 PM — (Reply)
Sort of like being banned from a blog eh?
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 02:53 PM — (Reply)
(To my readers, Ms. Millard made an effort to point out a fellow bloggers misspelling in a mean spirited way, so in deference to her I am continuing the spelling lessons. I am not above such correction myself as my fingers often get ahead of me.)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 03:00 PM — (Reply)
The problem with Republicans is that you don't want the facts to get in the way. You are so wedded to your own ideas and hate it when those pesky facts get in your way.
If you even bother to read the material (oops, my bad, I forgot you don't like to read) you will learn that the Republicans don't even want the Democrats to know what they are voting on, hence the reason why the print these bills up at 12 midnight and then want to vote on them the next morning, before folks have had a chance to read them.
Why? Because the Republicans are letting K Street Lobbyists like Jack Abramoff write the legislation for them. And because people like Jack Abramoff are paying for access, and paying out of their pocket for the ability to write legislation, the Republicans are going to pass it, no questions asked.
That is what is happening on the Hill under the Republicans.
To Conservative Realist, you are right. The Dems sometimes used these procedural rules to their benefit when they ran Congress, but they never went as far as the Republicans have gone.
That's why you have so many people now (even some Republicans) saying that ABSOLUTE POWER corrupts, and that it took the Republicans 10 years to do, what it took the Democrats 40 years to do.
Comment by SMillard— 2006/01/19 @ 03:43 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 03:52 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 04:01 PM — (Reply)
my God
my wife
my children
the rest of my family
my country
I know the answer does not lie in politics...I may have a conservative bent but I know that Republican or Democrat, both will dissappoint. I will share this with you again, the answer is a spiritual one. I am prepared for your well thought out retort, or perhaps you have already shared it with me.
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/19 @ 04:13 PM — (Reply)
the Democrats have offered no alternatives to any of George Bush's proposals. I remember the president trying to pass changes to Social Security. President Clinton had stated before leaving office that Social Security was in serious trouble and could be bankrupt by 2045. Bush said all options are on the table but the Democrats decided on and all out attack against Bush and offered zero alternatives. This is just one example...it is repeated on most issues. I think that this is Howard Dean's plan to get Democrats elected. Criticize everything but don't make a stand or a position which the Republicans could criticize.
Comment by American Crusader— 2006/01/20 @ 01:52 PM — (Reply)
AC, what I don't understand is they have to know this isn't working, so for the good of the country why don't they offer something up?
Comment by elmers brother— 2006/01/20 @ 01:55 PM — (Reply)
My dear Ms. Millard, I do declare, you are a bigot. It is only a blind person whom would lump an entire group of people together based on sex, race, political affiliation, etc. How dare you! I resemble that remark! (Inside joke)
Hi Elmer. I just stopped by to say hello, because I know it is of no use to attempt to A kool-aid drinker. Hi!
Comment by Rosemary— 2006/01/21 @ 01:10 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/21 @ 02:13 PM — (Reply)
Elmers Bro,
Where do you get creatures like this Mallard character?
She cannot be for real.
I've never in my entire life (I am over 50) seen anybody say absolutely nothing in so many words.
Comment by Felis— 2006/01/23 @ 05:37 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/23 @ 06:10 PM — (Reply)
This could be a female thing too.
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/23 @ 06:52 PM — (Reply)
Comment by C-Mom— 2006/01/24 @ 04:36 AM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/24 @ 06:03 AM — (Reply)
Comment by Cate— 2006/01/24 @ 07:34 AM — (Reply)
Cate, you should see her site. She's banned anybody that would provide a decent conversation...not including yourself..but give her time...she will say that you are intellectually lazy or call you a repugnut...because....aghast...you dare to disagree with her
BTW, after reading her blog and reading my blog...who do you think supports the troops?
Comment by elmersbrother— 2006/01/24 @ 06:15 PM — (Reply)
I'm VERY clear to whom I'd turn if I wanted support for my husband and the other folks in uniform! Thanks, EB for having our backs!
Comment by Cate— 2006/01/29 @ 04:39 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2006/01/29 @ 04:42 PM — (Reply)