[diggin'4gold]

written by Paul Begala


Attack Bush, Not MoveOn

Posted September 20, 2007 | 01:18 PM (EST)

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Breaking Politics News


Before a single Democrat condemns MoveOn's ad, they should insist that George W. Bush and the Republican Party repudiate the anti-military smears on war heroes that have been the hallmark of Mr. Bush's political career.

Too many Democrats still think Mr. Bush's presidency is on the level. Let's be clear. Mr. Bush is not leading a serious, sober discussion about public discourse during a war. He wants to divide progressives and score political points. We should not let him. Throughout his career he's been willing to tolerate and benefit from vicious lies about military men. We should not concede that he is legitimately angry now.
Mr. Bush is, as he likes to say, a loving guy. But by golly the MoveOn.org ad criticizing Gen. David Petraeus has him madder than Larry Craig in a pay toilet.
When a "reporter" asked him a loaded question about the MoveOn ad (not mentioning, for example, that Petraeus wrote an op-ed in support of the Bush Iraq policy a few weeks before the 2004 election), Bush swung for the fences. But then again, he's always been pretty good at T-Ball - and this was definitely teed up for him.
He slammed MoveOn, repeating language he used Wednesday in a meeting with right-wing columnists, saying that criticizing Petraeus is tantamount to attacking the entire US military, and expressing astonishment that leading Democrats have not attacked MoveOn as courageously as Bush has.
Before Democrats fall all over themselves to agree with a president whose trust and honesty rating from the American people is even lower than his IQ, let's look at the real record of Bush's cowardice when it comes to speaking out against attacks on military heroes:

• In the 2000 South Carolina primary, George W. Bush stood next to a man described as a "fringe" figure - a man who had attacked Bush's own father - at a Bush rally. With Bush applauding him, the man said John McCain "abandoned" veterans. McCain, who was tortured in a North Vietnamese POW camp, was incensed. Five U.S. Senators who fought in Vietnam, including Democrats John Kerry, Max Cleland and Bob Kerrey, condemned the attack and called on Bush to repudiate it. When pressed on it at a debate hosted by CNN's Larry King, Bush meekly muttered that he shouldn't be held responsible for what others say. Even when he's standing next to them at a Bush rally.
• In the 2002 campaign, draft dodger Saxby Chambliss ran an ad with pictures of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, then said Sen. Max Cleland lacked courage. Max Cleland left three limbs in Vietnam as an Army captain. Mr. Bush's political aide, Karl Rove, later refused to disavow the ad, saying, "President Bush and the White House don't write the ads for Senate candidates."
• Also in the 2002 campaign, the PAC for the Family Research Council, a close Bush ally, ran an ad in South Dakota that pictured Sen. Tom Daschle and Saddam Hussein. "What do Saddam Hussein and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle have in common?" the ad asked. Apparently, they both opposed drilling in the Arctic wilderness. First, I had no idea that supporting drilling in the wilderness is a family values issue. Second, I have seen no reporting on the late Iraqi dictator's position on Alaska drilling. But I do know Tom Daschle is an Air Force veteran. Mr. Bush never disavowed the smear.
• But perhaps the worst was what was done to John Kerry. Kerry earned five major medals in combat: the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. And yet supporters of Bush and Cheney decided to smear his war record. The despicable, dishonest Swift Boat attacks alleged that Kerry fabricated reports that earned him the Bronze Star. The Swifties also suggested that Kerry's wounds were insignificant - and that one was even self-inflicted. Kerry's wounds were certainly more serious than Mr. Bush's, who suffered a cut on his finger from popping a beer can while avoiding his duty in the Alabama National Guard. At the 2000 GOP convention, rich, white Republicans were photographed gleefully putting Band-Aids with purple hearts on their chubby cheeks. Mr. Bush refused to condemn the attack - blandly noting he didn't like 527 groups generally - and later nominated one of the men who financed the smear to be Ambassador to Belgium.

Mr. Bush is a coward and a bully. He knows he'll never be the kind of hero his father was. He knows he lacks the heroism of John Kerry or Max Cleland, so he overcompensates with bluster and bravado. In fact, he told bloggers recently that he wishes he were fighting in Iraq. The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin reported that Bush told a blogger in Iraq that he'd like to be carrying a 50-pound pack and an M-16, but, "One, I'm too old to be out there. And, two, they'd notice me."

So Mr. Bush is too old to fight in Iraq, and he was too rich and well-connected to fight in Vietnam. But he's itchin' for a fight with a progressive interest group. Does anyone believe he'd have the same outrage if a right-wing group were attacking war heroes? Of course not.

[Nicolos_Darvas]

Big DIFFERENCE ---

In all cases above these are all civilians who were running for polictical office and these attacks took place in the middle of a political campaign. Like it or not we all understand that political campaigns get dirty.

On the other hand, General Petraeus is an active duty member of the military who is currently engaged in a war on foreign soil and who is NOT running for any political office.

THIS DOG WILL NOT HUNT and it has rightfully backfired on the Democrat party and their sheep at MoveOn.org !!!!

[Thor4140]

Originally Posted by Nicolos_Darvas

Big DIFFERENCE ---

In all cases above these are all civilians who were running for polictical office and these attacks took place in the middle of a political campaign. Like it or not we all understand that political campaigns get dirty.

On the other hand, General Petraeus is an active duty member of the military who is currently engaged in a war on foreign soil and who is NOT running for any political office.

THIS DOG WILL NOT HUNT and it has rightfully backfired on the Democrat party and their sheep at MoveOn.org !!!!

Any comment on this dumbo? Looks like BetraYus own boss called him a kiss ass. Maybe you would like to apologize to move-on right now but i doubt it because I hear the Dixie chicks who were also right are still waiting for theirs.

CentCom Chief Fallon: Petraeus Is ‘An Ass-Kissing, Little Chickensh*t,’ ‘I Hate People Like That’

During the Iraq war, the Central Command (CENTCOM) head — who leads U.S. operations in the entire Middle East region — and the Multinational Force Commander (MNF) have regularly testified together about the course of the war in Iraq.
Former-MNF Commander Gen. George Casey and his CENTCOM Commander Gen. John Abizaid constantly briefed Congress about the situation in Iraq and its regional effects. In at least four public hearings after Casey took office in 2004, the pair testified together:

Senate Armed Services [6/23/05]
House Armed Services [6/23/05]
House Armed Services [9/29/05]
Senate Armed Services [9/29/05]

In January, President Bush replaced Abizaid and Casey, who were “surge” skeptics, with Adm. William Fallon and Gen. David Petraeus. This week, Petraeus — in the first public hearings since taking on his new role — delivered his Iraq assessment to great media fanfare. But where was his boss, Admiral Fallon? Inter-Press Service suggests animosity between the two might be one reason for Fallon’s absence:

Fallon told Petraeus [in March] that he considered him to be “an ass-kissing little chickensh*t” and added, “I hate people like that”, the sources say. That remark reportedly came after Petraeus began the meeting by making remarks that Fallon interpreted as trying to ingratiate himself with a superior.

The Washington Post reported this weekend that there is an internal military debate, described as “Armageddon,” brewing between Petraeus and Fallon because the two men have “profoundly different views of the U.S. role in Iraq.”
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) announced today that he will be asking Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) to call Fallon to testify on “his views on the region.” Webb decried the lack of independence in Petraeus’s reporting, observing that there are “a lot of control factors going on that haven’t been visible” from the one-sided testimony of Petraeus:

WEBB: [T]here’s something of a kabuki going on right now. You know, the Petraeus report was brought in. On the one hand they’re calling it independent; on the other, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, from my understanding, gave a one-hour exclusive interview to Fox News after their first day of testimony. […]
So it was a very narrow and focused two days of hearings…we need to hear from people like Admiral Fallon and others to get a sense of how the region is in play. … He was, by many accounts, questioning keeping these troop levels this high. […]
So I’m going to be recommending to Senator Levin that we get Admiral Fallon in and get his views on the region.

[diggin'4gold]

So by little nickys logic, its ok smear veterans, as long as there not active duty or in a political office.

[Nicolos_Darvas]

Originally Posted by diggin'4gold

So by little nickys logic, its ok smear veterans, as long as there not active duty or in a political office.

Yes , by my logic and the logic of politcal campaigns it is quite OK to go after any candidate regardless of past military service during political campaigns and if you don't believe me then just ask George Bush when CBS ran a smear campaign about him being AWOL. It later cost Dan Rather his journalism career, but that didn't stop them from going after the military veteran Bush, now did it ?

NO DOUBT !!!!

[Nicolos_Darvas]

Originally Posted by Thor4140

Any comment on this dumbo? Looks like BetraYus own boss called him a kiss ass. Maybe you would like to apologize to move-on right now but i doubt it because I hear the Dixie chicks who were also right are still waiting for theirs.

CentCom Chief Fallon: Petraeus Is ‘An Ass-Kissing, Little Chickensh*t,’ ‘I Hate People Like That’

During the Iraq war, the Central Command (CENTCOM) head — who leads U.S. operations in the entire Middle East region — and the Multinational Force Commander (MNF) have regularly testified together about the course of the war in Iraq.


Former-MNF Commander Gen. George Casey and his CENTCOM Commander constantly briefed Congress about the situation in Iraq and its regional effects. In at least four public hearings after Casey took office in 2004, the pair testified together:

Senate Armed Services [6/23/05]Gen. John Abizaid

House Armed Services [6/23/05]

House Armed Services [9/29/05]

Senate Armed Services [9/29/05]

In January, President Bush replaced Abizaid and Casey, who were “surge” skeptics, with Adm. William Fallon and Gen. David Petraeus. This week, Petraeus — in the first public hearings since taking on his new role — delivered his Iraq assessment to great media fanfare. But where was his boss, Admiral Fallon? Inter-Press Service suggests animosity between the two might be one reason for Fallon’s absence:

Fallon told Petraeus [in March] that he considered him to be “an ass-kissing little chickensh*t” and added, “I hate people like that”, the sources say. That remark reportedly came after Petraeus began the meeting by making remarks that Fallon interpreted as trying to ingratiate himself with a superior.

The Washington Post reported this weekend that there is an internal military debate, described as “Armageddon,” brewing between Petraeus and Fallon because the two men have “profoundly different views of the U.S. role in Iraq.”


Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) announced today that he will be asking Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) to call Fallon to testify on “his views on the region.” Webb decried the lack of independence in Petraeus’s reporting, observing that there are “a lot of control factors going on that haven’t been visible” from the one-sided testimony of Petraeus:

WEBB: [T]here’s something of a kabuki going on right now. You know, the Petraeus report was brought in. On the one hand they’re calling it independent; on the other, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, from my understanding, gave a one-hour exclusive interview to Fox News after their first day of testimony. […]

So it was a very narrow and focused two days of hearings…we need to hear from people like Admiral Fallon and others to get a sense of how the region is in play. … He was, by many accounts, questioning keeping these troop levels this high. […]

So I’m going to be recommending to Senator Levin that we get Admiral Fallon in and get his views on the region.

One mans opinion and he certainly has right to his own personal feelings, but it is never a good idea to do this in public as an active duty serviceman. I bet he is getting ready to retire and has nothing to lose. It could be that he is jealous and envious or just doesn't like Petreaous. Who the hell knows.

As for Gen. John Abizaid, I believe he was the reason for the failure of securing the peace after our military decimated the Iraq military and was probably replaced because of it.

You are going to have to do better than this as it appears on the surface that the new general is highly respected.

[Romanowski]

Fallon is Patreus superior so its a very big deal but it has nothing to do with moveon.org

I come to this forum some and I see sophists propaganda designed to cloud the truth

moveon.org is BULLSHIT propaganda its ok to disagree with the war but this type of stuff weakens our nation. Hope some of you good intentioned people can see that

[4625]

I believe that grinding our magnificent Armed Forces into dust in an attempt to rebuild a foreign country we destroyed without cause weakens our nation more than any advertising campaign ever will. . . .

[gopherbob]

Originally Posted by Romanowski

Fallon is Patreus superior so its a very big deal but it has nothing to do with moveon.org

I come to this forum some and I see sophists propaganda designed to cloud the truth

moveon.org is BULLSHIT propaganda its ok to disagree with the war but this type of stuff weakens our nation. Hope some of you good intentioned people can see that

how about ari fleischer's propoganda campaign, is that good for the country ?

[ZZ CREAM]

Both sides are full of shitt. The politicians that really want to do good get weeded out early on in the process nowadays and we are all worse because of it. Mankind needs to start living by the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you!"

[Thor4140]

Originally Posted by Romanowski

Fallon is Patreus superior so its a very big deal but it has nothing to do with moveon.org

I come to this forum some and I see sophists propaganda designed to cloud the truth

moveon.org is BULLSHIT propaganda its ok to disagree with the war but this type of stuff weakens our nation. Hope some of you good intentioned people can see that

Pointing out the truth weakens a nation? Give me a freaken break. How about pointing out the truth to a gullible nation strenghtens it.

[Romanowski]

Originally Posted by Thor4140

Pointing out the truth weakens a nation? Give me a freaken break. How about pointing out the truth to a gullible nation strenghtens it.

like you or i know the whole truth...please...you are a George Soros guinea pig

A man with a trillion dollar hedge on the collapse of the dollar..

Like I said disagree with the war but a pun as dumb a Betray-Us to name a uniformed man is DUMB and @@@@@

The east sees are weaknes which is why they strike

[Wil Munny]

Originally Posted by Thor4140

Pointing out the truth weakens a nation? Give me a freaken break. How about pointing out the truth to a gullible nation strenghtens it.

How bout growing a set son and supporting the mission. Islamic radicals hate you, no matter what moveon yellow bellied flag you fly at em.

It's time to make em all swing.