Democrats Win, America Loses?
That’s not my opinion. What that little catch phrase represents is the latest talking point out of the White House, uttered last night by the Commander in Chief himself at a Republican rally in Georgia (via Raw Story:
Speaking at a rally held at Georgia Southern University to support Max Burn’s bid for Congress on Monday afternoon, President Bush insisted that “the Democrat (sic) approach in Iraq comes down to this: the terrorists win and America loses.”
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[From the transcript of Bush’s speech]
“For fighting the war on terror, the Democrats just follow a simple philosophy: just say no. When it comes to listening to the terrorists, what’s the Democrats’ answer? It’s just say no. When it comes to detaining terrorists, what is the Democrats’ answer? Just say no.
AUDIENCE: Just say no.
PRESIDENT BUSH: When it comes to questioning terrorists, what’s the Democrats’ answer?
AUDIENCE: Just say no.
PRESIDENT BUSH: When it comes to trying the terrorists, what’s the Democrats’ answer?
AUDIENCE: Just say no.
PRESIDENT BUSH: So when the Democrats ask for your vote, what’s your answer?
AUDIENCE: Just say no! (Cheers, applause.)”
In his speech Bush specifically tied Democratic votes in opposition to the NSA’s warrantless surveillance, to the extension of the Patriot Act and to the Military Commissions Act (the one which authorized the use of torture by the US Government and eliminated the writ of Habeas Corpus) as signs that the Democrats don’t want to win the “War on Terror.” And he pushed the familiar theme that Iraq is the central front on the war on terror. His justification for the invasion and occupation of Iraq, at a time when we should have been focusing all our attention on Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is a rehash of well worn White House slogans high on emotional appeal but completely lacking in any substance:
“One of the lessons of September the 11th, 2001, is that when this country sees a threat, we must take those threats seriously before they come home to hurt us. I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. Members of both political parties in the United States Congress saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. The United Nations saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right decision, and the world is better off. (Cheers, applause.) And now Iraq is the central front in this global war against these ideologues who murder innocent people to achieve their objectives. […]
Here’s what this person and the leaders of the Democrat Party in Washington seem to not understand. Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war against us. I would remind the House Democrats our troops were not in Iraq when the terrorists first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993. (Cheers, applause.)
We were not in Iraq when they bombed the USS Cole or the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and we were not in Iraq when they killed nearly 3,000 people on September the 11th, 2001. (Cheers, applause.)
You do not create terrorists by fighting the terrorists. The best way to protect you, the best way to protect the American people is to stay on the offense and defeat them overseas, so we do not have to face them here at home. (Extended cheers, applause.)
Our goal in Iraq is victory.”
Expect to see this theme coming from the lips of every Republican candidate willing to follow Rove’s script over the next week. Fear! Fear! Fear! And reason be damned.
Because Republicans don’t debate issues in an election campaign. They demonize Democrats and scare people gullible enough to believe the “Daddy” party can keep them safe.
Bush: When it comes to telling the truth?
Crowd: Just say no!
What we’ve come to expect.
Buncha idiots.
Buncha dangerous and destructive idiots.
” I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. Members of both political parties in the United States Congress saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. The United Nations saw a threat in Saddam Hussein.”
When oh when is anyone going to stand up from the dem side and call bullshit? The votes and belief that Saddam was a threat with WMDs was based on fucking lies. Jeebus Cripes, call a liar a liar! Just tell the effing truth and people will vote for you.
The democrats will call bullshit when it’s politically advantageous to them. It was a political calculation to follow Daschle with a vote to authorize this war thinking they could get on to the economy and win the 02 mid-terms. They’re not only calculating, spineless collaborators, they’re grossly ignorant and incompetent.
The Bush administration and the Repugs have successfully framed our national discourse with the WOT. Until the Dems can alter/challenge this frame, we’ll be living with this fear-mongering and war-mongering as the basis for our political discussions.
Last night I watched a clip on Crooks and Liars of a discussion on a military base from Hannity and Colmes. The reason it was there is that some retired military general endorsed Webb and it literally stunned Hannity – all good. But the general said that what we need is a senator “with blood on his hands.” I guess I could say to that “whatever floats your boat,” but it just literally broke my heart to hear something so vile.
This war-mongering has taken over – and I need to see people who are willing to take it on and show a different way.
I’ve mentioned before that I despise Hannity much more than O’Reily yet last night I had the most bizarre dream where Hannity was my very good friend-yuk and that he actually saved me from being run over by a car…just plain bizarre and slightly creepy having a warm and fuzzy feeling for Hannity even if only in a dream….
We need a fast response intervention plan for the next time this happens to you Ms. Ink :o)
Totally emotional and utterly empty rhetoric. Cheerleading yet another crowd of the autistic faithful.
Rmmm. Anybody else bothered by the PotUS leading a call and response rally? How about a call and response rally specifically aimed at trashing the political opposition?
I know this is but a little detial in an already well established trend, but yeesh, it still gives me the willies.
It’s become so commonplace that I actually just thought to myself, “how typical”, without much more thought. Now that you point out just how creepy it is, it does give me the willies.
Pretty insidious.
Another oft repeated phrase is “Do you want to win” in Iraq”, which has just been run out this week, starting with Lynn Cheney to Wolf Blitzer and repeated many times by Reps. since.
Oh btw Scarborough just did a segment on google bombing, tracing it to My DD mostly….
Seems difficult to believe that bush continues to get more delusional as time goes on or that his 37% base continue to believe this incredibly stupid and completely illogical thinking but they do don’t they.
Invoking the Cole, Tanzania etc had not a goddamn thing to do with Iraq but who cares right and yes fighting terrorists does create more terrorists you brain dead moron. That whole speechifying/fearmongering has so much wrong with it it’s hard to really pick apart every single stupid sentence. I don’t know exactly when the country seemed to have become mass lobotimized for any kind of normal critical thinking and that includes not only rethugs but many dems also but it certainly has made the country into some sort of mindless collective.
A shorter version might be buck fush and the mindless followers he rode in on.
One of the lessons of September the 11th, 2001, is that when this country sees a threat, we must take those threats seriously before they come home to hurt us.
So is Bush now admitting that he did not take the threat of the August 2001 PDB seriously, leading to the deaths of innocent people? That should be front-page news…
No, I think that means we have to take the threat of another Republican administration seriously before it comes home to hurt us.