Wednesday, August 18, 2004

McCain playing ref in W, Kerry ad fights WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain - who knows a bit about nasty politics - said the 2004 race for the White House is the worst he's ever seen. "This is the bitterest, most unsavory campaign in the nation's history," McCain said. "And it's only going to get worse." The Arizona Republican spoke to The Associated Press as the debate over John Kerry's and President Bush's Vietnam records disintegrated into a pool of mud. McCain called on Kerry to condemn a new ad charging that Bush "used his father to get into the National Guard, andwhen the chips were down, went missing." The Massachusetts promptly did so. "I agree with Sen. McCain that the ad is inappropriate," Kerry said in a statement. "This should be a campaign of issues, not insults." read on... 6:51:24 AM    comment []

I'm going to try and put a conservative's POV in to the blog as long as it isn't an RNC talking points memo. I'm not a big fan of George F. Will, but this is a good article Ignoring History In Iraq By George F. Will On Oct. 23, just 10 days before the election, the war in Iraq will have lasted as long as the 584-day U.S. involvement in World War I, from the April 6, 1917, declaration of war to the Nov. 11, 1918, armistice. And probably in late September or early October the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq will pass 1,000. The war already has lasted longer than the Spanish-American War (230 days), and on Dec. 9, 42 days before the next president is inaugurated, the war will be longer than was the war with Mexico (630 days). It will not last as long as the war against Philippine insurgents (4,000 U.S. and 200,000 Philippine dead) that followed U.S. annexation and festered intermittently for 14 years. The annexation was defended in 1901 by the president of Princeton University...read on 6:33:43 AM    comment []

Who Needs Assault Weapons? By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF ERIDIAN, Idaho — If you've been longing for your very own assault rifle and 30-round magazine for the next holiday season, you're in luck. President Bush, sidestepping a promise, is allowing the ban on assault rifles and oversized clips to expire on Sept. 14. So at a gun store here in Meridian, a bit west of Boise, the counter has a display promising "2 FREE HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES." All you have to do is purchase a new Beretta 9-millimeter handgun and you'll receive two high-capacity magazines - on the condition, the fine print states, that the federal ban expires on schedule. President Bush promised in the last presidential campaign to support an extension of the ban, which was put in place in 1994 for 10 years. "It makes no sense for assault weapons to be around our society," Mr. Bush observed at the time. These days Mr. Bush still says that he'll sign an extension of the ban if it happens to reach his desk. But he knows that the only way the ban can be extended on time is if he actually urges its passage, and he refuses to do that. So his promise to support an extension rings hollow - it's not exactly a lie, but it's not the full truth, either. Mr. Bush's flip-flop is surprising because he has generally had the courage of his convictions. Apparently he's hiding from this issue because it's so politically charged. 6:25:29 AM    comment []

Colin Powell keeps his distance, sort of. Secretary of State Colin Powell is walking a thin line between boosting his boss for re-election and maintaining a traditional distance from the rough and tumble of election-year politics. Probably rounding out his last months as a prominent public servant, Powell has declared he is obliged as secretary of state not to engage in "parochial debate." [USATODAY.com Politics - Top Stories] 6:21:58 AM    comment []

CHENEY FLIP-FLOPS—BIG-TIME: CHENEY (8/14/04): Senator Kerry has also said that if he were in charge he would fight a “more sensitive” war on terror. (Laughter.) America has been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was ever won by being “sensitive.” (Applause.) CHENEY (8/14/04): Senator Kerry has also said that if he were in charge he would fight a “more sensitive” war on terror. (Laughter.) won by being “sensitive.” (Applause.) The men who beheaded Daniel Pearl and Paul Johnson will not be impressed by our sensitivity. (Applause.) And that’s where Cheney’s flip-flop comes in! On Thursday, the VP spoke with conservative talk host Hugh Hewitt (click here, then scroll down for transcript). He started with the week’s prescribed drivel about how “the two words don’t really go together, sensitive and war.” But moments later, Hewitt asked about the current stand-off in Najaf. And wouldn’t you know it? Surprise of surprises! Accidentally telling the truth, Dick Cheney flip-flopped—big-time: HEWITT (8/12/04): Will the Najaf offensive continue until that city is subdued even if that means a siege of the Imam Ali shrine? CHENEY: Well, from the standpoint of the shrine, obviously it is a sensitive area, and we are very much aware of its sensitivity. On the other hand, a lot of people who worship there feel like Moqtada Sadr is the one who has defiled the shrine, if you will, and I would expect folks on the scene there, including U.S. commanders, will work very carefully with the Iraqis so that we minimize the extent to which the U.S. is involved in any operation that might involve the shrine itself.” Cheney used the very word he had just trashed Kerry for using. Dumbly but honestly, Cheney showed how utterly fake his week-long assault has really been. Excerpts from The Daily Howler 5:53:26 AM    comment []

The Brains Thing by Matthew Yglesias Remember the 2000 election? With the country enjoying a seemingly endless spell of peace and prosperity, and no apparent daunting challenges facing the next chief executive, the media were finally granted the chance to construct a narrative entirely around personalities. Al Gore, based on a handful of small exaggerations and his association with the occasionally sordid behavior of Bill Clinton, was said to have a character problem. George W. Bush, meanwhile, was haunted by a lack of experience and intelligence. Three-plus years later we know better, or at least we should. Intelligence matters. The job of the president of the United States is not to love his wife; it’s to manage a wide range of complicated issues. That requires character, yes, but not the kind of character measured by private virtues like fidelity to spouse and frequency of quotations from Scripture. Yet it also requires intelligence. It requires intellectual curiosity, an ability to familiarize oneself with a broad range of views, the capacity -- yes -- to grasp nuances, to foresee the potential ramifications of one’s decisions, and, simply, to think things through. Four years ago, these were not considered necessary pieces of presidential equipment. Today, they have to be.  Full article You could argue that the family values that Yglesias says are not necessary in a president are actually emblematic of other desirable character traits like loyalty or honesty. (I wouldn't.) But, what you cannot do is say that intelligence is not an issue and you cannot say that it isn't an issue of primary importance. Obviously, the job of leader of the free world is complicated and one of the requirements is that you be able to understand it. When Republicans tell me that it doesn't matter if Junior is intelligent I ask them if they think it matters if a doctor is intelligent or a judge or a general and if they think the job of president requires any less of a brain than those jobs do. Then picture George W. Bush doing any of them. Commentary by MIke F. From Crooks and Liars. 5:41:43 AM    comment []