More Speech Fallout, Our Many Enemies, And The Constitution And War (Wednesday's Second Hour)
Hi guys. The hour kicks off with a repeat piece from Suzanne Malveaux and then moves into a John Roberts piece on Bush. It's pointed out that Bush says the same thing over and over year after year. This is demonstrated through a use of clips. Nice job guys. I see you've learned something from The Daily Show. There's some "last chance" talk and then John joins us live and informs us that Bush has vowed he won't pull the troops out. Even if the democrats hold funding, it would take a couple of years, so Iraq will definitely be a 2008 issue.
On now to a live interview with republican Senator Gordon Smith. Oh my, he's a giant! Or maybe Anderson is just very small. Anyway, Smith was the one that said Bush's Iraq policy might even be criminal because it's just the same thing over and over. However, he really hopes Bush is right and he is wrong. Me too. I never wanted to be right. Anderson wants to know if Bush has any credibility. He's really stuck on this question, so I'm assuming he doesn't think Bush has any credibility. I hope he's not just now discovering this. Smith answers with a football analogy, calling it a "Hail Mary pass." I heard someone call it that on MSNBC. Can people not think for themselves? Stop with the talking points! I actually like this Smith guy though. He seems sane. That's how far we've fallen; I get happy when someone is sane.
Next up we have a Michael Holmes piece on our complicated enemy situation in Iraq. First off in Baghdad there are the Baathists, the Conquerors Army, Sunni extremists, 20th Revolution Brigades, Ansar al Sunna, the Islamic Army in Iraq, the Jihadi Groups of Iraq, Al Rashideen Army, and of course Al Qaeda. Whew! And that's just on Haifa street. In Sadr City they've got their own Medhi Army wreaking havoc and every neighborhood has homegrown groups at the street level for protection. Michael points out the irony that there was no Al Qaeda in Iraq before the war...but we fixed that. We're also told that Al Qaeda has been providing social services, thus winning hearts and minds. I guess somebody's been learning from Hezbollah. After this we have continued discussion with John Burns, Spider, and General Christman.
Transitioning now to a Candy Crowley piece on the war and how the constitution fits in. Yeah, though we don't use it much, we still have one. Anyway, the constitution actually splits the war powers between the executive and legislative, but Bush doesn't seem to see it that way. Really the only way to stop him is for Congress to cut off the war money, but this Congress seems reluctant to do so. Also, by the time they do any voting on escalation there might be extra troops already in Iraq.
On now to more discussion with Andrew Sullivan, Joe Klein, and David Gergen. The Gerg says we haven't seen this kind of presidential defiance since Nixon and that the Congress won't stop him, but he can eventually tie his own hand. Yeah, but he's got friends in high places to untie it when that happens. Andrew is surprised that Senator Brownback broke with Bush and quite frankly I am too since the guy is kind of a right wing wack job. He is however really good when it comes to issues in Africa, so I'll give him that. Joe thinks it's interesting that Senator John Warner only said he would study the president's plan and did not mention that he would support it. The Gerg points out that if the surge doesn't work the democrats will look good for 2008. Well the democrats looking good is a good thing, but Jesus, if the surge doesn't work many more people WILL DIE. For nothing. Is everything about politics? Please don't frame things that way Gerg because then it makes it sound like the democrats are rooting for failure.
We go to break and then come back to the panel and Andrew muses that maybe we should let the war play out with Muslim against Muslim fighting. He thinks failing in Iraq might be in our interest. Wow, way to be completely dismissive of all the innocent Iraqis that will die. The Gerg has a problem with this too, though not the same one. He's thinking more about terrorism and asks what we would do if Iran goes nuclear. Andrew counters that the war has emboldened Iran. He's got you there Gerg. Joe pipes up that the candidates in 2008 will run as anti-Bush. You think?
Next up we have an interview with Iraq Veterans John Powers and Andrew Borene. John talks about the stress put on soldiers and it's pointed out that some of the men and women will be on their second, third, and even fourth tours. That is completely unacceptable. How can that be good for morale? Andrew says he supported Bush in 2000, but after his Iraq experience he came back and worked for Kerry/Edwards. He also talks about how it's not just 20,000 troops that are going to be sacrificing; every one of them have families that will carry the burden too. The topic then moves on to the Iraqi soldiers and how after being trained a lot of them simply don't show up or they leave when the going gets rough. I can't even imagine what our soldiers have had to deal with. I wonder if they'll ever forgive us. I wonder if we'll ever deserve it. That'll do it for the hour. I'll leave you with the lyrics to "16 Military Wives" by the Decemberists. I find them appropriate.
Sixteen military wives
Thirty-two softly focused, brightly-colored eyes
Staring at the natural tan
Of thirty-two gently clenching, wrinkled little hands
Seventeen company men
Out of which only twelve will make it back again
Sergeant sends a letter to five military wives
His tears drip down from ten little eyes
Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can
And America can't say no
And America does
If America says it's so
It's so
And the anchorperson on t.v.
Goes la-di-da-di-da
Fifteen celebrity minds
Leading their fifteen sordid, wretched, checkered lives
Will they find their solution in time?
Using fifteen pristine moderate liberal minds
Eighteen academy chairs
Out of which only seven really even care
Doling out a garland to five celebrity minds
They're humbly taken by surprise
Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can
And America can't say no
And America does
If America says it's so
It's so
And the anchorperson on t.v.
Goes la-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
La-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
Fourteen cannibal kings
Wondering blithely what the dinner bell will bring
Fifteen celebrity minds
Served in a leafy bed of sixteen military wives
Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can
And America can't say no
And America does
If America says it's so
It's so
And the anchorperson on t.v.
Goes la-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
La-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
On now to a live interview with republican Senator Gordon Smith. Oh my, he's a giant! Or maybe Anderson is just very small. Anyway, Smith was the one that said Bush's Iraq policy might even be criminal because it's just the same thing over and over. However, he really hopes Bush is right and he is wrong. Me too. I never wanted to be right. Anderson wants to know if Bush has any credibility. He's really stuck on this question, so I'm assuming he doesn't think Bush has any credibility. I hope he's not just now discovering this. Smith answers with a football analogy, calling it a "Hail Mary pass." I heard someone call it that on MSNBC. Can people not think for themselves? Stop with the talking points! I actually like this Smith guy though. He seems sane. That's how far we've fallen; I get happy when someone is sane.
Next up we have a Michael Holmes piece on our complicated enemy situation in Iraq. First off in Baghdad there are the Baathists, the Conquerors Army, Sunni extremists, 20th Revolution Brigades, Ansar al Sunna, the Islamic Army in Iraq, the Jihadi Groups of Iraq, Al Rashideen Army, and of course Al Qaeda. Whew! And that's just on Haifa street. In Sadr City they've got their own Medhi Army wreaking havoc and every neighborhood has homegrown groups at the street level for protection. Michael points out the irony that there was no Al Qaeda in Iraq before the war...but we fixed that. We're also told that Al Qaeda has been providing social services, thus winning hearts and minds. I guess somebody's been learning from Hezbollah. After this we have continued discussion with John Burns, Spider, and General Christman.
Transitioning now to a Candy Crowley piece on the war and how the constitution fits in. Yeah, though we don't use it much, we still have one. Anyway, the constitution actually splits the war powers between the executive and legislative, but Bush doesn't seem to see it that way. Really the only way to stop him is for Congress to cut off the war money, but this Congress seems reluctant to do so. Also, by the time they do any voting on escalation there might be extra troops already in Iraq.
On now to more discussion with Andrew Sullivan, Joe Klein, and David Gergen. The Gerg says we haven't seen this kind of presidential defiance since Nixon and that the Congress won't stop him, but he can eventually tie his own hand. Yeah, but he's got friends in high places to untie it when that happens. Andrew is surprised that Senator Brownback broke with Bush and quite frankly I am too since the guy is kind of a right wing wack job. He is however really good when it comes to issues in Africa, so I'll give him that. Joe thinks it's interesting that Senator John Warner only said he would study the president's plan and did not mention that he would support it. The Gerg points out that if the surge doesn't work the democrats will look good for 2008. Well the democrats looking good is a good thing, but Jesus, if the surge doesn't work many more people WILL DIE. For nothing. Is everything about politics? Please don't frame things that way Gerg because then it makes it sound like the democrats are rooting for failure.
We go to break and then come back to the panel and Andrew muses that maybe we should let the war play out with Muslim against Muslim fighting. He thinks failing in Iraq might be in our interest. Wow, way to be completely dismissive of all the innocent Iraqis that will die. The Gerg has a problem with this too, though not the same one. He's thinking more about terrorism and asks what we would do if Iran goes nuclear. Andrew counters that the war has emboldened Iran. He's got you there Gerg. Joe pipes up that the candidates in 2008 will run as anti-Bush. You think?
Next up we have an interview with Iraq Veterans John Powers and Andrew Borene. John talks about the stress put on soldiers and it's pointed out that some of the men and women will be on their second, third, and even fourth tours. That is completely unacceptable. How can that be good for morale? Andrew says he supported Bush in 2000, but after his Iraq experience he came back and worked for Kerry/Edwards. He also talks about how it's not just 20,000 troops that are going to be sacrificing; every one of them have families that will carry the burden too. The topic then moves on to the Iraqi soldiers and how after being trained a lot of them simply don't show up or they leave when the going gets rough. I can't even imagine what our soldiers have had to deal with. I wonder if they'll ever forgive us. I wonder if we'll ever deserve it. That'll do it for the hour. I'll leave you with the lyrics to "16 Military Wives" by the Decemberists. I find them appropriate.
Sixteen military wives
Thirty-two softly focused, brightly-colored eyes
Staring at the natural tan
Of thirty-two gently clenching, wrinkled little hands
Seventeen company men
Out of which only twelve will make it back again
Sergeant sends a letter to five military wives
His tears drip down from ten little eyes
Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can
And America can't say no
And America does
If America says it's so
It's so
And the anchorperson on t.v.
Goes la-di-da-di-da
Fifteen celebrity minds
Leading their fifteen sordid, wretched, checkered lives
Will they find their solution in time?
Using fifteen pristine moderate liberal minds
Eighteen academy chairs
Out of which only seven really even care
Doling out a garland to five celebrity minds
They're humbly taken by surprise
Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can
And America can't say no
And America does
If America says it's so
It's so
And the anchorperson on t.v.
Goes la-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
La-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
Fourteen cannibal kings
Wondering blithely what the dinner bell will bring
Fifteen celebrity minds
Served in a leafy bed of sixteen military wives
Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can
And America can't say no
And America does
If America says it's so
It's so
And the anchorperson on t.v.
Goes la-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
La-di-da-di-da-didi-didi-da
posted by eliza at 8:02 PM
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