
Crooks and Liars has the first twenty minutes of the Clinton interview with Weaseling Wallace. If you missed it this morning, or if it hasn’t yet aired on your side of the country, it is worth a watch. (If and when more video gets posted, I’ll update below.)
And in case Democratic members of Congress or their staffers happen to be reading this morning — this is called effective and immediate pushback. More of this, please.
Related posts:
- WaPo: Supplemental Bill in Chaos (Your Calls are Working)
- Bolton, Clinton, North Korea: One of Those Good Problems
- Video: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC2) Calls Obama “Liar” During Joint Session
- Marriott Calls Rape Victim “Negligent,” Outs Her to Family & Friends
- Racist Article in Spy Journal Calls for Killing 100,000 Muslim “Zealots”





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Morning, folks.
Hi, zero.
Big Dog!
That’s a leader, he even walks and talks to normal people, of the world without fear, not like Bush.
why are rahm and schumer ignoring Iraq and the new cia torture rules.
this is the way to attack Bush. He let 9/11 happen. it was on his watch and he did nothing but ignore the threat. they attacked Clinton for paying attention to Al Quaida. This is the campaign.
not corruption in Congress. The SD race to replace two-bit Cunningham showed that.
the lead stories in the Post and NYTimes are that the Iraq War increased terrorism!
I can’t watch the talking fools, and my sweet wife–basically dares me to put it on when I am tempted–so I don’t know whether they are talking about that.
But it is another BUSH mistake.
I am not the greatest fan of all Bill Clinton’s policies while president, but it sure was nice seeing him destroy the slick and twisted veneer of Fox News.
This time, Big Dog gets an A
Love God Be Nice
Jeffko
For those who missed it, it will be re-run on FOX at 6:00pm EDT tonight.
I love how the right wing is framing this. He’s “unhinged” and “anger unleashed”. The notion that defending onesself against lies makes one “unhinged” is laughable.
Bold off?
The Big Dog did good. Now if only the Democrats came out blazing next week focusing on the shortcomings of Bush and security.
Spotlight folks, and letters to the editors of your local papers.
I would vote for Bill Clinton for president a third time in a nanosecond. Problem is, he’s not running for President in 2008. Senator Clinton most certainly is. I’d really like to know Large Dog’s position, CLEARLY, on what to to about the Middle East though.
Any ideas why the liberal blogosphere has not organized any push back against the torture and indefinite detention with no judicial review legislation “compromise” that the Repubs are pushing for this week?
Is this less important than Path to 9/11?
Dems not taking a distinct stand against torture and kangaroo courts and relying on Warner/McCain has turned out to be a bad strategy. First, it goes to show that the Dems don’t have courage of conviction nor principles they stand for but instead will do anything to get elected. Each time they have taken that approach not only have they not got elected but it further disillusions their base. The legalization of torture and trashing of established law and precedence as well as the Geneva Conventions is in many ways an Iraq vote redux in 2002. The Dems by and large voted to authorize war and did not stand by principle and many are haunted by that vote today. It will not be long before the torture and indefinite detention law with no habeas corpus will come back to haunt. Once the cat is out of the bag then its only a matter time that political opponents, folks with the wrong name or skin color or beliefs get labeled as the new “terrorist”.
At the end of the interview Wallace says something like, “Thank-you for the unusual interview.” I can’t remember the exact adjective.
My immediate thought directed at Wallace was, “Do you know why it’s unusual? Do you even have an inkling?”
Yowza! Now I understand why this is getting so much attention.
‘Bout damn time a Dem stood up to these assholes and gave them a direct offensive they so richly deserve. And figures it was Bill Clinton to do it.
Now we know why conservative pols and media never put themselves in a position to actually be challenged. They get their asses kicked by the facts everytime they do, like O’Reilly idiotically thinking he could actually go up against Paul Krugman! Hilarious stuff.
Best part was Wallace trying to change the topic to the CGI, Clinton refusing, and Wallace acting like he’s the victim.
What a bunch of wusses these Bush Republicans prove themselves to be time and time again.
Millineryman @ 9
It should be an “interesting” week to see what the Dem Congresscritters do in regard to the “Let’s Approve Torture and Administration Criminals Pardon Themselves” legislation.
In some ways, it will be a tipping point for the Dems to show whether they have any “national-level” election strategy or whether they’re going to do an “all politics is local” strategy for November.
Based on the deafening silence thusfar, it sounds like the latter.
clinton;
“I spent four hours talking to the 9/11 commision, I told them the mistakes I thought I made…I URGED them to make those mistakes public”
want to see how a real man deals with his responsiblities in life
take a good long look at bill clinton
Wallace looked like a kid being admonished by an adult (which he was. Too bad Dems aren’t as loud as they should be on all the ridiculous BushCo policies.
One thing I don’t understand about the McCain-Bush torture bill is their strategy with the judiciary. Even a conservative judge will be in a difficult position to uphold the law (if it becomes law) that takes away judicial review, as I understand it. The judicial branch has had an historically difficult time getting the respect it now enjoys. Giving it up would be suicide.
ab initio at 11 — yes, here’s an idea — we’re a whole disperate group of people who are trying to find an effective way to simultaneously scream that torture is wrong and to win an election in November because it has to be done. And we are just people, who are trying to do about fifty bazillion things, work jobs, take care of our families and everything else at the same time.
Sometimes, things coalesce just right — as they did with the 9/11 movie. Sometimes we have to feel our way through and work the angles as we can, with or without party support. But we are human beings, not super heroes, and we are doing the best we can.
Question: Is there still a window of opportunity to mount a filibuster against the War-Crimes Legalization Act of 2006?
Maybe Karl Rove and the Republicans have turned over a new leaf and the October suprise will be free cake and ice cream for everyone.
I love that Bill can speak clearly and precisely when he’s pissed…
GSD @ 47
Heard much about Iraq lately?
Didn’t think so…
Wigwam @ 18
I am very dissapointed we aren’t trying
I’m sorry, this to me is more important then anything we’ve ever faced
we have finally seen the grace of good timing, the nie is a brutal indictment of the way we’ve conducted ourselves in Iraq
I wish we would do something to get a filibuster at least attempted
Peterboy @ 4
It sure beats me why Rahm and Schumer continue to ignore Iraq and torture – same kind of twisted ill-logic my Senator Boxer continues to demonstrate – we the people can’t get their attention. Truly maddening and demoralizing. Hey fellows – find your spine – do your job – how tragic you’ve become a couple of maroons for King George.
It was amazing to see honesty and anger. Well controlled but real anger. Bill Clinton set the story straight.
We are doing the best we can but to lose in Nov is just beyond bearing.
Bills anger helped just a bit with the terrible frustration.
This guy Chavez from Venezuela claiming the other day that Bush was the devil, got it all wrong. Cheney is Beelzebub. Rove is ‘the lord of the flies’. God only knows what Bush is, or how he fits into the scheme of things. The Heavenly jury may be out on this question for a mighty long time.
ab initio @
11
Thanks for that important observation. It had not occured to us that there was a problem with this torture thing. Look over all the previous posts and threads where everyone thought it was kinda groovy.
BRW, what exactly are you doing about it?
This is how the wapoo describes Wallace in their piece this morning– they are taking comments on this article. So scroll down and have some fun. You gotta read the Clinton haters (LOL– they can’t even make an argument!)…and the requisite brown people haters. Most seem supportive of Bill, though.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..00928.html
Roger Ailes to Chris Wallace:
“You let him respond???!!! You let him respond???!!! Are you COMPLETELY unaware of our policy??
“WE DO NOT DIALOGUE WITH DEMOCRATS. WE DIALOGUE AT THEM AND TELL THEM HOW TERRIBLE THEY ARE! YOU’RE FIRED!”
Anne Holliday @ 23
Bush is vulnerable on every front, but the Democrats do not get to pick which front the battle will be fought on. Either Schumer and Rahm don’t understand that basic fact, or they have some deeper agenda.
Remember that their agenda is raising money, much of it from people with an affinity for another nation that employs “harsh interrogation techniques.”
“More please” indeed. Bill Clition had his faults, but his ability to nail the important points is sorely missed.
ab initio @
11
In the case of the “compromise” I think it’s the framing that makes us snore through this one. This has got to be cast in as larger, “Big Brother”, grab for authoritarian power.
This could be an example of using a libretarian frame that could peel off some of their base. That was a message I took away from the John Dean book disscusion and this is would be a good opportunity to do that.
Bush is getting pissy with Wolf Blitzer on CNN at the moment.
ooo, and Bush looks really mad…
and isn’t comparative to see Bush respond to 9/11 questions about his responsibility vs. Big Dog?
wallace is such a piece of shit – a real embarrassment to his family.
omg– booosh is losing it. “I wuddn’t in office that long before 9/11″– giggling wildly.
bush: preznits don’t get to do do-overs.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 31
Shouldn’t we be saying he’s “unhinged” and “angry”?
Late last night a bunch of us discussed a postcard (or fax or email) campaign for tomorrow and Dave came up with the graphic. The Agonist has it now and our dear Jesus General is hosting the graphic so you can download, print and send:
http://webpages.charter.net/mi…..stcard.pdf
Get printing!
mr. booosh certainly musta seen Bill’s criticism of him on faux… more defensive than ever…
UptownNYChick at 37 — I believe the official Faux News term is “crazed.” Ahem.
Bill Clinton gets the job done this morning on FOX. Hillary? The Senator REALLY needs to get with the program.
Senator HRC…the “vast right-wing conspiracy” of which you once spoke has not gone anywhere and is still working over time . Hillary Clinton! Where are you?
The thing I don’t understand is the Dem. leadership bullshit that implies that election wins in Nov will allow them to undo this crap. If it isn’t stopped now, it can’t be undone. Even in the remote chance of a Dem Senate in January, there will not be a veto proof majority. These same jerks gave a pass on Alito, now torture. jeebus
Christy Hardin Smith @ 40
sorry, just woke up.
For the Dem Congresscritters who’ll have to vote this coming week, I think we can quite succinctly frame the issue for them as follows:
Vote “Yes” on this legislation so Junya and Darth don’t have to go to jail.
It’s so easy to do when all you want is to make nice and keep those Repugs in power.
Oklahoma kiddo at 41 — you know, maybe it’s just me, but I get the impression that you aren’t exactly a Hillary Clinton fan? *G*
Great interview.
The thing that really stood out in my mind visually was that through the entire Clinton reading Wallace the riot act and forcefully correcting the record was the fact Wallace sat there with that trademark republican (smug, disrespectful), Bushco shiteating smirk. What an asshole…Big time. I mean he was talking to a former President and he deserved far more respect than Wallace gave him.
No, according to the great wurlitzer, Bill Clinton is unhinged for hitting back at Mike Wallaces’ diluted seed, Chris. George W. Bush is resolute and firm and strong willed for snapping like a pretzel at David Gregory.
How many stories are these major media outlets sitting on in the election run-up this time?
-GSD
Uptown at 43 — I was poking fun at Faux, not you. :) (They changed their graphic, btw, after ThinkProgress called them on it with a screen grab. hehehehe)
my too sense @ 46
and Bill called him right on that smirk! (and without seeming petty)
Christy Hardin Smith @ 40
What? “Unhinged” wasn’t working for them any longer?
I saw Chris Wallace interview his dad some time ago. It would be so great to see Mike Wallace interview the son.
my too sense @ 46
And then they scream that we don’t respect their leader. Dear Lord, they did more to tear down the esteem of the ofice of the President than even Nixon in their “crazed,” obsession with the Clinton’s p*nis.
booosh now making his case for war with Iran… “nookular Iran – bad! bad!”
boosh’s face looks bad… bad makeup job? looks a little waxy… and he’s slumping in his chair…
I think he’s sick of being preznit…
Can you imagine Kerry mounting a response like that? Maybe in 1972 when he really believed something.
Please dubya, go to a kegger, take your loyal backwash with you and y’all just stay there, m’kay?
bring your chainsaw, fishin’ pole and bike so you kin keep busy.
me to me @ 15
I was hoping he would say “I spent four hours talking to the 9/11 commision and I didn’t have anyone holding my hand.”
OT – I did a book review at Amazon and got an Ole 60 Grit dig in LOL
http://www.amazon.com/Imperial…..13?ie=UTF8
Christy Hardin Smith @ 45
And I try to be so subtle.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 31
“I regret when peoples lose lives” – said Bush to Blitzer – sure fooled me – Aghhhhhh!
Nice job, Cozumel. A dig for Ole 60 Grit and a lovely plug for FDL! Nice.
shorter Fred Barnes on al qaeda is growing due to the war in Iraq – “it’s all Bill Clinton’s fault”
OldCoastie @ 54
Yeah, even with his Daddy’s baby, James Baker in the mix again trying to pull Junior from the quicksand….
Daddy, help me. No one likes me anymore.
TFB Chimpy.
-GSD
Now the Bush folks are pushing the new victim meme regarding Guantanimo…….The prisoners are in control, the jailers are the victims now.
Take logic, stand it on its head, shake vigorously….
Off Topic but BIG NEWS!
The reverse version of the Lamont/Lieberman race here in Hawaii yesterday… Our local hero Dan Akaka has defeated his Pro-Iraq challenger, Congressman Ed Case in a resounding victory!
The People’s Will has prevailed again!
A’ohe lokomaika’i i nele i ke pana’i.
-No kind deed has ever lacked its reward (Hawaiian Proverb)
I get the feeling if the Dems take the Congress, that boosh will just dry up and blow away…
he doesn’t like his job any more – it’s not as much fun as it used to be…
Breaking up is hard to do. Bush and Bill may be needing some therapy if they are going to get through this rough patch.
p.s. The NIE on the ill effects of the Iraq War on the GWOT was submitted last APRIL. FIVE months ago.
Accidentally deleted my OT post about Dan Akaka by deleting it during an “edit” so I re-posted it. Sorry about that.
I knew I would be rewarded for not watching Faux News this morning, that C & L would have the replay. I just cannot bring myself to watch that channel, ever, even if Big Dog is on. He was great. People like to say, he was a flawed president, “not perfect”. No one is perfect. He did a great job despite Ken Starr and the BS he had to endure while in office. What a complete contrast from the moron-in-chief that was interviewed by Wolfie this morning.
Nate @ 64
Yea!!!
They re-ran it again on FAUX. Scrumptious! Big Dog kicked ass so effectievly that in the “roundtable” afterwards even Brit “I love my dead gay son!’ Hume was cowed.
Re-Elect Billary!
That should be the campaign slogan for ‘08. Bill Clinton is the closest thing we’ve had to a political genius as President since FDR. I can see the Pugs slander against Hillary: if she’s elected, Bill’s going to be back in the White House. About 68% of the country will say, “And the problem is…?”
I hated Bill Clinton because of his capacity for parsing and duplicity. I’ve come to appreciate those qualities much more by year 6 of the Bush Administration.
FOX is being a busy little right-winger. As usual. They’re spinning Bill Clinton’s responses this morning to Wallace as being anger melt-down. If it were anyone other than FOX, I might say unbelievable.
Hey Marclord!
tho no more billary please – sigh
Don’t forget to watch the military dictator of Pakistan tonight on CBS. He’s pushing his new Simon & Shuster book: “Talibanned in the USA”.
-GSD
As to Clinton on FAUX, I have some mixed feelings…
Especially when he cast Murdoch as a victim because he is allying himself with Bill on his Global Initiative…
This appearance is as much about Murdoch as it is about Bill.
I can’t put my finger on it but something bugs me about it.
-GSD
MarcLord @
71
I mean no offense, but by the time 2008 rolls around, I want us to set our sights a little higher. That is especially true fter 6 years of Bush.
Just saw Jane Harmon on CNN discussing the upcoming torture bill and I was shocked, she put out strong, great points, clearly outlined the attempt to box in the Democrats as being weak on terror…
Spector looked slimmy and tried the laugh poohpooh wingnut defense…. silly Democrats… they have nothing but to whine or be angry… silly little Democrats..
Cant watch McCain…. had back to back commercials … first Kyl’s I have principles ad and then JD Hayworth’s dragging out every winger Sherriff in rural AZ who listen to Limpbog….. too much ick factor before my second cup of coffee…
Also, that Hamid Karzai is one smoothe talking, well dressed and charming Bush sycophant.
-GSD
Siun @ 73
For sure. If I vote for Senator Clinton for president, I’m casting my ballot for the Senator. NOT Bill.
Peterboy @
5
But note that, at least in the WP story, they take a snide swipe at the NIE that “concluded” that Iraq had WMD, as a way of discrediting NIE in general. I wrote the author and pointed out that it was the cherry-picked version that the Bush administration released to the public, and not the NIE itself, which was faulty. If you take a long enough document and cross out the words you don’t like, you can make it support any position. If that support later turns out to be misguided, the fault may well be with the cherry picking, not the original document.
It’s good that they are reporting on the present NIE, but it would be better if they could do so without trying to aid and abet the rewriting of history in the process.
–MarkusQ
katymine – I missed Harmon in CNN… did it sound like she has a plan for slowing or stopping this thing?
Hey Siun, ok I will knock it off.
You only have about a year of silence left on that front, though.
And hi GSD, re: the Musharraf book deal, I take it as one more sign that we’re going to be attacking Pakistan next. Possibly sometime in October. If Musharraf is ousted in a coup (real or not), this brings up an immediate crisis: nuclear missiles in the hands of the islamo-fascia. Elect us!
More practically, Musharraf is unable to subdue the western tribal zones where a major pipeline needs to be built. And invading Pakistan also shuts off Iran on the east side, before Syria is shut off to the West to complete the blockade ring.
Wigwam @ 18
Yes,
It hasn’t passed yet
Christy Hardin Smith @ 17
Yes to both of you. But one thing toward the end of the last blog struck me as particularly prescient. Namely, someone pointed out that the torture decision goes back to cover November 1997. Why? One of the things that most impresses me on the Lamont campaign is how quickly everyone involved has been in getting out the facts, and creatively countering. Here too, I think that we need to get at the facts, and make sure to get them into public air. Ultimately, the press followed the ABC-Disney fiasco because we were active in countering the mistruths in it. The problem here is that there is no readily identifiable ABC-Disney to attack. And, frankly, the Dems (and Republicans) are both freaked out about being called “soft on terrorism.” Frankly, I am as frightened about our roll down the highway out of control toward an Iran bombing. My hope is that eventually (hopefully in my life time) the Bush nuts canbe brought up for war crimes either here in the US or elsewhere.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 79
But a vote for Hillary is a vote for Bill, too. My point is that he would, quite literally, be back in the White House.
OldCoastie @ 81
I was doing my first run of channel surfing and caught just a little bit of the segment but I had to do a double take because it was Harmon…… It is amazing how a primary challange can do a 2×4 attitude adjustment ….. too bad that others need a 4×4 lesson right RGJoe?
I find I disagree with Harmon frequently, but she is quite able to speak up and speak well and with plenty of authority… she is someone I’d love to see get on board with the progressives… my hope is she will find a way to block the torture bill…
faux now is fussing about Chavez … sheesh, there are too many targets for W’s next war!
Marc,
Its funny, I almost never factor in the oil chessboarding of the world.
That whole western strip is the oil pipline area, of course…..
So what options would a rational man act upon? Well, an irational man would opt for another attack on a Muslim nation to upset the applecart….
As has been said, these bastards are getting ready to “kick the chessboard over” in order to guarantee endless war for endless peace.
-GSD
Also, Chavez is up to some good gameplaying. If he loses the US market, I am sure that he’ll find lots of new customers…perhaps China wouldlike another rib-rocked ally on the southern tier of the US….
This will also allow the warmongers to start with the “Caracas is 900 miles from Austin Texas” line to oil the war machinery for a the Chinese threat.
MarcLord @ 85
Perhaps I’m not reading you correctly. Are we talking about a co-presidency or perhaps a de facto chief exec.?
Waaaay OT but if people need a break from political tv and have even a slight curiosity about motor sport; moto-gp is on the speed channel at 1:00 ET. That and Olbermann are the only tv for me: weird
Richmond, there has been speculation on earlier threads that the retroactive dating to November 1997 is because extraordinary rendition got approval for the first time in the USA from the Clinton administration. So perhaps they threw a bone to the Democrats to quiet their objections.
ab initio @
11
It appears that this matter got real traction in the blogosphere too late. Two weeks ago might have been sufficient time, but “The Path to 9/11″ held attention that weekend, which was probably too late for that battle. There must be some object lessons in all of this.
From C-SPAN’s broadcast of Gonzales’s August-second appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee it was absolutely clear what was coming on the matter of legalization of war crimes. It was a carefully scripted Kubuki rehersal up to but not including the happy compromise. Also, Hilary stuck her two-cents worth in that time. Among other things Gonzales said that: “It seems to us it is appropriate for Congress to consider whether or not to provide additional protections for those who’ve relied in good faith upon decisions made by their superiors.” R Jeffrey Smith wrote this
in the next day’s Washington Post.
My point is that we cold have and should have seen it coming, except possibly for the McCain/Bush compromise and the inaction by the Democrats. From the beginning, my bets were on a compromise. McCain may be against torture, but he has made it clear that he has his price on almost everything, even kissing up to people who attack his family. But the deafening silence from the Democrats leaves me sick. A no-risk opportunity to wave the flag for civilization and to shame the Republicans for selling out traditional American values and failure to support our troops by exposing them to retaliatory torture. Talk about a gift!!
Siun @ 38
I just emailed it with instructions to forward to all my lists and to everyone I tought of who has a list of their own. It’s going viral on LI!
SIUN this is perfect
Thank you
Richmond @ 84
I tried to do a google search but did not know what to look for…
This very point was brought up by John Dean during the ACLU Townhall I attended Thursday… he through out that very question…….
What is so important about Nov 26, 1997?
Jane Harman is on CSpan right now….
Democrats are going to do what they do best: Absolutely nothing while the GOP wrestles the American voter once again into submission with threats about terrorism and gay men who want to rape their children.
Both the Times and the Post are running the “Iraq war has increased terrorism” story above the fold in the top right corner….
I think even the media doesn’t know what to do anymore.
They are afraid of Bush but they also appear to be unable to call him the worst president ever.
-GSD
Steve @ 91
pssst – Steve! I’ll confess to being a Speed channel fan myself and I’m planning to read FDL while enjoying the Dover race later … but don’t tell, I wouldn’t want anyone to know that FDL has a Nascar Mom on staff
OK. So Rumsfeld was able to pave over the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by calling Democrats “Nazi appeasers”…
Now they were able to sandbag the run-up to the torture debate by the whole Path to 9/11 flap…..
Creating their own realities indeed.
-GSD
“Rev. Jerry Falwell: Hillary Clinton will mobilize conservative voters better than the Devil.”
Coming on the butt-end of the reactionary Republican response to Chavez, even for nuts like Falwell, this is incredible.
http://www.latimes.com/news/na…..-headlines
meta @ 92
Thanks Meta. That makes alot of sense!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 100
In Republican World it is insane to call their fascist actions and policies out. It is ok for Pat Robertson to call for assassinations and for Limp-baugh to call Daschle “El Diablo”…
It’s those “unhinged liberals” though.
-GSD
OldCoastie @
32
Unhinged, maybe?
It seems the only way Democrats can get their message out is to fight back on the spot against the sandbagging as many here have said. I suspect, and hope, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Keith Olbermann will take over where former President Clinton left off.
Richmond @ 101
It is so they can yell at the top of their lungs: “Bill Clinton did it too!”.
-GSD
Whoop! Go Bill!
I’m very glad he pushed back on this.
Siun@98 My mother,who was a huge political junkie,rabid Dem and Clintonite became a NASCAR junkie in her late 80’s as she became less mobile. Moto-gp is worth one look just to see Valentino Rossi ride a bike. He is the best there is and ever was and he is a cute Italian if you are into cute Italians.
katymine @ 95
Here is what I wrote on the last blog: I did a google search on the date, and came to the Washington Post website synopsis of key issues – a web chronology (On Politics Washingtonpost.com). Interestingly we read for August 29, 1997 that the US population not optimistic on nation’s course. Then on Feb 20, 1998 we learn that 68% show strong support for bombing Iraq. Probably the Nov 1997 date has something to do with Bush admin illegal actions in Iraw in lead up to the war.
But also see Meta at 92 above!
Dear President Clinton,
Thank you so much for your impassioned response to Chris Wallace and the false right-wing spin that you did not do enough to go after al-Qaeda. Thank you for pointing out the double standard that continues to allow the Bush Administration to escape responsibility for its massive failures. That kind of response is exactly what we have been hoping to see from you. It has energized not just progressive Democrats but all Americans who are seriously concerned about the direction of the country and the right-wing media misrepresentations of those realities.
All of us have concluded that we want — and the country desperately needs — a lot more of the same from you. Someone with your stature, intelligence, judgment and persuasive powers could make a huge positive difference in the upcoming elections. I can’t urge you strongly enough to become more directly engaged in the 2006 campaigns. You can make the difference in recapturing Congress and creating a strong check on the Republican President’s misguided policies and his likely plans for further war in the Middle East.
But it’s important that you engage in ways that will truly confront the central problem Democrats face in this election. To help elect Democrats, we need you, and other Democratic leaders, to directly and forcefully challenge the Bush/Rove frame that argues the Democrats would be weak on national security. We need you to explain, clearly and passionately, that the Bush policies are making the country less safe. And we need you to explain that these same policies are also making Israel less safe.
But to do that, we need you to take on the underlying frame of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld foreign policy. We need you to say what the NYT reported today as the conclusions of the most recent NIE, that the invasion and occupution of Iraq has made terrorism worse, that it has created a breeding ground for terrorism, and that the threat of terrorism has metasticized and become a greater global menace because the President’s Middle East Policies in general and his Iraq policies in particular. We need you to explain that your Administration had a very different approach, one focused on resolving the Israeli/Palestinian issue, rather than inflaming the region through preemptive wars.
I know I am asking you to do something very difficult for you, but you are one of the few Americans who can do this, and you can do this more effectively than anyone. It is one thing to defend your own record, which you did so well on the Fox interviewed. You had a right to defend yourself. But now I ask you to go further, to challenge the President and the frame with which he and Rove are trying to beat Democrats in 2006. And the reason this is difficult is because it risks calling attention to the positions of Senator Clinton on Iraq.
So I ask you to consider how best to solve this problem. Find a way to challenge this Administration on the most important questions of war and fighting the spread of terrorism, and then speak out forcefully. Please speak up, as Al Gore and other have already done, about the threats to the rule of law, threats to American Cosntitutional rights, and threats to perceptions of American moral authority. And please explain to the American people why Democrats can confront national security issues without using the kinds of misguided policies that are not only creating greater terrorist threats but degrading our national character and image.
If you can do this, you will earn the respect of all Americans who care about their country. And it might not hurt the Senator’s future ambitions either.
Respectfully,
John Chandley
Citizen
Jane Hamsher @
26
I did read your Disgusted post as well as Digby’s and Greenwald. My point was about comparing the organized opposition to Path to 9/11 led by the owners of liberal blogs vs this legislation that will change the complete character of the country.
What is BRW?
What I have already done is organize 5 families in my neighborhood and invited the entire neighborhood to discuss the implications of this legislation. 28 individuals signed a letter that we sent to our two senators. We also sent the letter to our local paper. Any ideas of what else we could do?
meta @ 92
No, I think it was a smokescreen to try to equate what Bushco is doing with the way it was handled during the Clinton admin.
To try to make the two programs look morally equivelent, which they are not
Holbrooke trouncing Haig on CNN. Haig is giggling wildly and smirking after saying stoopid stuff. (like boosh).
looseheadprop @
83
Supposedly the democratic strategists are listening to some progressive bloggers, e.g., Kos. Is anyone getting the message to them (beyond the usual write-your-congressman stuff) that for their own good they need to jump on this.
I just caught three minutes of a CNN interview with two party strategists, one a Democrat and the other a Republican. Both agree that the Democrats have a problem in that nobody knows what they stand for as a party.
GSD @
105
Sorry, I forgot to mention that Clinton’s version of rendition and Bush’s version of rendition are not alike. No small quibble.
Oklahoma kiddo @
90
I don’t know. I only know that the wing-nuts will fear what is for them the worst outcome, and will raise holy hell.
ab initio – great job on your neighborhood – that’s the kind of work we all need to be doing.
During Jane’s Disgusted post – and FDL is certainly standing up on this – a group of folks organized a postcard campaign and Dave put together a graphic. You can find it here – thank to our friend Jesus General – http://webpages.charter.net/mi…..stcard.pdf
you can email, print and mail or print and fax it off …
so we’re mobilized and so are you – and The Agonist is pushing this as well … it takes a while for the blogosphere to gear up but lots of folks are working.
looseheadprop @ 111
Yes, lhp. You caught me at the same moment I caught myself. Thanks.
Christy Hardin Smith @
17
Right on, Christy! The comment you are replying to really pissed me off. Well done, Christy.
The question ALL Democrats should be asking about the torture thing is: Republican Senators are arguing with a Republican President about what an ACCEPTABLE level of torture is. Is this the America YOU want to live in?
Meta, that won’t stop the people who hate everything about Clinton until they need to justify their actions, then Bill Clinton is the man they point to and say “he did it too”.
Amazing.
-GSD
Oklahoma kiddo @ 72
Yup, don’t address or stimulate any type of honest discussion about the facts/points that President Clinton brought up, but instead smear him for calling them on it.
Worst. TV Network. Ever!
Clinton’s version of rendition was still immoral – delivering people to known torture is not a good thing even if done in moderation and only to “bad guys” IMHO – and a reminder that once you open the door to such immorality, there’s no stopping it.
A quick flyby to share this if you haven’t seen it yet.
Newsweek has up on its website now an article about the next generation of Karl Roves and how they’re hard at work on campaigns such as the Tenn Senate race….
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14…../newsweek/
The cancer on the body politic is metastasizing…
Haig doesn’t even seem in “control” his own faculties anymore.
-GSD
Once again, its Bill that comes to the rescue of Dems.
I gotta tell you, I’ll be happy just SEEING any congressional Dems on the morning news shows. When are they gonna learn that issuing press releases just ain’t gonna get it done.
Oh and BTW regarding Wallace. Aren’t we just getting a little tired of seeing people getting themselves into positions of influence simply because Daddy was in one? I’m talking to YOU Kean, Murkowski, Wallace, Kennedy (Patrick, not RFK Jr.), Trump (Yeah Daddy got him in business too), Chaffee and every single spawn of Prescott Bush to come down the pike.
ab initio: what makes you think no one is trying? Or would you prefer we sabotage sensitive potential negotiations to get all the players aligned by broadcasting everything up front, leaving some people no room to make a deal because of the side effects of exposure?
We’re using our media carrot and stick, and doing all we can. I’m sorry if you confuse that with inaction.
Siun,
Once you make that first step, the second step is always easier……That is the “slippery slope” that people talk about. The nation is on its ass about halfway down that slope right now.
-GSD
Christy – I agree with you on most everything you write, but I have to take issue with:
Immediate would have been no later than September 10th. Although they were involved with pushback by then, it was basically in written form, and a smattering of cable coverage.
Too bad the Big Dog didn’t do this 2 weeks ago.
Better late than never I suppose. At least he chewed up Wallace before the elections. I just hope it has an impact, and a lasting one.
OT, and tinfoil hatty – but the reason I think the Bushies need to have OBL alive is so they can have him say something pro-Democratic before the election, then take responsibility for “getting” him. Interesting that it was the French who were able to learn that he was dead or soon to be. They have been also mounting a counter offensive to an Iran intervention.
scarecrow…9:44am
Yes. I want former President Clinton to confront the Bush policies on the whole of the Middle East situation. More importantly, for me, I want to see Senator Clinton do the same.
Siun @ 122
Hi Siun,
I have NO idea where you’re getting that from. Link?
Siun @ 116
Siun
Do you ladies think maybe this campaign deserves a post, and thread, all it’s own?
Is this gonna get posted to Kos, C&L, nexthurrah, etc.?
I think a one day blitz could really make an impact.
I was also thinking that would make a nice poster/flyer. You could include instructions on how to blow it up and a few ideas about where to post them/ hand them out.
You really have something good here and it should not get lost in th ecomments
Wigwam — the thug was Matthew Dowd and he played classic concern troll wrt to the dems.
The other guy is Stan Greenberg (smart guy) and he wouldn’t touch the Lieberman/Lamont thingie he was tossed. He was/is a pollster for Lieberliar and is married to Rosa DeLauro who, iirc, supported Lieberloser in the primary…
he did make some good points when he said the dems should absolutely make hay of the rethugs prosecution of the “GWOT” (I hate that term!) and bring up the NIE and their many failures.
Did the interview piss anyone else off in that they kept panning “back” after Clinton got in his groove showing that his trousers had ridden up and showing his leg skin above his sox which is just another way to further emasculate him. I will admit I don’t usually watch the Wallace show, but I can’t imagine they would have done the same for Bush.
And watching the panel afterwards caused me to yell “Bull****” at the tv. They didn’t even give Clinton any mention of the amazing results of his Global Initiative Summit. God forbide they might give him credit for the good things he does. Has anyone else noticed how Democratic presidents in the last 20 years go on doing good works in the world after retirement while Republican presidents just retire to ranches and fishing?
GSD @
89
Chavez is very, very good, China is smart, as is Russia. They’re conserving military resources and building a deep nexus of economic relationships while we blow our wad in a way which causes long-term friction. Yes, almost every one of their moves has been about the oil chessboard, and the Cheney-Rumsfeld approach is daring: because they believe we can’t win economically over time, they’re trying to extend the prosperity of a dollar-for-oil empire by upending the board and make off with most of the prize money (resources). In this manner they also hope to control the growth of China and India. Problem is, it’s not going to work. Investment in the next resource paradigm was the good option, and they didn’t feel comfortable with making that choice. Because they know oil.
Siun @ 116
i’m so hoping….
i suck at writing and don’t have the contacts that you-all do…. but i’d like to help if there is anything useful i can do (beyond what has already been discussed). i’m not proud… i’ll do shopping, bring you your coffee,… make a fool out of myself for a video… go to dc for a sit in at reid’s office…
i figure that if i’m not willing to hold D politicians accountable for their actions, i have no right to ask (or expect) them to hold the Rs accountable for theirs….
same standard of accountability for all – i don’t give a pass to someone just ‘cuz they have a D by their name.
Siun @ 116
Thanks to some tech help – I think its called “landscape” am able to print two of these postcards on card stock in full color – that fit nicely in #10 envelopes. In less than 10-minutes produced a large number to distribute here, there and everywhere. My neighbor is so motivated she is setting up a card table at our local post office to give them away. We have to pick up our mail here in little Carmel By The Sea – and for once I appreciate this old custom. Thanks to The Agonist and FDL for once again leading by doing.
Wigwam @ 18
Question: if this piece of crap legislation passes, does it mean that BushCo and all of its mad players cannot be charged with war crimes? Does that mean it’s not an impeachable offense if it passes? Does it apply to all or ONLY to the interrigators? The %$@#^@*&!!!!
selise @ 136
victoria2dc @ 138
That’s exactly what it means
newspaperbrat @ 137
And THANKS to Jesus General too – loves me these folks who define the old maxin Lead By Doing!
Re:
My 139
My reply got sucked into the middle of the quote.
Here is my reply:
Download, print and send the “postcard” Siun has linked. Printout a bunch and hand them out at your local supermarket or mall.
Email the link to every sensible person you know and ask them to do the same
Coz – here are a few links:
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/e…..51206.html
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/…..14fa_fact6
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com…..ary_r.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories…..8155.shtml
Christy has a new thread upstairs.
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..-contrast/
Pachacutec @ 126
pach,
i think it is just the well intentioned anxiety of the troops before a battle… most of us are doing more than we’ve done in the past, so we’re all feeling a bit on edge and uncertain.
and it is very good to hear that there is organizing work going on today… no need to broadcast details (none of us would want that!), but just the knowledge that stuff is happening is very welcome news. thank you for that!
Siun @ 38
I’m not getting it… are we supposed to e-mail this? Please provide more info.
With Iran, this Busch administration will open a Pandora’s Box, not even considering Iran “per se” because China will not sit this one out, and we do own them something like 900 big B’s.
Bill Clinton did not have the 9/11 moral authority to attack any country and destroy Al-Qaeda at will which was given and thrown down the toilet by the Incompetent.
Victoria2dc – the image can be printed out and then faxed or mailed – or it can be emailed to your Senators.
Thanks to Dave for the image, Jesus General for hosting and a bunch of folks for getting this started.
Siun,
Thanks!
looseheadprop @ 94
Ok Siun!!!!
Thanks for the clarification.
I do not condone rendition in any form whatsoever. I was referring to some of the speculation that has been floating around.
“What is BRW?” ab initio: Just guessing here but if you look down and stare real hard at the keyboard, the answer will magically reveal itself.
(hint) It turns out that the “R” and the “T” are right smack dab next to each other.
I’m thinking it was meant to be BTW. Which is acronym for By The Way. If I may be so bold I would have said BTFW. . . .
EPU’d…I think they dated it back to 1997 so that they could point to Democrats being cut from the same cloth as Republicans…….
There is no way a toughened politician should be able to let some nasty twit like Chris Wallace walk all over him. Yet Democrats do just that, all the time, in the interest of appearing affable.
I can’t help wondering how many of them would actually be capable of responding to Chris Wallace as Clinton did. Is the typical Democratic politician sufficiently smart and informed to handle such a situation as well as Clinton did?
If Democrats are not good at it, I think they should practice. The idea that Fox News deserves to be granted a cordial tea-party atmosphere in these situations is absurd. It is way too late for such thinking.
And if Democrats still think it helps them to be polite, they need to consider the results of doing so over the past six years.
Ahhh, the old days,
When we had a president who could think!
Like Bush, C. Wallace is where he is because of his father, an accident of birth.
Weasel Wallace fits.
Clinton has given us the proper way to deal with Right Wing Conspirators: fight back.
GIVE ‘EM HELL, BILL.
Dave…thanks for kicking this off.
Courtesy of Selise and Twisted Martini, here’s the “4-Up” postcard version.
[Mod Note; typo in link corrected]
RBG @
158
The link’s not working… getting a “Not Found” message.
dave @ 159
there is a typo in the link…
twisted martini made the 4x BW postcard version of your graphic. i’m just hosting it… but that means i know what the link is! try this one:
http://www.netrootsmass.net/ex…..stcard.pdf
It’s over for BushCo.:
Even FOX News just ran the story about the NIE report, and they didn’t even blame Clinton.
WOW!
I am shocked that Fox didn’t edit the hell out of this before permitting it to air. Bill sure schooled that little shit Wallace, eh?
Wigwam @ 113
During the panel after the interview they managed to find the one quote from ‘Against All Enemies’ that made it look like Clarke felt that Clinton was “wagging the dog”….
An utterly dishonest out of context quote that, I believe was meant to point out the frivolous partisanship of those selling the wagging story (I think I remember Hitchens being on Rush’s show hyping this nonsense..)
Clarke has a lot of very good things to say about Clinton’s efforts against al Qaeda, it’s clear that he respected him (deeply), and writes extensively about how they were stonewalled every step of the way by guess who… just as the Big Dog said. Clarke’s book is a must read.
Chris,
You and I share journalism as a calling. And you have made it way bigger than me. I salute you. I have, at 36, recently moved into my mother’s basement. I do have a job, but also a hefty credit card payment deluged by skiing last winter. I’ll start looking to move out of here soon after I pay it off, ’cause I hate the bitch. (Well, you can love someone with liking them, right?) She has Fox News on like 12 hours a day and I get to watch often and think a bit.
After witnessing the Clinton interview, I have to wonder: Do you feel as good about your journalism as you do about your station’s social engineering project? Mr. Journalist? Hello?!?!? Your station makes me feel shitty about life in general, and now I have to worry about my presumably noble profession? Were you indeed a journalist, Chris, you would seek to confirm the factual statements Clinton made. You did not. The news to your station was Clinton’s nerve to become aggressive. Were you listening, you might have learned something. Your audience wouldn’t be happy to know it was Republicans who wanted out of Somalia after Blackhawk Down. Commentators on your station, Chris, have called Democrats pussies for pulling out of Somalia. I would, in fact, refer you to Californial Republican Bob Dornan’s pussy-whipped plea on the floor of the House for a pullout: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/…..06OC3-756:
Your station breeds paranoia and hatred, Chris. I watch it, I absorb it and I feel like it is inevitable that a terrorist will blow me up as I’m walking outside my home here in middle America. You are wrong. Check out the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act of 1933, the aftermath. That is the fearful thing, the thing I am paranoid about. Be a journalist, Chris, not a bitch. What will your kids think?
“And in case Democratic members of Congress or their staffers happen to be reading this morning — this is called effective and immediate pushback. More of this, please.”
Yes, yes, yes!!!