American Politics Journal

Correntewire and APJ present...
Pundit Pap
for Sunday, June 18, 2006
The Democrats Send In the Marine
by the Pundit Pap Team: Gene G / Shystee

June 18, 2006 (correntewire.com / apj.us)—The high point of this Sunday's TV Political Kabuki Theater was Rep. John Murtha (D-PA12), who put the kibosh on every GOP-bred spin point popping out of Tim Russert's mouth. The subject of their–and most of the rest of this Sunday's pundit pap–was the continuing and worsening crisis in Iraq–despite the elimination of Al Qaeda in Iraq® boss Abu Musab al Zarqawi.

Now, at this point, usually I would be providing a summary of the week's hot stories; this Sunday, however, I leave the honors to our favorite comedy writer Steve Young...

The Week In Review...
If the Media Reported on Democrats the Way They Do On Republicans
by Steve Young

It was a great week for the Democrats!

A grand jury refused to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA4). The indictment pass clearly indicates that McKinney did nothing wrong, most likely never hit the police officer, nor outed a covert CIA agent as political and personal retribution.

Ann Coulter continued to open her mouth, all but calling for the killing of John Murtha.

With Tom DeLay and Karl Rove (not to mention too many others to name) now having been investigated for months (and years), neither was castigated by the President nor his party–yet the Democratic leadership took about two seconds to eject discredited Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA2) from the House and Ways Committee.

More prison abuse reports surfaced–under an administration that continues to abuse the Geneva Conventions.

Presidential Spokesperson Tony Snow called the 2500 American soldiers who have been killed in Iraq "a number."

Ann Coulter.

But the Democrats' scored their biggest advantage this week when most of them did not get behind a Republican resolution to support the Bush policy that has resulted in the deaths of 2500 American soldiers as well as the over 100,000 Iraqis who never asked for the policy in the first place.

The politically-motivated vote will likely backfire on Republicans as a large majority of Americans believe that the President's decision to invade Iraq was not worth it.

Note that the Republicans have gone on record saying that the majority of Americans are wrong.

The Republican-controlled Congress will be facing a tough uphill battle as the resolution also put Republicans on record saying to U.S. soldiers–and their families–that it's okay that we have no idea when they'll be coming home unless they are dead, horribly injured or gay.

While House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH8), declared that "Achieving victory is our only option," the Republicans refused to outline what that "victory" would entail. That in itself could seal the majority party's fate as most Americans no longer seem to buy rhetoric over action.

This was also a week where Republicans re-energized the obvious Karl-Rove-supplied "cut and run" talking point to describe John Murtha and John Kerry. It's still hard to gauge how difficult it will be to defend the fact that both men volunteered for war time duty while so many Republicans led by the likes of Rove, Vice President Dick Cheney and just about every radio talk show host, "cut and ran" when they had a chance to serve in the Armed Forces during wartime, yet seem to have no problem sending someone else's children into harm's way. Add to that the fact that neither Murtha or Kerry actually advocates either "cutting" or "running," but rather a careful watch from the borders of someone else's civil war, should also give Democrats another arrow in the quiver as Republicans will surely be facing tough questioning on the Sunday morning talk shows concerning their continued shams and misleading phraseology.

If the Republicans continue to throw up wedge non-issues like gay marriage, flag-burning and the still pending swallow prohibition, while ignoring problems that Americans really care about–affordable Healthcare, outsourcing and bringing our boys and girls home–issues that the Republicans have indeed "cut and run" from, this November mid-term could truly turn Washington upside down.

It will be difficult for President Bush and his Congress to bounce back from a week that Democrats may ride all the way to the fall election.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Ann Coulter.

Back to you, Brit.

Meet The Press
by Shystee
Starring TV's Tim Russert! With guests Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA12), Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister , ConocoPhillips Co. Chairman James J. Mulva, and Chevron Corp. Chairman David J. O’ Reilly

Rep. John Murtha (D-Deer Hunter Country) can spit back talking points like nobody’s business. His chin was a little shiny by the end of the interview.

Oil execs speak earnestly, with friendly grins, and are completely full of shit. The fact they were on the show speaks to the obvious Media-Corporate collusion.

Murtha

Murtha: “Stay the course” is stay and pay. To the tune of 8 billion dollars a month.

You saw them in congress standing up and saying “we’re fighting this war”. No we’re not. 1% of Americans are fighting this war.

You look into that “plan for victory” and there’s no plan, there’s nothing there.

OK. That’s 3 talking points demolished. Next?

Lil’ Russ channels Karl Rove and sets up a mock debate in which Karly’s cowardly ass only appears on a videotape of his recent speech in New Hampshire

Rove: Dem’s give the green light to go to war, but when things get tough they go back to their tradition of cut and run.

Murtha: In Beirut, we didn’t cut and run, Reagan decided we need to change direction. Clinton did the same in Somalia.

Rove’s fat backside is up there talking, what’s his military experience?

Daaamn!

Murtha: We can’t win this militarily. It’s about the long term stability of OUR country. We don’t have the resources to fight another conflict.

More video of Karl “Grub Worm” Rove excreting his pheromone-rich slime to a captive audience of Wingnut drones. Attacking Murtha by name when there’s nobody around to respond.

Rove: if Murtha had his way we would have been gone in April. We wouldn’t have gotten Zarqawi.

Murtha: The administration has built up Zarqawi. He had 1,000 foreign fighters. The problem is the insurgency.

Murtha has said this over and over: 90% of the problem in Iraq is from Iraqi insurgents, not “terraists”.

Murtha: We got Zarqawi from outside. We got the information from Iraqis, Iraqi intelligence, then we bombed.

It was nice that Bush went to Iraq and saw a democracy, but he was in the green zone. You can’t go outside anymore.

For all intents and purposes, we might just as well redeploy to the periphery as Murtha has been saying for months

Rove: Murtha talks about redeployment. Redeploy to what country? After we cut and run what country will have us?

Murtha: Kuwait, Qatar, even Okinawa.

This is an international problem: the stability of oil supplies.

The administration has a failed policy wrapped in illusion.

Rove loves to paint the War on Terror as a pissing match, a “test of wills”, a trash talking contest between two individuals. An emotional, hypothetical, abstract situation where the Wingnuts can feel personally involved. Whose “will to fight” is being tested? The suburban republican’s? This is not personal, it’s real, and people are getting killed every day.

Russ: 42 Dems voted for Rep measure to support the troops and stay the course.

This is shameful. That 42 democratic representatives are so scared of Fox News saying they don’t support the troops that they would vote for the meaningless bullshit legislation. Who doesn’t support the troops? Jeebus. How hard is it to beat back that talking point?

Murtha: I think we have to have a policy. Conservatives came to me after the vote and said they understand where I’m coming from.

Russ: in the midterms, won’t the Dems be painted as Cut and run and GOP as the “party of strength”?

Thanks Lil’ Russ. Again bringing the conversation down to the personal level. Who is Strong on Terror? What the hell does that mean?

Russ: Do you ever have pause and think maybe two years from now this will work, we will have a democratic Iraq?

Murtha: Things are getting worse, look at the facts, the number of attacks.

We want a democratic Iraq but it’s not happening, we have to change.

Maybe Lil’ Russ and the rest of the gasbags have too much pause. Do they really think that Iraq might turn out to be a bed of roses, so they should not come out against the obvious clusterfuck, just in case?

Russ: haven for terrorists if we leave?

Murtha: It’s the opposite. We’re recruiting terrorists.

We paid 5 million last year, this year 20 million in consolation payments. We killed that many more Iraqis.

Every time we kill an Iraqi we make an enemy.

The Iraqis are the ones that got Zarqawi. They will take care of the foreign jihadists once we leave.

Exactly. This is obvious, if you only look at the facts instead of boogeyman fairy tales

Russ quoting Kerry: “We were misled”

Russ: Should all Dems running for president say it’s not enough to criticize tactics, that the war is wrong and it was wrong to vote fore it?

Murtha: Hold people accountable. Admit you made mistakes. Get international support.

It took 3 years but at least some Democrats are seeing the importance of being honest. We’re waiting, Hillary.

Russ: Steny Hoyer would be competition for the house speaker seat. There are a lot of issues like abortion in which you are not in line with the party.

Murtha: I’m much more conservative, but I take a position I believe in. The war is the #1 issue in all the polls.

Murtha as house speaker would kick ass. It was a surprise when he announced he would run because I thought a lot of his honesty came from the fact that he didn’t have career ambitions. I guess he hasn’t been persuaded by the beltway consultocracy that speaking truth from a basis of reality is “political suicide”.

Oil Execs

James “My Last Name Rhymes with a Female Body Part” Mulva, CEO of Conoco Philips:

Our employees don’t get up every morning to take money from people, they want to bring energy to people.

A standard big business tactic. It’s never about the fat cat executives, it’s about the hardworking employees. Why do people hate our hardworking employees?

Russ: Chevron’s profits up 20%, Conoco profits up 51%

Oil Execs: it’s about supply and demand, global oil demand is skyrocketing. It’s out of our hands, it’s the laws of Economics which the American driver is too dumb to understand. These are immutable laws of physics dictated by the almighty Invisible Hand of Market Forces.

I liked Jon Stewart’s response when some blonde lady from the Wall Street Journal went on his show to condescendingly make the same point: “but isn’t that just bullshit”?

Russ: Why don’t oil companies say, instead of making 60% profit this summer, we’ll make 30% and pass the savings on to the consumer?

Oil Exec: 14 billion dollars sounds like a lot of money… We reinvest every cent of it, honest!
Offshore oil rigs ain’t cheap!

Besides, there’s no way we can lower prices in an open market. If you lower your prices you increase demand and we might not be able to fill the supply.

Basically, don’t question the Invisible Hand of Market forces. We are the priesthood, the populace just doesn’t understand that we must obey the God of Economics. That we get filthy rich in the meantime just means the Invisible Hand is rewarding us for being good priests. And don’t question us or bad things will happen.

Russ: All gas is the same high price. People think, “isn’t this collusion”?

Oil Execs: Oil is cheap compared to Europe.

Sure we’re in the business to make money, but we have to pay stockholders and reinvest.

Russ: Exxon reinvested only 10 billion of 36 billion in profits. Retiring CEO got a $400 mil retirement package.

Oil Execs: We need the American people to urge their representatives to find solutions to supply and demand problems.

When you can’t invoke the Arcane Science of Economics, change the subject.

Russ: Why can Brazil run most of it’s cars on Ethanol and we can’t.

Oil Exec: Its’ because of high oil supply in Brazil.

Wha? Complete and utter nonsense, but it’s a good segue into their next point: the American people not only have to give up their hard earned cash, they need to give up their National Parks and clean oceans.

Oil Execs: There’s plenty of oil out there. IF we could only get the policies to give us access.

The continental shelf, there’s opposition to offshore drilling.

We as a country we need to commit more resources to technology, like China.

This last one is a cynical attempt to extract Research and Development money from the feds. So they get your taxes and your non-tax income.

Oil Execs: We’ve got to face the facts, we’re going to be an oil economy for many decades.

It’s just a fact. Because we say so. And convincing the American public that it is a fact will ensure our Corporation’s outrageous profits for decades to come.

Russ: Will you commit to having an equal amount of ethanol pumps?

Oil Exec: We like 5 to 10 % ethanol blend. 85% ethanol is uncharted territory.

Yeah, man, that’s like, craaaazy. Who knows what could happen. Ethanol spewing sea monsters in lake Michigan.

Oil Exec: There is only so much corn. If we use it for fuel, it will drive up food prices.

Bwahahahaaa!

Russ: thank you all for coming here today and explaining this issue to the American People.

Thank you Russ for giving these assholes a free half hour on national TV to persuade the American People that is completely reasonable for them to get raped at the pump and for Oil Corporations to make record profits. Or could it be that they make up most of the advertisements on your show?

Some of today’s ads:

Kids pimping a clean coal Web site.

Animated jungle animals pimping GE as an environmental company.

“People on the street” pimping BP which has rebranded British Petroleum as “Beyond Petroleum”. Their logo is a green flower now.

Chevron: Wind power alone can’t do it. It would take 20,000 wind generating windmills to power Paris. Image of the Eiffel tower as windmill. Natural energy is so silly. Their slogan: “Will you join us”?

Eh, how about fuck no, you money grubbing, pollution spewing, oil war starting, non-human entity scumbags?

CNN Late Edition
by Leah
Starring TV's Wolf Blitzer! With guests including TV's Tony Snow, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Bush) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Larry Eagleburger, Zbigniew Brzezinski

Let me start by telling you what wasn’t discussed this morning.

Despite Tony Snow being Wolf’s star guest, and getting fully half of the first hour (minus an unbelievable number of commercials during the interminable breaks), Blitzer steered clear of what could have been considered a real gaffe this week on Snow's part when he was asked about the President’s response to the number of American dead in Iraq having reached 2500. As you no doubt remember vividly, his response was, “It’s a number.”

However, for something to become a gaffe, the press has to do more than note it–they actually have to notice it, chew it over, and make a fuss. That didn’t happen this week, so perhaps we can only blame Wolf for being the utterly predictable echo of the current conventional hack wisdom we already know him to be.

One thing you've got to say for Tony Snow: he’s got style. He's even-tempered, softly ingratiating, silky smooth–the obsfucations, mis-directions, casuistry, the outright lies, flow off his tongue in nicely crafted talking points, which he manages to make sound like an actual conversation.

The only real subject was Iraq - over there, and here at home.

What Snow had to say was pretty much the same as what Republicans were saying all over the tube this morning: they’ve got their Iraq story line–and they’re sticking to it.

Snow’s emphasis posited a mature, seasoned, realistic, determined leader–Bush, the war president–at the center of the narrative.

Far from being in a bubble, Bush went to Iraq fresh from hearing contrary voices at Camp David, not to get some optimistic mis-measure of the situation from the new government. He went to find out what is true, and to make clear that we’ll will not shirk from our commitment, our promise, our word. “Us,” “our,” we,” were heavy on Snow’s lips. Odd, I don’t remember making an open-ended commitment to fighting a war in Iraq that threatens to last longer than our involvement in World War II

Oh, yes, Bush is aware of the impatience of the American people, that’s why he is putting all that leadership skill of his at the service of explaining to Americans where we stand in Iraq - we can win, we must win, victory may not be at hand, but it is visible down the road, unless, of course, we heed those voices of defeat, in that other political party over there, break our word, and cut and run, thus showing Iraqis and the world we’re pansies who can’t be counted on.

That is the gist of the narrative, but Snow manages to sound knowledgeable while he’s repeats his talking points; he’s certainly glib, but his answers were filled with detail. He talked about the new Iraqi/American initiative to bring security to Baghdad. He did use the word “turning point”, but immediately tried to swallow it, pointing out that once there is more security then the Iraqis will be able to get the kind of help with “civil affairs” they need.

I wasn’t sure what Snow meant here, but something he never had to worry about - Wolf asking him if this isn’t a little late in the game to be talking about matters of reconstruction, and BTW, what happened to all those billions of American taxpayer dollars that were meant for exactly that purpose.

Low poll numbers for Bush and for aspects of our Iraqi policy were mentioned; Snow was waiting for them. “You can’t fight a war on the basis of poll numbers” The Battle of the Bulge was mentioned; imagine what Americans would have said after that bloody mess? Hmmm….

Actually, Tony, I think the American people would have said, we’re with you, guys, we’re at your back, don’t lose heart, we’re with you to the end. But then that was an entirely different war, wasn’t it.

Snow emphasized, through constant repetition, that Bush is open to hearing contrary opinions, that he’s stimulated by them, in other words, that though his swagger is under wraps these days, he’s still mucho macho and totally in command.

Afghanistan came up; what’s with all these bombing missions? Just taking care of Al Qaeda, down there in the south, nothing to worry about. Bin Laden? Snow couldn’t say anything without compromising…hmm, now what was it again…intelligence? Ours? Theirs? Bush’s?

Guantanamo was next. Of course the President wants to close it, such a burden the place has become, and little by little the population is being slowly decreased, according to Snow. No, Wolf isn’t the kind of journalist to bring up those three suicides, despite the perfect lead-in. Come on folks, being a journalist doesn’t mean being rude.

No question to Snow about how that shrinking population of terrorists is possible, since we started with 3000 or so of the worst of the worst; where’d they all go?

One peculiar and yet perfect point Snow tried to make quickly, while emphasizing the burden it has become for the administration - human rights groups often object to attempts by the administration to send these guys back to where they came from. Gee, I wonder why?

North Korea; what about that possible missile test? This answer was so boring I haven’t the energy to type it - partners in the region, our six partners, negotiation, North Korea signed an agreement, if they violate it, appropriate steps will be taken.

Throughout the interview you could have sworn that Wolf was like an MC for one of those industrial documentaries big companies sometime commission. Tony was given the opportunity to laugh at himself, in that helmet and flack jacket heading for Iraq with the President, without Wolf inquiring if the President wore the same items, and was it on purpose that there are no pictures of him?

And on cue, Wolf read to Tony some of his own hard criticisms of the President, giving Tony the opportunity to emphasize, once again, that this is a White House that welcomes contrary voices, even critical ones, and then he threw in a small grenade of a qualification, by adding, at least it welcomes those critics who want the President to succeed.

Next up were Pat Roberts and Diane Feinstein, who had an op ed published in the SF Chronicle today, in which she endorses the need for a plan for phased withdrawal and redeployment of our troops

First topic was the TIME story about the Al Qaeda plot to release poison on the NY subway plot that was called off only 45 days before it was scheduled to go.

Roberts lost no time in pointing out what a good thing it is that we have the NSA program monitoring Al Qaeda calls. No indication that the NSA had anything to do with foiling the plot.

Feinstein pointed out that good intelligence on the ground appears to have played a role; both of them were constrained in how much they said they could say. If the NSA really was involved, what I’d like to know is why were no arrests made?

On Iraq, Roberts trotted out the Republican talking points, he’s less good at narrative than Snow; Republicans are determined to complete the mission, Democrats want to cut and run.

Feinstein did a decent enough job countering that rhetoric, using some of Murtha’s rhetorical approach - slogans aren’t a plan, nor do they produce victories. Her approach emphasized that what Democrats are interested in is hearing about some actual steps on the ground the administration has in mind to secure Iraq and reduce our presence there, pointing out that militarily, this is an unsustainable commitment.

North Korea was next. Feinstein started out well enough, but was interrupted by Wolf, who wanted to give Roberts a chance, and damn if Pat, didn’t go right back to that Republican talking point that the real problem with North Korea is all the fault of that stupid Carter/Clinton deal struck with North Korea, that Kim Il Jung paid not attention to. This is nonsense; I was anxious to see if Feinstein would take it on, but Roberts used up all the time left, so that was that.

The 2nd hour consisted of a one on one with Wolf and the Iraqi Foreign Minister, followed by Zbigniew Brzezinski and Larry Eagleburger, whom I’ve seen so many times on the tube, over the years, that I feel as though we’re on a first nickname basis.

I don’t know what to tell you about Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister.

He’s courtly, intelligent, speaks English well, rather portly, hope he’s keeping track of his cholesterol and his blood pressure. He was sympathetic with the American desire to see troops come home, and he commiserated with families who have lost love ones, etc.

Wolf asked him about his government’s policy on amnesty, the one good question in the whole two hours, I thought.

Zebari used it to launch into what was clearly his major message to Americans This government is different from the last one, and the one before that. This is a permanent government, elected democratically, with the backing of the international community - which means this government can make a difference.

What Zebari had to say about a policy of national reconciliation was heartening - reaching out to all Iraqis is what has to happen. He pointed to over 2000 prisoners released who were found not to be dangerous. Never mind what the hell they were doing in jail or for how long.

Amnesty for whom and under what conditions is still being debated.

Zebari wasn’t quite willing to give Wolf a blanket reassurance about no amnesty for attackers of American troops; you don’t give amnesty unless someone has transgressed, and since there is no difference between Iraqi and American blood, the government must find carefully defined language to define amnesty. The implication - there won’t be any public notice that attackers of Americans can count on amnesty, but please be aware of the constraints on this government, whose people are the Iraqi people, not the American people.

The creepiest thing abut the interview was the way the Minister insisted on referring to “the multinational forces,” by which he seemed to mean us, the US.

Zebari welcomed the President’s visit, and no, no one felt embarrassed that no notice of his arrival was given, or by the implication this administration didn’t trust the Iraqi government to be able to keep a secret.

Naturally, Zeberi isn’t thrilled by any kind of timetable for American withdrawal or redeployment. Here’s a close approximation of his actual words:

Wolf, the government has a plan that is working with the multinational force in order to hand over security responsibilities from the multinational force, American and other members of the coalition, to Iraqi security forces.

But this is dependent on conditions on the ground and the readiness of the Iraqi forces and troops.

A straight-up Republican talking point. Completely understandable, although these new guys might want to watch out; remember what happened to Allawi, who was Bush’s guy back then, too.

Watch for a visit from Al Maliki, complete with an address to a joint session of congress, as close to November as possible.

Last up, (still with me?): Zbig and Larry.

Brzezinski came on like a speeding bullet - a razor-sharp projectile, designed to penetrate the impenetrable, and make sense of it all. Eagleburger was like an old floppy pillow, comfy and smug from long use, but incapable of being fluffed up into its former shape.

Larry - a timetable is a terrible idea, for all the reasons every other Republican says it is. Plus, “I can’t remember any time in our past when we’ve announced we’re not up to a task we’ve committed ourselves to.” This is bad talk, very bad, talk.

Hey, Larry, watch that “we.” And what exactly was the task we Americans signed up for?

Zbig - I’m glad Zarqawi is dead. The end of the insurgency? Doubtful.

I’m glad the President could visit the green zone, an American fortress in Baghdad, where the new Iraqi government is currently being forced to hide.

Process these statistics, bombings, Iraqis dead and injured, Americans dead and injured, all worse today than a year ago. Neither the President nor any of the war’s supporters are preparing the American people for the kind of long-range commitment of years this is going to take. Here’s the crucial question for those who say we must stay - what is enough? How much money, how many lives, how much time?

The rest of the segment was taken up with North Korea and Iran. The biggest difference was this:

Larry - proliferation of nuclear weapons to nutjobs has to be dealt with, if necessary by military force, or we’ll be very sorry in the future.

Zbig - there are no military options in dealing with either North Korea or Iran, so it’s silly to talk about them, such talk only gets in the way of finding genuine solutions.

An interesting enough discussion to be worth consulting the transcript, to which I’ll provide a link as soon as it’s available.

Zbig has his limitations, God knows, but he was mightily convincing in his arguments against the Bush foreign policy.

But never forget: Democrats have no analysis, no plans, nothing with which to fight off Rove’s maniacal brilliance, and if you try and believe otherwise, if you dare to point to evidence to suggest otherwise, you’ll be a laughingstock; no more lunch at the kool kids' table.

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