Is Debate Insulting to Our Troops: KLo v. Condi Smackdown
The subtitle of the latest from KLo reads:
Harry Reid’s Saturday vote was the Presidents’ Day Weekend insult to U.S. troops, not John McCain’s decision to campaign as planned.
She continues with:
When Majority Leader Harry Reid announced late Thursday that there would be a Saturday Senate session to yet again debate a cowardly nonbinding Iraq resolution, Arizona senator John McCain didn’t change his weekend campaign plans. Good for Senator McCain.
Fellow Republican Senators Chuck Hagel and John Warner call the Iraq debacle the most important issue before us today but KLo applauds AWOL John McCain as she also decides to label Senator Reid a coward.
Meantime, let’s give some credit to Condi Rice:
Over the weekend, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addressed military personnel stationed in Baghdad. She told the troops that everyone – including critics of the administration’s Iraq policy – believes that “the sacrifice and the labor of our men and women here has been honorable.” She called the debate over escalation a sign of a “great democracy.”
Her speech can be found here.
I wonder if KLo would have the courage to take on Condi Rice in a best two out of three. Given the fact that the Secretary of State actually works out, perhaps Kathryn Jean Lopez would be well advised not to.
But seriously folks – haven’t we had enough of this childish pretty trash talk? Thanks to Kevin Drum for this plea:
The debasement of our national security discourse has reached staggering proportions. Just consider the half-witted nonsense we’re deluged with these days: Can you support the troops if you don’t support the war? (Yes. Don’t be a moron.) Should Hillary apologize for her war vote? (Seriously, who cares?) Will the surge work? (No.) Is Iran “meddling” in Iraq? (Of course they are. What did you expect?) … I’ve pretty much given up hope that there are any Republicans left who understand anything serious about the exercise of American power, but there’s at least a chance that one or more of the Democrats do. So let’s hear it. Let’s argue about something real for a change.