The Road of Bones

"The Webster Retort" for The News Connection, December 2, 2005 ...

What a political sea change a few short weeks can bring! Two weeks ago, the White House said those who call for a drawdown of U.S. soldiers in Iraq are “unpatriotic,” “cowardly,” and they wish to “surrender to the terrorists.” All good Republicans know this line very well. It has been the prevailing drumbeat of the last couple years. The extremists, such as the ever-dwindling numbers of avid Ann Coulter disciples, even consider Democrats like John Murtha “not only traitors, but gutless traitors,” as the hypocritical propagandist recently said.

Those salmon headed flip-floping Libbers are saying things like “[T]he coalition is not going to defeat the insurgency.” Is that not tantamount to Coulter’s definition of treason? Calamity! Dubiousness in the Highest Order! Aid and Comfort to the enemy! Oh wait, that was Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on NPR. Curses! Perfidy!

Joseph Biden, leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says we should pull at least 50,000 troops out of Iraq in 2006, and a “large portion” of those remaining by 2007. Clearly his words were met with roaring disdain. I mean, come on, he’s totally trying a “cut and run” tactic. He waives the white flag, that Milksop!

Just hours later, the White House issued a statement under the headline "Senator Biden Adopts Key Portions Of Administration's Plan For Victory In Iraq." Wait, wait, wait … What? The Blue Team objects to the president, but the president already objects to himself and actually did so before his deriders?

Then there was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said last week “I do not think that American forces need to be there in the numbers that they are now […]”. Days later, The Washington Post reports the Pentagon has drawn up a plan which will have over 60,000 troops withdrawing from Iraq in 2006. Hermitage? A “vast” majority will return by the end of 2007.

“A precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would be a victory for the terrorists, an invitation to further violence against free nations, and a terrible blow to the future security of the United States of America,” says Vice-Patriot Dick Cheney to the frantic cheers of his pre-screened, pre-approved audience. He shows every member of the Red Team how to “tow the line.” Tally-Ho, ya’ll! Indomitability, we cry!

Those Carmine Cardinals are starting to remind me of a salmon out of water, flipping and flopping and gasping for air. Looks like The Red Tide has gone back to sea. I suppose the administration was for withdrawing before they were against it. Or was it the other way around? Oscillation of the highest degree!

Steady, firm leadership. Yes. Good. Obviously, since we have been told over and over that withdrawing our troops from Iraq is a Huge Mistake, flip-flopping just like that and suddenly supporting staged withdraw is okay and not hypocritical in the least. I can come to only one conclusion: to suggest withdraw is a treasonous, unpatriotic maneuver … if you are a Democrat. But when the Republican administration does it, they are patriots of the highest order. Their resolve is to be admired. Dogged, I say!

Now the polls come marching down the sidelines, showing nearly 70 percent of Americans no longer support the war, indeed many believe the president “mislead” the public to get it. Hell of a “mandate” you’ve got there, Mr. Bush. Looks like someone is just posturing, afraid of what 2006 can and will bring. Unbelievable hypocrisy in the face of Potential Impeachment is a common trait among all presidential liars, Red and Blue alike. Cacophony! Casuistry! Conniption! Justice?

Flashback, McFly! From the New York Times, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away: “United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in the election despite a terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting. According to reports from the Capitol, 83 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the terrorists. A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in the President’s policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam.” Sound familiar? Anamnesis!

Somewhere outside of Crawford, Cindy Sheehan and the Iraq Veterans Against the War are toasting to their first victory. What has become of the unflinching leadership of King George the Second?

It went down the toilet with his job approval ratings.

Mahalo.

Webster is an Investigative Reporter and Columnist with North Texas weekly The News Connection and Staff Writer with the Crawford, Texas weekly The Lone Star Iconoclast.

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker on Monday, November 28, 2005 at Monday, November 28, 2005 | Permalink